“I Will Bully the Bully”, says Shahid Kapoor on Bollywood camp’s bias against outsiders

Actor Shahid Kapoor recently discussed the challenges he faced as an outsider in Bollywood and declared his resolve to confront biases and bullying. Despite being the son of Pankaj Kapoor and Neelima Azeem, Shahid identifies as an outsider in the film industry. He emphasized that he couldn’t leverage his father’s influence to kickstart his career, unlike stars and directors who possess such power.

Shahid expressed concern over the decreasing opportunities for outsiders in the industry, noting that fewer newcomers without industry connections are being given opportunities. He attributed this trend to the decline in the quality of Hindi movies. 

The actor recounted his own experiences of being treated as an outsider, both during his school days in Mumbai, where he was an odd one out due to his different accent and in the film industry, where outsiders face challenges in gaining acceptance.

“I don’t like this campy thing. I think people who want to creatively collaborate with each other should, people who are comfortable with each other should. But that doesn’t mean you diss other people and try to put other people down or close the doors to other people,” Shahid said. He stressed that, unlike his younger self, he now has the confidence to stand up against bullying, asserting, “If you try to bully me, I will bully you right back. I will bully the bully because they deserve it.”

Shahid Kapoor’s recent release, “Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya” with Kriti Sanon, has been successful at the box office, grossing ₹150 crore. His upcoming project is “Deva.” In the interview, Shahid addressed the biases in Bollywood and his commitment to challenging the status quo.