Shahid Kapoor’s transformation from a chocolate boy to a ‘rough-and-tough’ mawali in 'R… Rajkumar' was the subject of discussion on Tuesday. Young girls, waiting to catch a glimpse of him at a city hotel were heard discussing ‘how good he looks in the promos’. And they were not disappointed as Shahid turned up in his bearded Rajkumar look. The actor was also fashionably late by an hour and walked off in just a minute.
Shahid had to field the same query at his next stop, at the press conference: How easy was this transformation?
“When you are in the hands of Prabhu Deva, you can be rest assured to get the character right,” says Shahid.
When asked about his experience of working with Prabhu Deva, the actor says, “It was definitely great working with him but honestly, little scary. Because he speaks less, like ‘Come. Stand. No. No... Not like that. Again.’ He is a perfectionist,” he says.
As a first, Shahid says he felt stressed while dancing for the film. “I am trained in western styles, but Prabhu Deva’s style is very different. This (the dance sequences in the movie) was more mawali type,” he says, while scoring a nod from South actress Charmi Kaur, who appears in the popular item number, Gandi Baat, in the film.
“Charmi has worked with Prabhu Deva before. Even then, she was stressed,” adds Shahid. At this point, Prabhu Deva interrupts, “I had told Shahid ‘people have seen you dancing in clubs. If you can dance there, why not in bars?”
Just days ahead of the film’s release on December 6, Shahid is happy that his new image has been well accepted. “I have had three-four directors appreciating my looks and the character,” he adds.
Unfortunately, his co-star Sonakshi Sinha could not make it to the event as she had a leg injury. “That’s another story,” shares Shahid. “She was watching our movie R… Rajkumar and got very excited. At the end of the movie, as we walked out, we saw her crying. She had fallen off the stairs.”
So, how hopeful is Shahid of 'R… Rajkumar’s success? Will he make it to the Rs 100-crore club? “I am not a member of any club yet. You should ask this to Prabhu Deva. He has been to that club,” says the actor.
