‘Never Took My Father’s Help’: Shahid Kapoor Says He Built His Career Without Using Pankaj Kapur’s Name

Shahid Kapoor may be a star kid, but his journey in Bollywood is one he still calls “an accident.” Today, two decades into his career, the actor believes deeply in personal boundaries—and in ensuring his children

grow up with their own sense of identity rather than his shadow looming over them.

In a candid conversation on the Punjab First Voice podcast, Shahid reflected on what it means to separate celebrity from family. “It’s been 22 years, so now I try not to bring my work home,” he said. “Once I’m back, I take on the role of a father, husband, and son. You shouldn’t bring your professional life or stardom into your personal space.”

‘Whenever I’m With My children, I cherish That Time’

Shahid spoke warmly about fatherhood, revealing that the fatigue of shooting schedules disappears the moment he’s with his kids, “Whenever I am with my children, I cherish that time. There’s no point feeling tired, and even if I do, they’re my children—they’ll understand. Tomorrow when they grow up, they’ll know.”

For him, parenting also means stepping aside and letting his children discover who they are. He doesn’t want them boxed in by expectations—least of all his. “I don’t think it’s right to burden kids with their parents’ dreams,” he said. “People should have their own identity and not just be ‘someone’s son.’ I strongly believe many Indian men couldn’t excel because they were weighed down by their fathers’ expectations.”

Mira’s ‘no-work-at-home’ rule keeps him grounded

Speaking about his bond with Mira Rajput, Shahid said she is the one who created a sacred divide between work and home. “Mira is very supportive. She understands most things about me and has made a rule that when we are at home, we don’t discuss work. It’s very rare that we talk about films.”

Her clarity, he added, has helped him stay emotionally present, not distracted by the noise of stardom, ‘My career was an accident… nothing was planned’

Born to actors Pankaj Kapur and Neelima Azeem, Shahid insists acting wasn’t a destiny he walked into knowingly. “My career was an accident—whether it was dance or acting.”

He described how his early income came from dance classes, “I was interested in dance while growing up, so I took classes. My mentor liked my dancing, and that became a source of income.”

And then came the unexpected leap into acting, “I had accompanied a friend to an audition, and the ad makers liked me. They made me audition, and I landed a Pepsi commercial with Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji. That opened doors, and work started pouring in. Nothing was planned.”

‘People think I’m an actor because I’m Pankaj Kapur’s son… but I never used his name’

Shahid also revisited the frequent assumption that nepotism paved his path. “People think I am an actor because I am Pankaj Kapur’s son, but my parents separated when I was just three. I didn’t spend much time with my father, so nobody even knew I was his son, nor did I ever use his name.”

He added, “I lived with my mother. Things just fell into place for me. I never asked my father for help, and he never made calls to get me work.”

Although the separation happened too early for him to fully comprehend, he admitted, “I was too young when my parents divorced, but you do feel the void. I think many people can relate.”