Ever wondered what if Shahid Kapoor had starred in ‘Rang De Basanti’ or ‘Rockstar’? The versatile actor, known for hits like ‘Kabir Singh’, has a track record of turning down scripts that later exploded at the box office. On his birthday, let’s dive into the blockbuster offers he politely declined.
Starting with 2006’s ‘Rang De Basanti’. Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra envisioned Shahid in the youthful lead. Busy schedules intervened, and Aamir Khan delivered a career-defining performance with an all-star cast including R. Madhavan, Soha Ali Khan, Siddharth, Kunal Kapoor, and Sharman Joshi. The film’s revolutionary spirit made it a cultural phenomenon.
Fast forward to 2011: Zoya Akhtar’s buddy drama ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’. Shahid was approached for the ensemble, but clashing projects meant Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, and Abhay Deol jetted off to Spain for what became a feel-good favorite, praised for its honest take on life and bonds.
‘Rockstar’, Imtiaz Ali’s 2011 musical saga, was next. Shahid prioritized ‘Jab We Met’, allowing Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri to bring Jordan’s rockstar dreams to life. The soundtrack and storytelling turned it into a modern classic.
2013 brought two more: Maneesh Sharma’s ‘Shuddh Desi Romance’, where Sushant Singh Rajput romanced Parineeti Chopra in Jaipur’s modern love story, and ‘Raanjhanaa’, Aanand L. Rai’s intense tale of unrequited love with Dhanush’s Bollywood debut alongside Sonam Kapoor and Abhay Deol.
The rejects don’t stop there—’Bang Bang!’ with Hrithik’s high-octane stunts, Imran Khan’s ‘Gori Tere Pyaar Mein’, Akshay Kumar’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara!’, and Ranbir’s ‘Besharam’. Shahid’s choices reflect a career built on conviction.
Today, with ‘O Romeo’ earning applause, Shahid’s story reminds us: sometimes, saying no opens doors to even greater yeses in showbiz.