Shahid Kapoor: It is tougher for directors to remake movies that are close to their heart – Times of India

Shahid Kapoor has worked in only two official remakes in his two-decade career – the yet-to-release Jersey and one of 2019’s biggest money-spinners, Kabir Singh, The general perception is that a remake is tough for an actor who is expected to add value to a role previously played by a colleague from another industry. However, Shahid believes that the journey is more difficult for filmmakers who are roped in to direct the adaptations of their own hits. Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Gowtham Tinnanuri have both directed the Hindi remakes of their south hits – Arjun Reddy and Jersey.

Elaborating on this, Shahid says, “An adaptation has to be rediscovered. Sometimes, remakes are made in a photocopy manner, and sometimes, they are remade in such a way that the characters feel fresh, the cultural ethos, the mood and the dialogue have been redeveloped over a period of time, giving it a new lease of life. It’s all fresh and different. As an artiste, you respect what you saw in the original but when you act in an adaptation, you also find your own version of it. Kabir Singh and Jersey have been that experience for me. If I had felt that the film’s makers were making me do the same thing that has been done before, I would not have done it. I refused it when it came to my table.”

Discussing the process that Sandeep and Gowtham followed while remaking their own films, Shahid says, “For Sandeep, it was difficult to deal with another actor who was coming into his creation with his own vibe. Kabir Singh was a challenging journey in that sense. I have to hand it to Sandeep who was yet quite open and allowed me to express things as I felt. He had seen some of my work and placed his trust in me. Gowtham was keen to make Jersey afresh – he was game to alter the fabric of the film. By the time we came to the filming, it didn’t feel like we were recreating a drama. It felt as good as an original project. For both these directors, remaking a film close to their heart is more challenging than it is for an actor. For the directors, it is a bigger challenge because for them, they’re filming a story all over again. For an actor, it’s still a new experience. Like I was doing it all for the first time , but both the directors had had their journeys with the film once before. an artiste, I think these films come with a sense of responsibility because you loved what the original had to offer. It was credible stuff and you don’t want to let that film down. In both cases, we didn’t go back to the original film till much later. It’s nice to work on something which already has merit and quality attached to it. I will be curious to watch something like that. It would be a great exercise to see how you feel when you watch the original and then, watch its remake. When I saw Jersey, it inspired and motivated me. It had hit me hard and changed me forever. That little self pity we have for ourselves died. The character was so inspiring – it was reason enough to not let this film pass.”