From Rockstar to Raanjhanaa, 5 blockbusters rejected by Shahid Kapoor

Bollywood is a wild ride. You never know which film will be a hit and which will turn out to be a colossal flop. Most actors attempt to be picky when it comes to film roles, yet they occasionally wind up not only missing out on a chance to be in a great film, but also risking their careers.

Shahid Kapoor is known for his charming personality, great on-screen presence, up to the mark acting chops and versatility in his roles. He has delivered some of his career’s best performances in films such as Jab We Met (2007), Kaminey (2009), Haider (2014), and Kabir Singh (2019). However, he has also rejected an equal number of films which went on to become blockbusters. Let’s have a look at 5 blockbuster films rejected by Shahid Kapoor.

1. Rang De Basanti (2006)

Shahid Kapoor was offered the role of Karan Singhania/Bhagat Singh in this Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra directorial. The actor, however, did not take up the role and it eventually went to Siddharth. Later, Shahid regretted not doing the film. He said in an interview, “I regret not doing the film. They wanted me to play the role of Siddharth. I cried while reading the script and loved it, but unfortunately couldn’t make time for it.”

2. Raanjhanaa (2013)

With Aanand L. Rai's Raanjhanaa, Dhanush made his Bollywood debut. The narrative about a lover obsessed with Sonam Kapoor earned a lot of positive feedback. According to reports, Shahid Kapoor was the initial pick for the role of this powerful guy. However, the actor rejected it.

3. Rockstar (2011)

According to reports, Shahid Kapoor did not say no to Rockstar but instead selected another project. Imtiaz Ali contacted Shahid with the screenplays for both Jab We Met and Rockstar. The actor was then asked to choose one, and the rest, as we all know, is history. While Shahid brought the character of Aditya Kashyap to life, Ranbir Kapoor's performance in Rockstar is widely regarded as one of his greatest.

4. Shuddh Desi Romance (2013)

According to reports, Shahid Kapoor did not reject Shuddh Desi Romance when it was offered to him, but subsequently pulled out since the film took too long to get off the ground and he had other commitments. With Shahid's absence, the film found its way into the hands of the late Sushant Singh Rajput.

5. Bang Bang (2014)

Shahid Kapoor was contacted by filmmaker Siddharth Anand for the part of Rajveer Nanda before Hrithik Roshan was cast. According to reports, however, the actor declined the role. On the same day as Bang Bang, his film Haider also released in cinemas. Bang Bang became one of the top grossing Bollywood films of 2014, while Haider won Shahid Kapoor the Best Actor Award at Filmfare.