Posted:
Dear Shahid Kapoor
What do I call you? Charlie of Guddu? Well brother, you are not a KAMINEY as is being made out to be. Yes, yes, I have heard of the Yash Raj film you were supposed to do. I also read somewhere that you had to pull out because of ''other commitments.'' But insiders say that there were serious ''issues'' because of which you were replaced.
Anyways, next time you give a commitment, be sure you do not listen to even yourself!
Jokes apart, I do hope one of those ''issues'' was not ego. Even if it was, I do hope it has been tamed, or rather crushed. You are too good an actor to be sidelined. In fact, you are slated to rule the roost for a long time to come in the near future. How do I know? Well, it's in your genes!
Years ago, when Doordarshan was the only Television channel, I was hooked on to a Sunday morning television show PHIR WOHI TALAASH. It had your lovely mother Neelima Azeem playing a pivotal role. Apart from looking smashing, she was also a powerful actor. I was impressed then. There was also KARAMCHAND! And your dad, Pankaj Kapur's talent is something that not many can match up to. It's a pity that he took himself too seriously as a director with MAUSAM; but that is for another season!
Kundan Shah's JAANE BHI DO YAARO (1983) and Bhavana Talwar's DHARM (2007) are two performances that have floored me. I have seen that same spark in you in KAMINEY and JAB WE MET. In fact make those three performances because Kaminey had two of you! I know it's too late, but thank you for writing back to me after my review of the film. It does help us critics when our work is appreciated. I did not write back because by then I had lost your number and now when I tried to get it, I was given three [numbers]!
I was told that they belong to your PR. I hate going through PRs. You know something; they do more harm than good to an actor. Sometimes, they feel they are the star. Poor star, he does not even know someone is trying to get in touch with him. Here, most journalists have to pamper the PR's ego. And that is not a nice thing for a star.
Let me narrate to you a simple incident. I was doing an interview for a Dubai publication and I got in touch with this super-duper actress who has recently stormed the scene. She was quite enthusiastic and told me to get in touch with her PR. She said, and I quote, ''He might get upset if he knows you came straight to me.'' I did contact the PR who was shocked to learn that I had already spoken to the actress. ''You spoke to her?'' was his question as though that was the greatest crime I had committed. On the other end of the line I could see his ego getting bruised. To cut the long story short, I never did follow up.
You need to start afresh; new image, new approach. Talent is there but how you harness it will be the key factor here. Everyone makes mistakes, even the best of us. But staying in that 'mistake zone' is the biggest mistake we all do. Shrug yourself, jump out and grab the Box Office. It's yours. And yes, shake off that ego as well.
Scripture is clear in Proverbs 18:12 when it says, ''Pride comes before downfall, but humility precedes honour.'' There is honour in acting in store for you... plenty of it!
There are also three Kapoors who will rule the roost in the years to come: Ranbir, Sonam and You.
Sorry, make that four. There is also director Subhash who is a Jolly good contender now.
Sincerely
Martin D'Souza
What do I call you? Charlie of Guddu? Well brother, you are not a KAMINEY as is being made out to be. Yes, yes, I have heard of the Yash Raj film you were supposed to do. I also read somewhere that you had to pull out because of ''other commitments.'' But insiders say that there were serious ''issues'' because of which you were replaced.
Anyways, next time you give a commitment, be sure you do not listen to even yourself!
Jokes apart, I do hope one of those ''issues'' was not ego. Even if it was, I do hope it has been tamed, or rather crushed. You are too good an actor to be sidelined. In fact, you are slated to rule the roost for a long time to come in the near future. How do I know? Well, it's in your genes!
Years ago, when Doordarshan was the only Television channel, I was hooked on to a Sunday morning television show PHIR WOHI TALAASH. It had your lovely mother Neelima Azeem playing a pivotal role. Apart from looking smashing, she was also a powerful actor. I was impressed then. There was also KARAMCHAND! And your dad, Pankaj Kapur's talent is something that not many can match up to. It's a pity that he took himself too seriously as a director with MAUSAM; but that is for another season!
Kundan Shah's JAANE BHI DO YAARO (1983) and Bhavana Talwar's DHARM (2007) are two performances that have floored me. I have seen that same spark in you in KAMINEY and JAB WE MET. In fact make those three performances because Kaminey had two of you! I know it's too late, but thank you for writing back to me after my review of the film. It does help us critics when our work is appreciated. I did not write back because by then I had lost your number and now when I tried to get it, I was given three [numbers]!
I was told that they belong to your PR. I hate going through PRs. You know something; they do more harm than good to an actor. Sometimes, they feel they are the star. Poor star, he does not even know someone is trying to get in touch with him. Here, most journalists have to pamper the PR's ego. And that is not a nice thing for a star.
Let me narrate to you a simple incident. I was doing an interview for a Dubai publication and I got in touch with this super-duper actress who has recently stormed the scene. She was quite enthusiastic and told me to get in touch with her PR. She said, and I quote, ''He might get upset if he knows you came straight to me.'' I did contact the PR who was shocked to learn that I had already spoken to the actress. ''You spoke to her?'' was his question as though that was the greatest crime I had committed. On the other end of the line I could see his ego getting bruised. To cut the long story short, I never did follow up.
You need to start afresh; new image, new approach. Talent is there but how you harness it will be the key factor here. Everyone makes mistakes, even the best of us. But staying in that 'mistake zone' is the biggest mistake we all do. Shrug yourself, jump out and grab the Box Office. It's yours. And yes, shake off that ego as well.
Scripture is clear in Proverbs 18:12 when it says, ''Pride comes before downfall, but humility precedes honour.'' There is honour in acting in store for you... plenty of it!
There are also three Kapoors who will rule the roost in the years to come: Ranbir, Sonam and You.
Sorry, make that four. There is also director Subhash who is a Jolly good contender now.
Sincerely
Martin D'Souza
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