Shahid Kapoor ( born 25 February 1981) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. Initially recognised for portraying romantic roles, he has since taken on parts in action films and thrillers, and is the recipient of several awards, including three Filmfare Awards.
The son of actors Pankaj Kapur and Neelima Azeem, Kapoor trained as a dancer at Shiamak Davar’s academy. He appeared as a background dancer in a few films of the 1990s, and was later featured in music videos and television commercials. He made his film debut in 2003 with a leading role in the romantic comedy Ishq Vishk, a sleeper hit for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He followed it with roles in several commercial failures before starring in Sooraj Barjatya’s top-grossing family drama Vivah (2006).
Kapoor earned praise for playing a troubled businessman in Imtiaz Ali’s romantic comedy Jab We Met (2007) and twin brothers in Vishal Bhardwaj’s action film Kaminey (2009). After another series of unsuccessful films, he starred in the action film R… Rajkumar (2013). Further acclaim came for portraying the Hamlet character in Bhardwaj’s tragedy Haider (2014) and a drug abusing singer in the crime drama Udta Punjab (2016). For the former, he won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor and for the latter, he won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor. Kapoor’s highest-grossing releases came with the period drama Padmaavat (2018) and the romantic drama Kabir Singh (2019). He has since starred in the Amazon Prime Video crime drama series Farzi (2023).
In addition to acting, Kapoor supports charities, hosts award ceremonies, and has featured as a talent judge on the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded (2015). He is married to Mira Rajput, with whom he has two children.
Early life
Shahid Kapoor was born in New Delhi on 25 February 1981 to actor Pankaj Kapur and actor-dancer Neelima Azeem. His parents divorced when he was three years old; his father shifted to Mumbai (and married the actress Supriya Pathak) and Kapoor continued living in Delhi with his mother and maternal grandparents. His grandparents were journalists for the Russian magazine Sputnik, and Kapoor was particularly fond of his grandfather: “He would walk me to school every single day. He would talk to me about dad, with whom he shared a great relationship, and read out his letters to me.” His father, who was then a struggling actor in Mumbai, would visit Kapoor only once a year on his birthday. When Kapoor was 10, his mother, who was working as a dancer, moved to Mumbai to work as an actress.
In Mumbai, Azeem went on to marry the actor Rajesh Khattar. Kapoor continued living with his mother and Khattar, until they separated in 2001. Kapoor continues to use the last name Khattar on his passport. He has a maternal half-brother, Ishaan, from his mother’s marriage to Khattar. From his father’s marriage to Pathak, he has two paternal half-siblings, Sanah and Ruhaan. Kapoor was educated at the Gyan Bharati School in Delhi and Rajhans Vidyalaya in Mumbai. He later attended Mumbai’s Mithibai College for three years.
Kapoor was interested in dance from an early age, and at the age of 15, he joined Shiamak Davar’s dance institute. As a student there, Kapoor appeared as a background dancer in the films Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) and Taal (1999), in which Davar served as choreographer. During a stage show at the institute, Kapoor performed in the songs “Vogue” and “GoldenEye” to a positive response from the audience; he described the experience as the first time that he “felt like a star”. He later became an instructor at the institute. During this time, Kapoor accompanied a friend to an audition for a Pepsi commercial featuring the stars Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji, but wound up with the part himself. He appeared in television commercials for the brands Kit Kat and Close-Up, among others, and featured in music videos for several performers, including the band Aryans and the singer Kumar Sanu. Kapoor also took on the job of an assistant director to his father on the 1998 television series Mohandas B.A.L.L.B.
Personal life and off-screen work
Kapoor’s personal life is the subject of fervent tabloid reporting in India. During the filming of Fida in 2004, he began dating Kareena Kapoor and they both publicly spoke of the relationship. They were involved in a well-publicised scandal when Mid Day published a set of pictures of them kissing in public. Despite claims by the couple that the pictures were fabricated, the newspaper denied any wrongdoing. The couple separated in 2007 during the filming of Jab We Met. Since their split, Kapoor decided to keep his personal life away from media attention. However, tabloids speculated on his relationship with several other actresses, including Vidya Balan and Priyanka Chopra. In 2012, Kapoor lodged a police complaint of stalking against former actress Vastavikta Pandit.
