EXCLUSIVE: “We are a part of very evolving phenomena” – Shahid Kapoor on digital medium and why new age content shouldn’t be compared to past classics like DDLJ, Jab We Met

December 25, 2021 - 5:01 PM IST

Actors Shahid Kapoor and Mrunal Thakur are currently promoting their upcoming film Jersey, which is releasing on December 31. The film based on cricket, is another remake for Kapoor after his 2019 blockbuster Kabir Singh.

EXCLUSIVE: “We are a part of very evolving phenomena” – Shahid Kapoor on digital medium and why new age content shouldn’t be compared to past classics like DDLJ, Jab We Met

In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, Shahid openly discussed exploring digital space and how it is needless to compare a new film with classic films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Shahid, who is himself working on an Amazon Prime Video series with The Family Man makers Raj and DK, was asked the reason behind dwelling into digital space at this point of time. Shahid said, “Why Not?” When said if people are not accepting it, the actor added, “It's their problem and their loss.”

He later said, “I have seen people from my fraternity taking examples from the past and comparing a new film with it. ‘You know this happened in DDLJ, Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, Jab We Met.’ But, those films have been already watched by the audiences, right? Why do you want to draw references from the past to make something for the new age audience? They have seen all these films and loved them. So, it’s very important to understand that we are a part of very evolving phenomena which is content in general. The way content is being consumed, stories are being consumed – it’s evolving.”

“Today, the OTT platform has provided all of us work for the last two years when theatres were shut. It is the quality of work that you do. It is a process of that work that you engage with that defines whether you are a part of something substantial or just making money and counting all your time. It really has to do with how you choose to do work. There are certain stories that work better over four or five hours of footage. You need more time to tell certain stories and certain stories are meant to be told in a limited period of time. It’s about making those choices and working according to those reasons,” he added in the interview.

“I don’t believe in ‘this is a big project, this is a smaller one’. Not at all. I mean some of our biggest stars actually became more popular like Amitabh Bachchan or Salman Khan when they did Kaun Banega Crorepati and Bigg Boss, respectively. I felt it added to their popularity because there was a certain section of audience which was introduced to them in a very personal capacity and that made them connect with them. I think it’s just important to do good work,” he further added.

On the work front, Shahid Kapoor is busy promotin Jersey, which is releasing on 31st December.Along with Shahid, Mrunal is playing a pivotal role in the movie. The movie revolves around a talented but failed cricketer who decides to return to cricket in his late thirties driven by the desire to represent the Indian cricket team and fulfil his son's wish for a jersey as a gift.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: “Acting is all heart and emotions; it can’t be done mathematically” – says Jersey actor Shahid Kapoor on why one becomes an actor