Shahid Kapoor slams those saying he 'had it easy' due to Pankaj Kapur, talks on nepotism: 'You don't know my struggle'

Shahid Kapoor has opened up on his place in the film industry and why people incorrectly assume he ‘had it easy’ since his father Pankaj Kapur is also an actor. In a recent interview, Shahid opened up on the nepotism debate and the privilege star kids have, while calling himself self-made.

In a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble, Shahid said, “I’m one of those self-made guys who people think, because his papa was an actor, got it easy or something. I get very upset with that because I’m like, ‘hey guys, you don’t know my struggle’.” Both of Shahid’s parents – Pankaj Kapur and Neelima Azeem – are veteran actors.

The actor then added that his father never helped him in his career because he was a proud man. “Just because my father was Pankaj Kapur doesn’t mean I had it easy because I didn’t even live with him. I lived with my mom. He is also a very proud man. He would never say I will call this person and go meet him. He was not like that. I was too proud to ask him for any support too. I struggled my way up. So it has been 20 years of a lot of work. And that it just acting. Before that it was a five-year journey from the age of 16 or 17,” Shahid added.

Shahid worked as a backup dancer in Shiamak Davar’s troupe and was part of the dance crew in films like Taal and Dil To Pagal Hai as a teenager. He then worked in ads and music videos before eventually breaking into the industry at 22 with Ishq Vishk. Over the years, he has carved a successful career for himself as a leading man with both critical acclaim and commercial success. He is currently awaiting the release of Ali Abbas Zafar’s action film Bloody Daddy, which releases on JioCinema this Friday.