Shahid Playing dumb isn't easy-Interview

Shahid: Playing dumb isn't easy

He may be just a few films old, but actor Shahid Kapur has learnt to diplomatically get away from questions he doesn't want to answer. He needs to. After all, journalists usually want to know more about his relationship with Kareena Kapoor than his work. Sometimes, he relents. At other times, he evades the questions, asking media persons to stick to cinema. It must be a nightmare, I pointed out. "Professional hazards," he smiled. "I answer as much as I can, and draw a line when necessary. They sometimes ask me about my films too. Aren't you going to ask me some?" Of course I was, but he caught me off guard and we laughed.

I ask him, "Is there something you have done Chup Chup Ke in your childhood that your parents don't know about?" Kareena pipes up, "I would also like to know that." Shahid simply smiles a mischievous smile. Here are some excerpts from the conversation.

Your first love story didn't work out. What do you think is different about these films that will win an audience?

Neither of the two releases is a love story. While 36 China Town is a combination of thrill and comedy by Abbas Mastan, Priyadarshan's Chup Chup Ke is a comedy with just a touch of romance. Will it be an overdose for viewers to see you and Kareena together in two consecutive films? Both films are very different. Each director has approached the subject with a different sensibility, so we hope viewers will enjoy both. Tell us a little about the music for the films.

The soundtrack of 36 China Town has already been released and Ashiqui Meri is already a hit. In Priyan's film, the story is more important. The songs there complement the story.

What is Chup Chup Ke like?

Entertaining. It is a typical Priyadarshan comedy. I play a guy called Jeet who tries to start various businesses by taking loans from the entire village, including his fiance and father-in-law to be. But all his businesses fail and, when he can't repay the loan, he decides to fake his death so his family can claim insurance. The film is about how he gets caught in a net of his own doing. Later, Jeet pretends to be deaf and dumb. The story takes a turn when he meets a woman (Kareena) who really is dumb. Was doing a comedic role easy? I wish it were as easy to do comedy as it seems, and I wish we could laugh more in life. I was perspiring after my first shot. It was a tough job but, after I saw the results, I was ecstatic. Was Priyadarshan also happy with your work?

I don't think so. Once, when everyone was playing cricket and I was in my dream world, sitting and talking on my phone, he socked me very hard with a tennis ball (laughs). It may have been unintentional, but who knows?

What was shooting in Chennai like? Kareena said she hated it.

Apart from the idlis we had three times a day, it was a great experience. Chennai is a great city and the people are very warm. For the first few days, it was fun to eat South Indian food. But, after a while, we got homesick. But because Priyanji is the director, he bullied us and made sure we shot in his hometown. What about Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav? What was working with them like? When my character is caught in this net trying to fake death, Paresh and Rajpal capture him thinking he is some millionaire. I then act deaf and dumb. It was fun working with them. Their sense of timing is great and that is a very important element in comedy. Does off-screen chemistry help create onscreen chemistry? Or is it a deterrent?

Apart from that fact that two people are comfortable with each other, I don't think it should be of any consequence for two professional actors. Yes, we are comfortable with each other so there is better bonding, but that comes out with other actors too. If one is professional enough, it is never a hazard.

What have you learnt or are learning from Kareena as an actor?

I want to be a little more relaxed on the sets like she is. She would be calm and joke around, and one would assume she wasn't preparing. But she does her preparation in advance. When it?s time to perform, she gives a fantastic take.

We are both very different on the sets as artists and we complement each other that way. What I have learnt is that while it's not good to be too tense, it is also not good to be too relaxed. She has a lot more experience in the industry than I do, but she is still kind enough to say she has learnt to be more focused and serious from me.