Kapoor and his wife, Mira Rajput, in 2017
In March 2015, Kapoor spoke of his impending marriage to Mira Rajput, a university student from New Delhi, who is 13 years his junior. The Times of India reported that Kapoor met Rajput through the Dharmic religious group Radha Soami Satsang Beas. The couple married at a private ceremony in Gurgaon on 7 July 2015, and Rajput gave birth to their daughter Misha in August 2016 and their son Zain in September 2018.
In addition to acting in films, Kapoor performs on stage and hosts award ceremonies. In 2006, he participated in a world tour, entitled RockStars, in which he performed alongside Kareena Kapoor, John Abraham, Salman Khan and three other celebrities. From 2010–12, Kapoor has co-hosted three Screen Awards ceremonies with Shah Rukh Khan, and from 2012–14 he co-hosted three International Indian Film Academy Awards with either Khan or Farhan Akhtar.
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Kapoor practices vegetarianism, and credits the author Brian Hines’ book Life is Fair for influencing this lifestyle choice. He also supports charitable organisations for various causes. In 2010, he took part in a charity event named Superstars Ka Jalwa, which helped generate money for the employees of the Cine and Television Artists Association (CINTAA). Also that year, he lent his support to the NGO Swayamsiddh, which helps children with special needs. The following year, he adopted three villages in support of NDTV’s Greenathon, an initiative to support environmental consciousness and improve electricity supplies to rural areas. In 2012, Kapoor helped revive the Victory Arts Foundation NGO, founded by Shiamak Davar, which helps underprivileged children through dance therapy programs. Also that year, he appeared alongside other Bollywood celebrities in Because My World Is Not The Same, a short film by Zoya Akhtar, to generate awareness on breast cancer. He supports the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals organisation through advertisement campaigns.
Shahid Kapoor Height Age Girlfriend Wife Family Biography
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Dodo, Sasha, Shak |
| Profession | Actor |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 172 cm in meters– 1.72 m in feet inches– 5’ 8” |
| Weight (approx.) | in kilograms– 70 kg in pounds– 154 lbs |
| Body Measurements (approx.) | – Chest: 42 inches – Waist: 30 inches – Biceps: 15 inches |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Career | |
| Debut | Film: Ishq Vishq (2003) TV: Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded (2015, as a judge) |
| Awards/Honours | Filmfare Awards 2004: Best Male Debut for Ishq Vishk 2015: Best Actor for Haider 2017: Best Actor (Critics) for Udta Punjab Other Awards 2008: Best Actor (Editor’s Choice) for Jab We Met 2009: Rajiv Gandhi Award for Kaminey 2015: LifeOK Hero Award for Haider Note: Along with these, he has many other awards, honours, and achievements to his name. |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 25 February 1981 |
| Age (as in 2023) | 42 Years |
| Birthplace | Delhi, India |
| Zodiac sign/Sun sign | Pisces |
| Signature | |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| School(s) | Gyan Bharati, Delhi (upto 4th class) Rajhans Vidyalaya, Mumbai |
| College/University | Mithibai College, Mumbai |
| Educational Qualification | Graduate |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Khatri |
| Food Habit | Vegetarian |
| Address | Praneta Apartments, Juhu, Mumbai |
| Hobbies | Reading, Dancing |
| Likes/Dislikes | Likes: Travelling, Collecting Watches, Eating Sweets Dislikes: Gossips, Eating Non-Vegetarian Food and Mushrooms |
