Shahid kapoor speaks on Vivah

Courtesy: IndiaFM
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
From Ishq Vishq to Vivah, Shahid Kapoor has come a long way. The new Prem has arrived. Shahid Kapoor is the new Prem of Sooraj Barjatya's Vivah and he seems to be quite upbeat about the role.

You have become very selective and choosy when it comes to roles today...
Yes, I am only doing one film at a time and am giving myself time to do each film. The last three years, I was a newcomer and could not afford to be choosy.

Vivah, a love story by Rajshri Films, directed by Sooraj Barjatya sees the pairing of Amrita Rao with you after three and half years in a real love story. How much are you looking forward to the film?
Very much. Vivah is a classic love story replete with moments. It is beautiful and so difficult to make. Only Sooraj Barjatya could have made it.

Tell us more about Vivah...
Vivah traces the relationship of a couple from engagement to marriage and on how the world changes for two strangers when they are officially given the special right to one another. It is a very novel concept treated very classily by Sooraj Barjatya.

How did Vivah happen?
Honestly, it was like telepathy. My secretary, friends and I were naming ten films we love and Sooraj Barjatya's films were on everyone's list. My secretary called Zakiji at Rajshri and spoke to him and guess what, in a week, I got a call from Rajshri saying I was called for Sooraj Barjatya's next film. It was a great feeling.

What was your feeling when you heard about the role?
I saw the film when Sooraj ji narrated I to me. And it was ahonour that they actually gave me the time and he chance to think about whether to say Yes. It is a privilege working with him.

You are playing Prem essayed by Salman, Hrithik and Abhishek earlier...
Yes, it is an honour and a responsibility, really. Prem is the embodiment of love and I have tried to play him in the way I interpret him. Sooraj ji does the homework of all of us, honestly. He tells us the character and the feel so well. I have tried to portray the character the way I see Prem and I am very glad Soorajji gave me the full freedom to do that.

So, tell us more about Prem...
Prem is the young man of today. He is skeptical about marriage in the beginning but respects his father and hence goes the path, and falls in love with the girl he gets engaged to. The film traces the growth of Prem from engagement to marriage and the strength of character that comes to him with love. It is a beautiful progression.

Tell us about the Vivah experience...
We were all like one complete family. We enjoyed so much that I was very sad when we had to part. In fact, I was so used to playing carom with Anupamji and my makeup man and Amrita's makeup man that I think I became a carom champion.

You were quite a prankster on the sets...
It was fun. There was one time I got my make-up man who is quite dark to wear white paint and knocked on people's rooms with a torch in hand. It was great fun. I got expressions from fear to shock... Someone squealed to Amrita about my prank so she was not scared. But she still reufused to come out of the room!!!! Sameer Soni was the best.

There was also a heroic story of your mobile being rescued...
Yes, it fell into the bonfire. And two of the assistant directors rescued it. I thought it will not work anymore But it still worked. After a week, when I got back home, I had to change it as it was charred! But out there in the heart of hinterlands, it was my only means of communication!

What are your expectations from Vivah?
I quite like the film. And I want the audiences to feel the same.

With over ten of your releases already hitting the Indian cinescreens by the end of this year, there is a lot awaiting choosy Shahid Kapoor now. What can we expect from you?
I am open to any kind of script that excites me. Whether the director is new or old, it doesn't matter. What matter is the script.

How did it feel to see teeny-bopper fans with 'Shahid Kapoor" written on their t shirts waving madly at you, and unmindful of the presence of other stars, clamouring for your handshake and autographs in the US during the recent Rockstar concerts?
It felt great. In fact it is this adulation that keeps us going.