Shahid Kapoor, who recently made his debut in the world of OTT series with ‘Farzi,’ shared an interesting tidbit during a recent interview. The Bollywood actor disclosed that he did not charge any fees for his role in director Vishal Bhardwaj’s critically acclaimed film ‘Haider,’ which was released in 2014. Kapoor explained that his usual fee exceeded the film’s budget, prompting him to make the unusual decision of working for free.
The star-studded cast of ‘Haider’ also featured Tabu, Kay Kay Menon, Irrfan Khan, and Shraddha Kapoor. Despite his established success, Kapoor’s decision to forgo his remuneration for ‘Haider’ was a unique incident. He humorously revealed that the filmmakers couldn’t afford his regular fee, and paying him would have jeopardized the film’s budget. Kapoor said, “They couldn’t afford me. They said if they had to pay me, then the budget of the film wouldn’t get sanctioned because it was a very experimental subject. They really didn’t know if it would land at all, but it was a very compelling kind of product to make, and so I said, ‘Yeah, I will do it for free.'”
When asked if he had made similar decisions for other films, Kapoor clarified that his fee-less contribution to ‘Haider’ remained a one-time occurrence. He playfully emphasized the importance of sustaining his livelihood by saying, “Ghar bhi chalana hai” (I have to run my household).
About the Movie ‘Haider’
‘Haider,’ a film inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is regarded as one of Shahid Kapoor’s finest performances in his career.
Shahid Kapoor’s upcoming projects include an untitled film by Maddock Productions, where he will be sharing the screen with Kriti Sanon.