Bollywood’s latest heartthrob Shahid Kapoor turns 29 today. The hunk who was most recently seen in flicks like Chance Pe Dance and Kaminey has left no stone unturned to make his mark in Bollywood.

Shahid began his career by working in music videos and advertisements. He made his Bollywood debut as a dancer in Subhash Ghai’s Taal (1999).

Four years later, he made his debut as a lead in Ishq Vishk (2003) and won a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for his performance. Shahid impressed the audience with his performance in films like Fida (2004) and Shikhar (2005). He tasted commercial success with Sooraj R. Barjatya’s Vivah (2006), and followed it up with Jab We Met (2007) and Kaminey (2009).

Bollywood’s most talked about vegan has managed to grab eyeballs not just for his performance on the silver screen but also his link-ups with many B-town leading ladies. After his break up with Kareena, Shahid has managed to prove himself as the most wanted hunk in Bollywood. From Vidya Balan, Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma and most recently Deepika Padukone, it seems Shahid can’t have enough of our desi girls.

As the dashing Kapoor turns a year older, we wish him many more box-office hits and more reasons to make women drool over him in years to come.

It hasn’t even been a month to the New Year, and Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor has already swept three awards for his performances in 2009.

While he was named the most popular male actor at the STAR Screen awards, Shahid also won the heartthrob of the nation award at the fifth Apsara Film and Television Producers Guild Awards.

The 28-year-old also walked away with the Editor’s choice Best Actor award at the Stardust awards for his portrayal of Guddu and Charlie – the ruffian with the endearing lisp and the simpleton who stammers respectively – in Vishal Bharadwaj’s Kaminey.

Last year saw Shahid’s transformation from a chocolate hero to an intense actor.

Though his latest release Chance Pe Dance hasn’t been able to pull in a lot of audiences, Shahid is looking forward to good times this year. He will be seen in Parmeet Sethi’s untitled movie for Yash Raj Films apart from his father, veteran actor Pankaj Kapoor’s Masoom.

The on and off relationship between Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra has come to an end. Shahid has taken the final call after realising Priyanka wasn’t his type of girl. The two stars has met in the sets of Kaminey last year and had fallen in love. Sources close to Priyanka have said that the actress who hasn’t been keeping well in the recent past is devastated by Shahid’s decision. Priyanka is looking for peace and visited Ajmer Sharif last week with her friends who are rallying behind her.

Buzz up!Shahid’s decision to part ways is being attributed to inherent differences in their nature. While Shahid is a introvert and reserved, Priyanka is extrovert and loves to party. Shahid also had problems with her fondness for alcohol. The couple never publicly admitted to being together although they were too close to be just friends. Shahid has been finding it hard to be in a strong relationship ever since Kareena Kapoor dumped more than two years ago.

Shahid Kapoor-Priyanka Chopra starrer flick Kaminey, which was released this Friday worldwide, has beaten the swine flu scare and earned a handsome amount of Rs 22 crore in its first three days(weekend 14,15,16 August)at the box office.

This is all from the domestic box office and the earnings from the US, UK and other countries are yet to be taken into account. The multiplexes and theatre owners have reported the attendance to be around seventy- five percent on the weekend, which is great keeping in mind the panic among public due to on- going health emergency imposed by state governments in the country.

Sources close to producer UTV Motion Pictures and director Vishal Bhardwaj say that the overall earning of the first week of ‘Kaminey’ would come to around Rs 25 crore, which is very good for a Shahid Kapur starrer flick.
As far as collection for the weekend is concerned, Shahid Kapoor’s ‘Kaminey’ is behind only to this year super hit flick ‘Love Aaj Kal’, which had Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone in the main lead. Trade sources say that Imtiaz Ali directed flick had earned around Rs 25 crore in the first three days, with an occupancy rate of around 90 percent.

