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Shahid Kapoor‘s journey began with his debut film Ishq Vishk in 2003. Interestingly, not many know that Shahid was originally known as Shahid Khatter. In a recent interview, veteran producer Ramesh Taurani shared insights about Shahid’s early days and his name change.
Ramesh Taurani, recalling Shahid’s early days, said he was unaware that Shahid was the son of veteran actor Pankaj Kapur since Shahid used his stepfather Rajesh Khattar‘s surname at that time.”I had no clue Shahid was Pankaj Kapur’s son. His name was earlier Shahid Khatter and not Kapoor. In the film, he changed it to Kapoor,” Taurani told News18.
Shahid’s mother, Neliima Azeem, married actor Rajesh Khattar after her separation from Pankaj Kapur, making Rajesh Shahid’s stepfather. Shahid’s younger half-brother, Ishaan Khattar, is Rajesh’s son.
Taurani also reminisced about the time he first noticed Shahid’s talent in the music video Aankhon Mein Tera Hi Chehra. Shahid was just 17 or 18 years old then. “He was quite young then. When I had watched the video, I asked my team to arrange a meeting with him. After meeting him, I told him, ‘You are very good. And I think you can become a good actor. But you are looking too young, so I think you should wait, but you will get a good launch,’” Taurani recalled.
Shahid was keen on making his mark and frequently kept in touch with Taurani. He was offered a role in N Chandra’s film Style, but he turned it down because it was a two-hero project. Eventually, the film starred Sharman Joshi and Sahil Khan.
Ramesh Taurani, recalling Shahid’s early days, said he was unaware that Shahid was the son of veteran actor Pankaj Kapur since Shahid used his stepfather Rajesh Khattar‘s surname at that time.”I had no clue Shahid was Pankaj Kapur’s son. His name was earlier Shahid Khatter and not Kapoor. In the film, he changed it to Kapoor,” Taurani told News18.
Shahid’s mother, Neliima Azeem, married actor Rajesh Khattar after her separation from Pankaj Kapur, making Rajesh Shahid’s stepfather. Shahid’s younger half-brother, Ishaan Khattar, is Rajesh’s son.
Taurani also reminisced about the time he first noticed Shahid’s talent in the music video Aankhon Mein Tera Hi Chehra. Shahid was just 17 or 18 years old then. “He was quite young then. When I had watched the video, I asked my team to arrange a meeting with him. After meeting him, I told him, ‘You are very good. And I think you can become a good actor. But you are looking too young, so I think you should wait, but you will get a good launch,’” Taurani recalled.
Shahid was keen on making his mark and frequently kept in touch with Taurani. He was offered a role in N Chandra’s film Style, but he turned it down because it was a two-hero project. Eventually, the film starred Sharman Joshi and Sahil Khan.
Shahid Kapoor Keeps It Minimal For Ambani Sangeet
Talking about how Ishq Vishk came to be, Taurani shared that director Ken Ghosh had some ideas, and as soon as he heard one of them, he knew Shahid was perfect for the role. “What I thought about Shahid after watching his music video is that he is very innocent. When you cast a hero, that innocence should always be there. If you notice, actors with an innocent look, like Salman Khan or Ajay Devgn, are the ones who make it big in the industry,” Taurani explained.
Ishq Vishk, a college rom-com, proved to be a great start for Shahid Kapoor, who recently celebrated 21 years in the movie business. The movie also featured Amrita Rao and Shenaz Treasury in lead roles.