| Controversies | • During the shoot of Chup Chup Ke, he was accused of dictating how a particular scene should be shot, to which, the director got offensive. However, later he denied by saying that Priyan-Ji (the director) is a veteran and he can’t think of telling him how to make a film. • He attracted a controversy when an MMS was leaked in which he and his ex-girlfriend Kareena Kapoor were making out. |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Affairs/Girlfriends | Hrishita Bhatt Kareena Kapoor (Actress) Sania Mirza (Tennis Player, Rumour) Priyanka Chopra (Actress) Mira Rajput |
| Marriage Date | 7 July 2015 |
| Marriage Place | The Oberoi, Gurgaon |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | Mira Rajput |
| Children | Son– Zain Kapoor (born in 2018) Daughter– Misha Kapoor (born in 2016) |
| Parents | Father– Pankaj Kapoor (Actor) Mother– Neelima Azeem (Actress), Supriya Pathak (Actress) (Step-Mother) |
| Siblings | Brothers– Ruhaan Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter (half-brother) Sister– Sanah Kapoor (half-sister) |
| Favourite Things | |
| Favourite Food(s) | Home Cooked Food, Rajma Chawal, Roti Dal and Curd Rice |
| Favourite Actor(s) | Pankaj Kapoor, Tom Cruise |
| Favourite Actresses | Madhuri Dixit, Scarlett Johansson, Julia Roberts |
| Favourite Music | Hindi Music, Justin Timberlake’s New-Age Music |
| Favourite Singer(s) | A. R. Rahman, Shreya Ghoshal |
| Favourite Colour(s) | Blue, Black, White |
| Favourite Subject | Science |
| Favourite Destination(s) | Europe, Paris, Bali, Goa |
| Favourite Fashion Designer | Sabina Khan |
| Favourite Perfume | Paco Rabanne |
| Style Quotient | |
| Cars Collection | Porsche Cayenne GTS, Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, Jaguar XKR-S, Range Rover Vogue |
| Bikes Collection | Harley Davidson Fat Boy, Yamaha MT-01 |
| Money Factor | |
| Salary (approx.) | ₹10 Crore/film |
| Net Worth (approx.) | ₹186 Crores |
Career
Early work and breakthrough (2003–2006)
Having noticed Kapoor in the Aryans’ music video “Aankhon Mein”, the producer Ramesh Taurani was keen to cast him in a film. However, upon meeting him, Taurani thought Kapoor, who was 20 years old at the time, to be too young and underweight to become an actor, and encouraged him to wait for a few years. Kapoor, meanwhile, turned down a lead role in N. Chandra’s sex comedy Style in hopes of working with Taurani. Taurani found a suitable project for Kapoor in the teenage romance Ishq Vishk (2003), which Ken Ghosh was directing for his company. Kapoor, who trained extensively for a bulkier physical build, was eventually hired. Before beginning work on the film, he attended acting workshops with Naseeruddin Shah and Satyadev Dubey.
Ishq Vishk tells the story of Rajiv Mathur (Kapoor), a high-school student who engages in a romantic affair with two classmates of contrasting personalities (played by Amrita Rao and Shenaz Treasurywala). Kapoor was attracted to the idea of playing an unlikable lead since it was a departure from the traditional portrayal of teenage heroes in Indian films. Writing for The Hindu, the critic Ziya Us Salam did not find him to be “hero material”, adding that “boyhood seems to have overstayed on his face – but he is not necessarily bad in the acting department.” The film, however, proved to be a sleeper hit at the box office and won Kapoor the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut.
Following his debut, Kapoor reunited with Ghosh in a film he considered to be drastically different from Ishq Vishk. The thriller Fida (2004) featured him as a love-struck student who is manipulated by a woman (Kareena Kapoor) and her lover (Fardeen Khan) to rob a bank. Despite criticising the film, Rama Sharma of The Tribune wrote that Kapoor “shines in his role. He looks fresh. As an impulsive emotional and innocent guy, who is sucked into crime because of these very qualities, he manages to evoke your sympathies.” Later that year, Kapoor appeared in the romantic comedy Dil Maange More in which he was paired opposite three women: Soha Ali Khan, Tulip Joshi, and Ayesha Takia. Patcy N of Rediff.com praised his dancing skills but was wary of his imitation of Shah Rukh Khan’s acting style. Both his 2004 releases were commercially unsuccessful.