‘Kaminey’ box office collection is likely to increase further after its release in Mumbai, Pune and Thane districts, where it had not been released due to closure of multiplexes and single screen theatres. The state Government had ordered the closure of multiplexes in view of swine flu scare in the city and its neighboring areas.
Meanwhile, the ace film director Karan Johar of candy floss bollywood flicks, has gone out of his way to praise director Visahl Bhardwaj’s vision and expertise in directing ‘Kaminey.’ Karan went to the extent of eulogizing the film and said that it inspired him to turn to serious cinema from his type of mushy flicks.

It may be recalled that Vishal Bhardwaj and Karan Johar had fallen out when their respective films ‘Omkara’ and ‘Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna’ clashed at the box office some time ago. Karan viewed Vishal Bhardwaj’s act of releasing his ‘Omkara’ on the same day as a way of making sure that his film bombed at the box office.

However with ‘Kaminey’, Karan Johar and Vishal Bhardwaj have come close to each other, and now they better understand each other’s craft.

Shahid’s mom Neelima has asked her son’s ex-girlfriend Priyanka Chopra to be a part of the film. Interestingly, Shahid is aware of it and apparently, has no objections to his mother’s choice.

Neelima and Priyanka met in Priyanka’s flat, which is in the same building as Shahid’s. Neelima said, “Yes, I met up with Priyanka at her house. She is the only girl in the industry whom I have approached. She fits the role.”

Neelima claimed that she offered this role to Priyanka before the star was linked with her son. Explaining the heroine’s role in the film, Neelima said, “The heroine appears only in the second half. It’s a very vital role. In fact, I discussed two scripts with Priyanka. She liked both of them.”

When asked if Priyanka will still be interested in the film since she has broken up with Shahid, Neelima shot back, “I get along very well with Priyanka. It’s a very professional, but warm relationship. Of course, it will all depend on who the male actor is. Priyanka is in a certain league. If I get a damn good actor, but not a top star, I don’t expect her to step in. But then, she may still sign up due to the fact that she loved the character which I want her to play.”

Neelima added, “Shahid is aware that I want Priyanka in my film. Why wouldn’t he know? In fact, I consult him at every step. This would be my first film and I think he would be the right person to give me advice.”
Neelima further said that she wouldn’t like to talk about Shahid’s relationship with Priyanka. Initially, she simply said, “As Shahid’s mother, I know what is the truth.” But when we probed further, she said, “We are a progressive family. If somebody has a cosy and friendly relationship with a girl that does not necessarily mean that they are physically and emotionally involved or committed to each other.”

Both Priyanka and Shahid were busy in shoots (separately) and could not find the time to comment. In fact Shahid’s spokesperson added, “He won’t react to this. It is not his film.”

Obviously then, whether Priyanka works with her ex-boyfriend’s mother or not, the man in question certainly won’t act in the film.

“As a kid growing up in Delhi, Shahid used to spend the maximum time inside video game parlours, playing video games incessantly. All his pocket money was spent on playing video games. He used to play till he would run out of money. There were times when he would sit for hours glued to the game,” said a source.

The 28-year-old, who owns PSP and X Box, feels if he starts playing again, he won’t be able to concentrate on his work.

“If I start gaming again I will not be able to read scripts and concentrate on my work. It’s best if I stay away from this old addiction of mine,” said Shahid who will be seen in a completely different avatar in his forthcoming release “Kaminey”.

Now it can be told. Shahid Kapoor has adopted his father, the illustrious Pankaj Kapoor’s mode of acting to play the double role of Guddu and Charlie in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Kaminey.

Pankaj, it must be remembered, played a double role in Anubhav Sinha’s Dus. When Vishal who has directed Pankaj in The Blue Umbrella and the short-film on AIDS Blood Brothers, invited Shahid to play the morally- incompatible twins, Shahid apparently studied the way his father played the part.

Amole Gupte who is Shahid’s co-actor in Kaminey says he has never witnessed such diligence. “When Shahid played Guddu he had to assume Guddu’s stammer. He completely internalized all of the character’s traits, including the stammer so that there’s nothing caricatural about the character.”

