Shahid on making calculated decisions in acting choices, cutting down on endorsements and supporting the right films
While the likes of Arjun Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra are on hoardings, TV, and magazines selling everything from clothes, colas and cars, Shahid Kapoor has not done endorsements in a while.
The Haider actor explains why the sudden full stop, "I have become a little selective. I think I have done work for ten years. I did some right things, and some wrong things. Now it's been a very different start -- and its very weird -- because exactly ten years later it's like a round two has started, so it's a new phase in my career. I am very happy that the last two decisions that I took have gone right. I have a very good set of people around me and an amazing team that are helping me take better decisions rather than stupid actor decisions which we all tend to take. So now is the time where that period of growth has started. It's a new direction and everything is going to be afresh because I feel I am a new person today than what I was and I think that will reflect in every part in what I do. film or ad."
While most top actors are now producing films, he has stayed away from it, choosing to purely act. He explains, "I want to produce films. I want to because I am doing that as an actor, I am choosing to support and participate in films which I believe should be big. Haider was one such example which worked for me. Mausam was an example which didn't work for me but it was the same thought. It was pretty much the same. I really believe a film like this should be made and so I want to participate in it and support it, so that's something I want to do and I am doing that as an actor anyway."
Argue that producing a film is different from being part of a film just to ensure it gets made, especially when it comes to sharing the profits. He counters, "I was a 33% partner in Haider. We are all equal partners - Me and Vishal Sir and UTV - but that's also because we didn't want to burden the film with our cost. If we had burdened it with our complete fees, then it would have become too expensive a film and we would never be able to make as honest a film. Then we would have had to put two songs and people would have convinced us that 'abhi dekho aapko yeh karna padega.' As for making money...that is really something which happens eventually. I have seen that in the biggest stars in this country. They have never run after money. They have always made career decisions which are going to take them forward and money has been a byproduct of that. I can go dance at a show, I can do an endorsement, make an appearance and make money, so there are various ways to make money.'
One of the benefits of being a producer is to fudge figures. Most top actors add crores to their collections to make their films seem like bigger hits, save Salman. He laughs, "Have you seen the business Salman's films do? He doesn't have to fudge figures. Not everybody does it, but a lot of people. I have never fudged my figures even now when people have asked me to. Why do it? No point, people know, industry knows, you know. Eventually everybody gets to know it's very embarrassing."
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