The series of poorly received films continued in 2005, when all three of Kapoor’s films failed at the box office. His first two releases that year were the comedies Deewane Huye Paagal and Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!, both of which were largely panned. The former was plagiarised from the Hollywood film There’s Something About Mary in which Kapoor played one of Rimi Sen’s love interests; the critic Khalid Mohamed found Kapoor to be “the only likeable element in this travesty” but Namrata Joshi of Outlook labelled him “colourless” and criticised his pairing with Sen. His final role was that of a righteous teenager drawn towards a life of indulgence in John Matthew Matthan’s drama Shikhar, co-starring Ajay Devgan, Bipasha Basu and Amrita Rao. The critic Sukanya Verma found Kapoor to be miscast as a village boy in the film, but noted that he was “never short of spontaneity and youthful exuberance”.
In 2006, Kapoor played opposite Kareena Kapoor in two films—the thriller 36 China Town and the comedy Chup Chup Ke. In 36 China Town, a murder mystery from the director duo Abbas–Mustan, Kapoor starred as one of the seven suspects in the murder of an heiress, and in the Priyadarshan-directed Chup Chup Ke, he played a depressed man who pretends to be deaf and mute. The former was his first commercial success since Ishq Vishk. Greater success came to Kapoor later that year when he starred alongside Amrita Rao in Sooraj Barjatya’s romantic drama Vivah, a film depicting an arranged marriage. Made on a shoestring budget of ₹100 million (US$1.3 million), the film earned over ₹530 million (US$6.6 million) worldwide, and proved to be Kapoor’s highest-grossing film to that point. Reviews of the film, however, were negative; Raja Sen termed the film a “nightmare” and wrote that Kapoor “isn’t offensively bad, doesn’t ham it up like crazy, or speak in a weird accent. Having said that, he isn’t an actor at all, standing around working on his boyish grin, simply chewing up the scenery. No screen presence at all.”
Public image
The journalist Dave Besseling of GQ, in 2014, described Kapoor as “friendly, chirpy, affable frat-boy type. Someone you’d want to play video games with on a Sunday, but keep the hell away from your sister”. However, certain media publications have labelled Kapoor a recluse and described him as arrogant and temperamental. Vickey Lalwani of Mumbai Mirror wrote in 2012 that this perceived media image hindered certain filmmakers from approaching him for roles. Addressing this image, Kapoor remarked, “I just don’t socialise much, I don’t party too much, I don’t know what to say to the media if I’m not talking about a film that I am doing, so yeah, maybe I am perceived as a snob.”
Analysing his career, the entertainment portal Bollywood Hungama published that his “boy next door persona” was initially perceived by critics as a weakness, but credited him for turning it into a trademark. Jitesh Pillai of Filmfare wrote that after gaining recognition in urban romantic roles, Kapoor defied typecasting by taking on diverse parts in crime dramas and action films. He noted that Kapoor’s refusal to be “slotted under any kind of tag” led to a fluctuating career trajectory. Following the success of Jab We Met (2007) and Kaminey (2009), Kapoor’s career went through a decline; he described the phase as a series of “wrong choices” and said that taking on a challenging role in Haider (2014) helped him reinvent himself. Sonal Gera of The Indian Express opined that the film established him in Bollywood. In her book Power of a Common Man, the author Koral Dasgupta writes that Kapoor does not ” to any fixed rules of the trade”, and notes that despite having a lopsided success ratio at the box office, he remains popular among the audiences.
A popular celebrity, Kapoor has a significant following on Twitter and Instagram. Considered one of the most attractive male celebrities in India, he regularly features in the British magazine Eastern Eye’s listing of the “50 Sexiest Asian Men in the World”. In 2012 and 2013 he was ranked fourth, and in 2017 he topped the list. He was ranked fifth on The Times of India’s list of the 50 most-desirable men in 2014; he was placed among the top 10 in 2012, 2013 and 2015. Kapoor was named the sexiest vegetarian man of India and Asia-Pacific in 2009 and 2011, respectively, by PETA. From 2012–15, 2017, and 2019, he featured among the top 50 in the Indian edition of the Forbes’ “Celebrity 100,” a list based on the income and popularity of India’s celebrities, peaking at the 15th position in 2015. Kapoor is the celebrity ambassador for several brands and products, including Samsung, Elf Aquitaine and Colgate. In 2019, his wax figure was unveiled at Madame Tussauds Singapore.
