Actors playing aggressive characters in past were called superstars, now it's critical, says Shahid
Shahid Kapoor says actors playing aggressive characters today are criticised when in the past, they would become superstars for doing such roles. Shahid, who most recently appeared in romantic comedy «Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya», believes a distinction should be made between an actor's performance and the actions of a character.
«This whole thing of 'yeh aisa, woh waisa hai', I think it's very extreme. Over many generations, there have been actors who've done characters that could be deemed aggressive but they are called superstars or legends. Now, suddenly, it's very critical,» Kapoor told PTI in an interview.
«I feel if something is done well and if the emotion is coming through (to) the audience, we should be respectful of that. You can like it or dislike but the quality of the performance and traits of the character should not be confused,» he added.
Hindi cinema has witnessed a fierce debate in recent times about characters that have been accused of perpetuating toxic masculinity.
Incidentally, the films at the centre of the debate were directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga — first with Shahid-starrer «Kabir Singh», a remake of Telugu hit «Arjun Reddy», and then «Animal», headlined by Ranbir Kapoor.
According to Shahid, the traits of a character are defined by the «script and the filmmaker and quality of a performance is defined by what the filmmaker has brought out from the actor».
«That's what connects with the audience. That's how I see things, but everyone has their point of view,» he said at an event
