Shahid Kapoor celebrates 9 years of Udta Punjab: 'Flawed protagonists that I always loved to play….'

Shahid Kapoor, who portrayed 'Tommy' aka Gabru, celebrated the milestone by sharing a reflective post on Instagram, highlighting his fondness for the flawed protagonist and noting the current trend of such characters in cinema.

Published: Tuesday,Jun 17, 2025 10:13 AM GMT-06:00

Yukta Khanna

Today marks the 9-year anniversary of Udta Punjab, the film starring Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Diljit Dosanjh, which premiered on June 17, 2016. Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, the film addressed the critical issue of drug abuse among Punjab's youth. Shahid Kapoor, who portrayed 'Tommy' aka Gabru, celebrated the milestone by sharing a reflective post on Instagram, highlighting his fondness for the flawed protagonist and noting the current trend of such characters in cinema.

Shahid Kapoor shared a close-up, black and white image of his Udta Punjab character, Tommy, showcasing his Born to Fly tattoo on Instagram. The actor accompanied the image with a caption reflecting on the role, “9 yrs. Another special character. Another one of the flawed protagonists that I always loved to play. They seem to be in fashion now. Thank you @abhishekchaubey, @anuragkashyap10, @motwayne, Vikas Bahl and the entire team for making this journey so special. And of course. Drug’s di maa di."

https://www.instagram.com/p/DK_ampJypeX/?igsh=MWo4dTc2a2p1eDhpcA==

As soon as Shahid shared the post, Mira took to comments section and wrote,"Tommy calling," along with fire emoji. Fans expressed their nostalgia and admiration for Shahid Kapoor's portrayal of Tommy in "Udta Punjab." One fan praised his performance, while another looked forward to a sequel. A third fan hailed the role as a standout, even before "Kabir Singh." Fourth one called him the finest actor of Bollywood.

Udta Punjab, a film addressing drug abuse among Punjab's youth, was released on June 17, 2016. Produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor, Sameer Nair, and Aman Gill, in association with Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, and Vikramaditya Motwane, the film starred Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Diljit Dosanjh.

Shahid Kapoor's recent project was Deva, directed by Rosshan Andrrews, with Pooja Hegde as the female lead. Upcoming projects include "Farzi 2" and Vishal Bhardwaj's "Arjun Ustara," co-starring Triptii Dimri.