Shahid Kapoor and the art of choosing scripts

Bollywood star has made it big, having come a long way from portraying the naive Prem to the menacing Haider

We have got to give it to Shahid Kapoor - not many stars in today's day and age have the versatility and talent this Bollywood actor is blessed with. After several hits and a few misses, Shahid has made it big in the Indian film industry, having come a long way from portraying the naive Prem to the menacing Haider.

The 39-year-old star, who recently celebrated his birthday, bagged a Filmfare award for his 2003 debut film, the Amrita Rao-starrer Ishk Vishk. Since then, everyone knew that Kapoor was destined for greater things.

While he has received multiple accolades for his notable performances over the years, Shahid essentially grabbed eyeballs when he starred in Jab We Met, alongside former beau and actor Kareena Kapoor Khan. Compiled below are the four times Kapoor proved his mettle to his fans world over:

Jab We Met

This film has always been close to the actor and his fans. While many argued that Khan stole the show with her brilliant portrayal of the lively Geet, Shahid's role as Aditiya held its own. In that film alone, he portrayed two very different characters - a somber Aditya in the first half of the project and a reflection of Geet in the second. And, the star seemed to have done it rather effortlessly.

Haider

Before signing this 2014 Vishal Bharadwaj directorial, Kapoor studied his character in a rather extensive manner. An Indian remake of William Shakespeare's scathing tale, Hamlet, the actor knew he had his work cut out for him. Calling it his most difficult project to date, he played the titular role in the dark drama, nailing his role to a tee. He, along with Tabu, Shraddha Kapoor, Irrfan Khan and Kay Kay Memon, delivered a ground-breaking performance, making it the most memorable project in his career.

Udta Punjab

Many believe it was after Haider that Shahid decided to take on more challenging roles. One such project was his 2016 social drama Udta Punjab. The film ruffled some feathers in the Indian censor board as it tackled drug abuse and suicide, with the regulatory authority demanding a ban on the Abhishek Chaubey-helmed film. Shahid played a drug addict, musician Tommy Singh, proving once again that he could don any hat and do absolute justice to it. The actor won a Filmfare for Critics Award for Best Actor.

Kabir Singh:

Perhaps Kapoor's most controversial project, Kabir Singh divided the audience. The actor played the role of an obsessive boyfriend, bordering on misogyny. He was called out by critics and fans for signing a film that promoted violence but remained unfettered by the criticism. While his portrayal of Singh was brilliant when it came to his acting prowess, there's no question that he could have picked a better script.

Kapoor will next be seen in the sports drama Jersey. This will be the first time the actor will be playing an athlete.

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