Its tougher to do a remake than an original film, says Shahid Kapoor

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

November 24, 2021 - 12:17 PM IST

Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor recently drew a comparison between an original and a remake film and he most certainly believes that ‘remakes’ are more difficult to do than an original. The star has acted in two Telugu remake films Kabir Singh and Jersey.

Its tougher to do a remake than an original film, says Shahid Kapoor

"I have realised it is very difficult to do a remake, and sometimes even tougher than doing an original character because you have to make it fresh, it cannot look like copy-paste. You have to rediscover it all over again," Shahid told reporters here at the trailer launch event of Jersey.

Continuing with the comparison, The Kabir Singh hero said that he has been a part of some original films which turned out to be "scary experiences" and that remakes are "helpful" in a certain way.

"I have been a part of a few movies which I thought were going to be a certain way and then when I saw them I was like, ‘Did I really sign this film?' I would open the script again just to confirm it. So I have had some very scary experiences. So, I must confess that being a part of a remake is definitely helpful as an actor. You understand what the story is and how the filmmaker wants to express himself while putting that story together and bringing his vision to it," he added.

Jersey memo is the story of a talented but failed cricketer, who decides to return to the field in his late 30s driven by the ambition to represent the Indian cricket team and fulfill his son's wish for a jersey as a gift.

In 2019, Gowtam Tinnanauri helmed the original that received two trophies at the National Film Awards including the best Telugu feature film and has also directed the Hindi version.

Shahid Kapoor has undergone several months of cricket training to get into the skin of the character. Even though Shahid has a prior experience of playing cricket as a kid, the experience came in handy but there was a "lot of work to be done". "I am 40 years old so it hurts a lot, everything starts hurting. You are not a 20-year-old, who can pick up a bat and start playing, cricket is a completely different skill and cricket is the most popular sport in the country. We take our cricket very seriously," he said.

Shahid also informed that he practiced at the nets for four months before beginning the shoot for Jersey and played for two-and-half months again when the team resumed filming in Mohali after the coronavirus pandemic-led lockdown was lifted. "One thing I can say proudly is that there is no shot in the film which is played without a season ball, we have no CG (computer-generated) shots... We worked very hard to bring authenticity to the sport part of it."

The Jersey actor said that the movie is not not just a sports drama but a story about human triumph. "You should always chase your dreams and it is never too late. Age is never a barrier and this film is about that," he added.

The film also features Mrunal Thakur and Pankaj Kapur in pivotal roles. Shahid, who is reuniting with his father and veteran actor Kapur for Jersey, said it is scary to work with one's father especially when he belongs to the same career. The real-life father-son duo has previously shared screen space in Mausam (2011) and Shaandaar (2015).

"As an actor it is amazing to be standing in the same frame with a great actor, regardless of if he is my father or not. It is about two people standing in the frame as actors and seeing what he is doing with his craft honestly was great learning for me," he added.

Jersey is presented by Allu Arvind and backed by Aman Gill, Dil Raju, and S Naga Vamsi, the movie is all set to be released on December 31, 2021.

Also Read: Shahid Kapoor on Jersey – “I went like a beggar to everybody after Kabir Singh and had no idea what to do next”