It is very embarrassing 2 be linked-up with Deepka

By Subhash K Jha

Hours before his 29th birthday Shahid Kapoor rolled over with laughter about all his birthday plans we've been reading about.

"Everyone made plans that I didn't know about. It was quite annoying. Even my guest list was prepared. But no, the truth was there were no plans beyond the family."

During his 29 years Shahid has only had a couple of birthday parties. "I had a party for my last birthday and it drove me nuts. If friends take over and have a party for me only then will I be part of it in future."

His earliest memory of a birthday goes back to when he was 4 in Delhi.

"It was in a two-bedroom apartment.As a child I'd embarrass my mom at my birthdays by snatching the gift from the guest opening it and expressing my pleasure/displeasure about the gift. They were very regular typical middleclass birthdays."

Laughter subsides, as Shahid talks about his mom being present for this birthday. " Me and my mom used to live together. Now we live separately. But we have a great emotional connect. So 'aal izz well' on that front.

My brother Ishaan stays with my mom and we're always hanging out together. In fact I was at his Annual Day hours before my birthday. I feel I'm terrible to my family and friends because I don't give them enough time."

Regarding the new link up with Deepika Padukone Shahid says, "I've met her a few times. I first met her at an awards function and then we bumped into one another at a couple of parties.

She seems like a nice person.

Of course it's very embarrassing, not so much for me as the lady. When there's someone in my life I'll announce it properly.

At the moment I'm scared to even meet a girl for fear of being linked up. But I won't stop living my life the way I want to just because I fear being wrongly linked."

Shahid's closing thoughts on his birthday. "This is going to be a year of learning for me. In the last couple of years I've been going on the sets and trying to behave as if I know my job.

Now this year I'm going to be a student to my father as he makes his film. I want to go on the set with an attitude of learning. I want to come out a better humanbeing and an actor. And I know I will because there's no better teacher than my father."