Exclusive! Shahid Kapoor on Haider's Bismil: That drop of mud on Kay Kay Menon's face was...

The Bloody Daddy actor shares some interesting anecdotes from his award-winning film Haider and working with his favourite filmmaker, Vishal Bhardwaj

Shahid Kapoor

In a career spanning 23 years, Shahid Kapoor has achieved many milestones, both as an actor and a dancer. His 2014 award-winning film Haider, which was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, is one example. From his acting to the intense dance performance of the song Bismil, everything was praised by critics and audiences alike.

In a special conversation with OTTplay, Shahid shared some interesting anecdotes from the shooting of Haider.

Set in the Kashmir Valley, Haider is based on William Shakespeare's Hamlet and Basharat Peer's memoir, Curfewed Night.

In the film, Shahid plays Haider Meer, and Kay Kay Menon plays Khurram Meer, his uncle.

Recalling memories from the shoot of the dance sequence of Bismil, Shahid shared how, in one sequence, a drop of mud on Kay Kay's face added an interesting layer.

Shahid told OTTplay, "Something very interesting happened during the shooting. If you recall the last sequence of the song, Haider jumps off the stage, does an air kick, and then looks his uncle in the eye. We were shooting in Kashmir, and when I was rehearsing for the dance, there was snow on the floor, which started to melt. When we were giving the shot, the floor was muddy. When I did the air kick, a drop of mud went flying from my shoes and fell to the ground. I went up to Kay Kay and asked him if we could put one drop of mud on his face during the close-up shot because I felt that the mud-slinging could add a layer to the moment and the main narrative. Kay Kay agreed, and that one drop of mud on his face added a lot to the whole scene. Such magical moments just happen during shooting and can't be planned on paper."

In another scene in Haider, Shahid's character is in the graveyard, where he holds a skull in his hand and talks to it. Speaking about that scene, the actor said, "I remember we were shooting a different scene when it started to snow. Vishal sir (Bhardwaj, the director) told me, 'Listen, I want to shoot the scene in which you hold the skull right now, in the snow. Do you remember your lines?' I had memorised my lines, so I readily agreed to do the scene right then and there. The poetic visuals of Haider holding the skull and talking to it went on to become an iconic scene."

Haider won five National Awards, including Best Male Playback Singer for the song Bismil (Sukhwinder Singh) and Best Choreography (Sudesh Adhana).

Shahid's last outing was Bloody Daddy, an action thriller directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, which is available to stream on JioCinema.

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