‘I should have done more films’ ...admits Bolly hottie Shahid Kapoor, who after two duds, is on a signing spree

‘I should have done more films’

...admits Bolly hottie Shahid Kapoor, who after two duds, is on a signing spree

It’s been a chequered ride for actor Shahid Kapoor, when it comes to the box office. Two hits (Kaminey, Badmash Company) followed by two consecutive flops (Mausam, Teri Meri Kahani). But the actor is putting all that behind him and is raring to go — be it in raising the number of films he does in a year, or making sure he covers a mix of genres (from mass entertainers to noir). “I need to do more work,” says the 31-year-old in an interview with After Hrs. The excerpts: For an actor, who hardly did one or two movies a year, you are on a signing spree now... Yes, that’s because I have just done two movies in the last two-and-a-half years. It’s time, I get back on the sets. I have realised that I am a cranky person when I have no work. You know, I started working when I was around 16. I was dancing professionally and teaching people. When I was 21, I debuted as an actor and I am 31 right now. At this age, you can afford to do three-four films a year. By the time you are 41-45, you need to spread yourself out as the expectations are high, right now I am not saddled with that. People want to see a good movie and have fun. I have already taken on three films and am on the verge of signing a fourth one (with Rajkumar Santoshi) very soon. Did the failure of your last two films lead to this decision? In the nine years I’ve been in the industry, I have had some really good and bad phases. It doesn’t make sense to sit back and say yeh nahi karna chahiye tha. You have to do different stuff. But yes, I have realised that one has to keep working. We are in a profession that’s unpredictable. The box-office springs surprises on you every two weeks. What stopped you from doing more films earlier? Ho gaya, it was just so weird. Mausam, which had to finish in six-seven months, got delayed by one-and-a-half years. Then I did Kunal’s (director Kunal Kohli) film. I had to start shooting for a film this February, but my director (Manish Sharma) fell ill. Also, I am not the kind of person, ki agle mahine dates hai toh jo picture hai kar do type. I have to believe in the work I am doing. Why this sudden interest in wanting to do mass entertainers? I am doing different kind of films and one of them is a mass entertainer with Prabhudheva. I have realised that my generation hasn’t seen this kind of films, which were mainly a part of the ’80s and ’90s. But in the last three-four years, such films have started being made. I was laughing and clapping while watching Dabangg. I enjoyed it. Now that I understand it, I want to do it. Personally, you seem to be leading quite a colourful life… There are a lot of colours to me. Red, blue, black, white, yellow and purple (laughs). What colours would you associate with Vidya Balan, Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor? Well, Vidya would be red, Priyanka would be black and Kareena, orange!