Shahid Kapoor talks about the chocolate boy image he hopes to shed with Kamineys release IF change is fast becoming a constant in Bollywood,rewriting first impressions is what most actors hope to do. Especially when a cliché sets in. But a reinvention in the early years of ones career is a hard gamble,one that Shahid Kapoor is willing to play. With Vishal Bhardwajs Kaminey,hes only too eager to shake off his chocolate-boy tag,an attempt he began with his grimacing act in 2007s Jab We Met. The August release will have Kapoor play a local goon in a double role. My image doesnt bother me so much but Kaminey is indeed hugely different from what Ive done before. And I am hoping that it will make people see me differently, he says,as he gears up for a photo shoot. Kapoor entered the industry at a very young and gawky 17 where he was a part of the musical troupe in Taal. That,of course,is passé and today,he does have a respectable women following,a must for actors of his genre. Yet the actor admits he misses his lost candour. Those times were different. I miss the innocence of being here without knowing exactly what I was doing, he laughs his killer dimpled laugh,adding,Honestly,I dont like the way I look now. Surprisingly,despite the credentials that he enjoys today,the actors critical of himself. I dont often watch my work,but when I do,its with objectivity. I usually find myself saying,Oh god! What did I do and why did I do that! But then Im really glad that I started young and received such acceptance this early in my career. So is his perception as Mr Goody-Two-Shoes what he is real life too? The 27-year-old frowns: I think there are too many people inside me. Im discovering many sides to myself now there are days when I am quiet and there are days when talkative. But Im usually a correct-face person. Hes also a proud biker; he owns a Yamaha MT 01 that he zips across city roads in wee hours. It gives me a sense of liberation,some time with myself and takes me away from the daily madness, he reveals. Kapoor finds himself more uninhibited on-screen,but has become more guarded as an individual given all the controversies he forever finds himself amidst. I like to draw a line between personal and profession life but often am not given that liberty. I think I have smartened up to be more guarded in the way I am. So we dont mention Priyanka Chopra,despite stories of their romantic involvement. But has his previous break-up turned him into the recluse he is often called? Im not someone who can make best friends or relationships every Friday. I share beautiful work relationships with many people. As for my personal life,Ive known most of my close friends for 20 years. And I dont make friends unless its a relationship for keeps. All of the above is open to interpretation. Maybe just the way he desires it.