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Dil To Pagal Hai | Dancer | Uncredited |
| 1999 | Taal | Dancer | Uncredited |
| 2003 | Ishq Vishk | Rajiv Mathur | |
| 2004 | Fida | Jai Malhotra | |
| Dil Maange More | Nikhil Mathur | ||
| 2005 | Deewane Huye Paagal | Karan Sharma | |
| Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! | Aditya “Adi” Verma | ||
| Shikhar | Jaidev “Jai” Vardhan | ||
| 2006 | 36 China Town | Raj Malhotra | |
| Chup Chup Ke | Jeetu Prasad Sharma | ||
| Vivah | Prem Bajpayee | ||
| 2007 | Fool & Final | Raja / Rahul Singhania | |
| Jab We Met | Aditya Kashyap | ||
| 2008 | Kismat Konnection | Raj Malhotra | |
| 2009 | Kaminey | Charlie / Guddu Sharma | |
| Dil Bole Hadippa! | Rohan Singh | ||
| 2010 | Chance Pe Dance | Sameer Behl | |
| Paathshaala | Rahul Prakash Udyavar | ||
| Badmaash Company | Karan S. Kapoor | ||
| Milenge Milenge | Amit “Immy” Kapoor | ||
| 2011 | Mausam | Harinder “Harry” Singh | |
| 2012 | Teri Meri Kahaani | Krrish Kapoor / Javed Qadri / Govind | |
| 2013 | Bombay Talkies | Himself | Special appearance in song “Apna Bombay Talkies“ |
| Phata Poster Nikhla Hero | Vishwas Rao | ||
| R… Rajkumar | Romeo Rajkumar | ||
| 2014 | Haider | Haider Meer | |
| Action Jackson | Himself | Special appearance in song “Punjabi Mast” | |
| 2015 | Shaandaar | Jagjinder Joginder | |
| 2016 | Udta Punjab | Tommy Singh | |
| 2017 | Rangoon | Nawab Malik | |
| 2018 | Padmaavat | Rawal Ratan Singh | |
| Welcome to New York | Himself | Special appearance | |
| Batti Gul Meter Chalu | Sushil Kumar Pant | ||
| 2019 | Kabir Singh | Dr. Kabir Rajdheer Singh | |
| 2022 | Jersey | Arjun Talwar | |
| 2023 | Bloody Daddy  | TBA | Completed |
| Untitled romantic comedy | TBA | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Mohandas B.A.L.L.B | Assistant director | Television series |
| 2010 | 16th Star Screen Awards | Host | Television special |
| 2011 | 17th Star Screen Awards | Host | Television special |
| 2012 | 18th Colors Screen Awards | Host | Television special |
| 2012 | 13th International Indian Film Academy Awards | Host | Television special |
| 2013 | 14th International Indian Film Academy Awards | Host | Television special |
| 2014 | 15th International Indian Film Academy Awards | Host | Television special |
| 2015 | Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded | Judge | Reality show |
| 2016 | Zee Cine Awards | Host | Television special |
| 2016 | 17th International Indian Film Academy Awards | Host | Television special |
| 2023 | Farzi | Sunny | Streaming series |
Music video
| Year | Title | Performer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | “Aankhon Mein” | Aryans |
| 1999 | “Mera Dil Bole Piya Piya” | Poornima |
| 2000 | “Kehna To Hai” | Kumar Sanu |
| 2001 | “Jaan Likhu Janam Likhu” | Riddhi |
| 2002 | “Koi To Baat Hai” | Sadhana Sargam |
| 2010 | “Doli Doli” | Falguni Pathak |
| “Phir Mile Sur Mera Tumhara“ | Various | |
| 2018 | “Urvashi” | Yo Yo Honey Singh |