On the sets Shahid never withdrew into his vanity van. “He stayed on the set throughout, kept absorbing the ambience, the sweaty milieu in which Guddu and Charlie had to function in their own separate ways.

I know Pankaj works the same way.And I truly believe Shahid has inherited Pankaj’s ability and style of performing without seening to act. It is definitely in his dna, ” says Amole who has earlier worked with Aamir Khan in Taare Zameen Par.

“But not as an actor. When you’re facing the camera with a co-star you become compatriots in the canvas of characterization. On many occasions I was startled by Shahid’s passion for excellence.I saw the same quality in Aamir.”

In fact Amole now intends to cast Shahid in the film that he’ll direct.

Amole rates Shahid in Kaminey as a benchmark in male performances. “I don’t think a double role has been done like this before. Shahid has entered Guddu and Charlie’s world. Naseer and Pankaj apart I know very actors who could’ve done what he has.”

On many occasions Shahid would remain in character for days so that he wouldn’t lose thread of the two roles.

The fact that both Priyanka and Shahid play more than one role in What’s Your Raashee and Kaminey, respectively, gave them a common platform to share their multiple-personality experiences with one another.

Says Amole, “It’s an adrenaline-charged performance. On many occasions as we performed together I’d forget how young Shahid is. This level of passion in a performance comes to an actor after decades, not after 3-4 years of acting.”

Amole ‘s opinion is that this is no Ram Aur Shyam kind of double role. “In fact in Kaminey two different characters played by one actor. And Shahid should be up for two best actor nominations in Kaminey.”

Mumbai: Shahid Kapur was fuming after he learnt that an impersonator had created a fake ID on Twitter and a complaint was lodged from the actor’s side to Twitter asking them to pull the plug on the impersonator who was posing as the real star and even connecting with his fans.

In what is probably the first case of its kind in India involving an Indian celebrity and a social networking site, Shahid’s fake ID on the site has been disabled by the site’s managers on the grounds of impersonation. Shahid had gone on record and told DNA earlier that he was being impersonated. This followed another story on how the impersonator even contacted Shahid’s publicist and refused to part with this id. Shahid’s publicist had filed an impersonation complaint to Twitter for the same.

“Being a fan is understandable, but impersonating your idol and fooling people — that’s clearly crossing the line. Fortunately Twitter has a great staff and they have taken immediate action and put this matter to rest. It was a minor problem but, it was a problem all the same. Well, not any longer,” said a source close to the star.

They may be playing hide and seek about their relationship, but Shahid Kapoor won’t take any loose talk about Piggy Chops lying down. The actor was down at a popular radion station with director Vishal Bhardwaj to promte their upcoming film Kaminey when suddenly the conversation careened out of control. Matters were proceeding smoothly till the jockey asked Shahid about how it was working with Priyanka.

“Shahid said said that the first half of the film’s shooting involved only men and wasn’t that much fun but when Priyanka came in, it was a breath of fresh air. There was chatter and laughter – mood became very light and she made work fun for everybody,” a source quotes Shahid as saying.

To this, the radio jockey responded that ‘it must have been very difficult for Priyanka to satisfy so many men on the sets.’ And all hell broke loose.

Shahid and Vishal threatened to walk out of the interview midway and relented only when the radio station offered an apology and deleted the recording. “Shahid was stunned that the jockey could say such a cheap thing. He was furious but the jockey repeatedly kept saying sorry. Vishal too was in no mood to carry on with the interview. Though the recording was started again, they were very curt with their answers and left soon after,” the source adds.

Shahid Kapoor is being impersonated on Twitter. There are about 3000 fans following this ID, assuming that this is the real Shahid. Shahid Kapoor is not registered on Twitter. This identity is fake and Shahid’s management has already put a complaint to the portal.

“My friends brought to my notice that there is a profile of Shahid Kapoor that is active on Twitter, and this person has been connecting with my fans, who don’t know that the ID is fake. I’d like to clarify that I am not on Twitter and my management has complained about this impersonation to the site” clarifies Shahid.