Shahid Kapoor acknowledges parental legacy in film industry but unable to capitalize on it for career launch.

Shahid Kapoor expressed that despite having parents in the film industry, he couldn’t leverage their influence to jumpstart his own career, highlighting that only ‘stars, superstars, and directors’ possess such clout, not character actors.
He lamented the diminishing opportunities for outsiders in Bollywood, asserting that his success stemmed solely from his hard work, talent, and dedication to honing his craft.
Shahid recounted his experience of feeling like an outsider since childhood, especially upon moving from Delhi to Mumbai, where he faced discrimination for his accent and struggled to find acceptance in school.
Despite eventually finding a sense of belonging in college, he encountered similar exclusionary attitudes upon entering the film industry, likening it to his school experiences and noting the prevalent issue of outsiders struggling to be accepted.
Shahid criticized the ‘campy’ culture in Bollywood, advocating for collaboration based on creativity and mutual comfort rather than exclusion and elitism, asserting his readiness to stand up to bullying tactics now that he’s more confident.