Shahid speaks about Mira, films, Shandaar

Minutes into our meeting, Shahid Kapoor agrees that marriage suits him. As the rain washes the garden outside his tastefully-done house, Sasha pours out cups of steaming hot tea and settles into his plush black leather lazy boy recliner.

He talks about what has been a whirlwind but positive year for him, both personally and professionally.

Haider got you more than your fair share of awards.

Yes, I look at the last year and I feel it gave me much more than I ever expected. I took upHaider because I believed that it was a film that should be made. It gave me an amazing opportunity as an actor and it came from a man (Vishal Bhardwaj) who was giving me the best role of my career. The actor in me was just craving to do something challenging, rather than commercial. The problem with commercial is you go out there and do it and then it doesn't even work half the time. So what's the point? At least do something that excites you. There was a transition happening within me and Haider made me understand that process.

READ: Shahid Kapoor: Lesser known facts

By your own admission, it has been a hectic year, right?

You are right. Not everything that has happened in the year has sunk in. So much has happened in the last one year, it suddenly seems like five years rolled into one. I feel overwhelmed. Whether it is Haider, the awards trail, getting married, the forthcoming release of Shaandaar or shooting for Udta Punjab, it has been a whirlwind of activity. You know when I was chalking my year at the start of 2015, I really didn't think it would pan out so beautifully. When I jotted down the things that would take up my year, it felt like a normal year. However, a little into the year it felt like a lot was going on. Like an access shift. It feels like I am going to shift into another zone. I'm still trying to understand what that zone is. Right now, I need to be able to do it in the smoothest and nicest possible way. I do not want to miss out on any detail of this change.

Shaandaar seems like a fun film...

Shaandaar is an exciting film. It has Alia (Bhatt) and me together for the first time. My father (Pankaj Kapur) and I have worked together earlier, but this is different.Shaandaar is Vikas Bahl's take on destination weddings, love and all kinds of madcap characters. He is a quirky filmmaker. Queenwas a very good film. I had seen it six months before its release when he had shown me the first edit. Even when I saw that unfinished version, I felt Vikas was talented. Then we started talking about working on a film together. He narrated a couple of ideas and this was the idea that excited me. When we decided to do Shaandaar, Alia, Vikas and I were all trying to find ourselves. None of us were in the good career space that we are in today. Vikas hadn't had Queen, I hadn't hadHaider and Alia hadn't had Highway. We all came together when none of us were 'hot stuff', so to say. And then the next year was really amazing for all of us. SuddenlyShaandaar has generated a lot of curiosity because all of us are in it. I'm happy that we were making the film because we really liked what we were making and not because these people who had had a good year are coming together. Now it might seem like a project that we put out together because it is making news. But, right from the start, our intentions in making this movie were honest. Of course, we had a blast making it. The reactions have been very good. Right now, it is a week before the release and we have no perspective of what is happening. We are all happy with the reaction to the trailer and music. It looks like a big opportunity for all of us. I have not done a quirky love story for a really long time.



Have you been deliberately juggling genres?

You can say that. I have one opportunity at one genre at one time. After Haider, I didShaandaar, after that Udta Punjab and nowRangoon. All these films are so varied from each other, I only get a chance to get it right once in every genre. I'll not get another opportunity like Shaandaar for a year and a half. It's a conscious choice because I want to do different things as an actor. You know that is why choices become very critical for us actors.

Has the fact that you are now a married man sunk in?

Not really. Sometimes I'm still a little taken aback at the changes. Right now, where you and I are seated was my party room. As you can notice, the panels on the walls have multiple lights that come on when you are dancing; I have speakers all over the room to blast music from. And this was where my friends would chill out and hang out together. I would also do my dance rehearsals here. Now look at this place. It has new sofa sets and it has become the room where I conduct my meetings because the main house is the space that belongs to my wife Mira. (Laughs) it belongs to both of us but she is the lady of the house and I like to give her, her space. The other day, my younger brother Ishaan called and said, 'Bro, I feel like dancing. Can I use your space downstairs?' and I said, 'You haven't seen that portion now. It has changed.' I sent him a picture of the place and he said, 'Are you serious bro? Is this what happens after marriage?' It's no longer a party place. He said, 'God, it has turned into a boring room. What do you do there? I said I have meetings. I told him, this used to be 100% my property but I have managed to hold on to just 49%. The rest belongs to my wife (laughs uproariously). I'm proud of the fact that I have managed to hold onto 49%. I have a feeling that we will finally settle at 33%. If you look behind you, her shoes are lying around right behind where you are seated. She has already started eating into this space that is rightfully my space. Frankly, I'm not complaining. I like indulging Mira. She has made my house into a home. It's so different from how life has been so far. I've been living alone for 10 years now. So, it is this huge change. The first day when I went to shoot after marriage, I wrapped up at 11.30 pm and was driving back in the car. And I was telling myself, 'You are going back to your wife.' I was trying to adjust to the fact that now I'm a married man. And I reached the house and entered through the back entrance that goes past the kitchen. She was making something for me and she turned around and had a huge smile on her face. She said, 'Baby, give me five minutes to get the food ready.' She likes cooking. She makes some yummy protein pancakes. I insist that she cooks me a meal at least once a week because she knows how to make the really cool stuff. Anyway, when I came that day, she gave me this big hug and I felt so happy that I came home after a hard day's work and we would be eating a meal together.

Go on...

It's such an amazing feeling as opposed to the feeling of coming home to an empty house. When you come to an empty house, you have to switch on the bedroom lights yourself and then press a bell and tell your domestic help, 'Yaar, khaana de de'.

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People have coined this new term Shalia for Alia and you?

I hate these short forms but apparently they do well online because they are hashtagged. I've learnt how to use the online space well only in the last five years. Alia loves the term though. Speaking of her, she is sweet, full of energy and extremely talented. I get along famously with her. She is a terrific co-star. She hyperventilates about everything. However, she is enthusiastic, candid, normal and refreshing. We hang around together when we have the time.

One read that Saif (Ali Khan), Kareena, Mira and you work out together. Is this right?

The news is partially correct. I work out in the same gym as Saif and Kareena. I have met them there. However, Mira doesn't go to that gym. The four of us haven't met. So, I'm wondering how that news started doing the rounds.