“Jersey is a film that sets out to celebrate the human spirit”

SHAHID KAPOOR tells JYOTHI VENKATESH in this interview during the promotions of his latest film Jersey that the raw emotion, the strong characterization and the personality of Arjun in Jersey is completely different from Kabir of Kabir Singh and you will have to see the film to believe it.

What is your role in the film Jersey?

In the film Jersey, which is the remake of the Telugu super hit Jersey, I play the role of Arjun. Arjun is a failed cricketer, who has a lot of fire burning in his heart.

Arjun makes it a point to play the game once again only to fulfill a promise he gives to his son. Jersey is a film that sets out to celebrate the dormant human spirit, which is a very pure human feeling.

Can you elucidate?

We have all seen how the last two years went away in a jiffy during the pandemic when all of us have suffered to a large extent.

Some of us have lost our lives while some of us have gone away from the earth too. The problem is that we all tend to take life for granted.

In short, Jersey is a story of the triumph of the human spirit against all odds and a celebration of dreams coming true.

What is your advice to fans that your director sets out to drive home through the film Jersey?

The film drives home the message that whether you win in life or not, you should never ever give up your efforts or dreams.

Life is a dream. Until you live your life fully, it is very incomplete. If you mess with your life, it can bounce back with the right kind of spirit. Live your life the way you want to live and do not waste it. This is what I want to tell my fans.

How close is the film Jersey to you as an actor?

No matter what film I set out to do, it is always very close to my heart as an actor because let’s not forget the fact I devote at least one or two years of mine to every film in which I act. Jersey too is a film which is very close to my heart as an actor.

You made your debut with Ishq Vishq almost 19 years ago. What do you feel when you look back at your checkered career as an actor?

Yes. I made my debut with Ken Ghosh’s Ishq Vishq almost two decades ago. I cannot believe that I have spent almost twenty years in films as an actor and also acted in as many as 35 films, out of which around fourteen to fifteen had run and the rest sank at the box office turnstiles.

Today you are a proud father of a son and a daughter. How do you feel?

It is very important when you become parents to see that you nurture in your children the need to dream for them, because you have already had your own dream turning true.

It worries me how my children will think of me after they become adults. I am of the opinion that since your children will emulate you, you should set a very good example for them to follow you in the long run.

I tell my son Zain and daughter Misha that they are the left and right side of my heart since I dote on both of them a lot.

What do you advocate about life in general?

I’d say to one and all that you should live all parts of your life with equal passion, because I feel that everything in life is an opportunity.

Your last release was Kabir Singh which was a top grosser at the box office before the pandemic set in. It was the remake of the Telugu hit Arjun Reddy.

Now after a gap of two and a half years, you have Jersey for release, which is also the remake of the Telugu hit Jersey.

Is it a strategy on your part to ensure that you have a hit on your hands every time you come up with a release of yours?

If I had a strategy as such, I’d ensured that every film I do turns out to be a hit. As you know, I have had many flops in my career and I have never ever run after numbers at the box office.

I am happy if a film of mine is appreciated and my performance is also lauded and not greedy that it should gross 300 cr at the box office though I would be happy if it does.

In what way is Jersey different from Kabir Singh?

Look here. Arjun Reddy made a newcomer like Vijay Devarakonda a big star in Telugu films but I was not a newcomer when I acted in Kabir Singh.

For that matter a little bit of Shahid Kapoor of Kabir Singh will be seen in every film that I do because I played the role of Kabir Singh in the film Kabir Singh.

However, the raw emotion, the strong characterization and last but not the least the personality of Arjun in Jersey is completely different and you will have to see the film to believe it.

OK. How would you describe your latest release Jersey?

The film Jersey is all heart and as a film designed for a family audience with dreams and a passionate game of cricket, I promise you that the film will sweep you off your feet when you set out to watch it.

Jersey is coming to theaters just a week after 83 which was also a film on cricket like Jersey is. Aren’t you scared?

The promos of 83 are looking good. I have not seen the film. While 83 is a film on the life and struggle of Kapil Dev and his team, Jersey is an emotional film with the backdrop of cricket.

Each film has its own destiny and if a film is good, it will automatically find its own path. If you are very passionate and believe in your product, there is no doubt at all that your film will definitely win at the box office in a big way.