Say no to controversial films

Vishal Bharadwaj’s Haider is set in 1995 when militancy in Kashmir was at its peak. It became a major commercial success at the box office. The one standout scene in the film showed Shahid crying uncontrollably when he reaches his father’s grave.

During a session at SCREEN Live in Mumbai recently, Shahid looked back at that scene. He said, “When I went to do this shot, the camera was placed very far from me. I was given a lot of space. I didn’t want to use glycerin. I was there, in front of a grave. I asked them if I could sit, and they said, ‘Stand as of now, then you can maybe sit.’ So I don’t remember what exactly happened during that shot. I can’t recall a thing. The only thing I remember is that my hands were numb, maybe because I put them in the ice. It was quite cold there. The other thing I remember is Vishal sir holding me. They said the shot was over a while ago.”

Haider was an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet.

During the session, he was also asked if it is possible to make a politically charged film in today’s time, to which Shahid said, “No. We can’t do controversial films anymore.”

About Shahid Kapoor’s upcoming film

Shahid will be next seen in Deva. The film revolves around Shahid Kapoor, a rebellious police officer tasked with solving a high-profile case that unravels layers of deceit, betrayal, and a dangerous conspiracy.

Deva also stars Pooja Hegde as a journalist in a pivotal role. Directed by Rosshan Andrrews and produced by Zee Studios and Siddharth Roy Kapur, the film will be released in cinemas on January 31.