Divyendu Sharma is the real hero of Batti Gul Meter Chalu: Shahid Kapoor

Actor Shahid Kapoor was in great spirits at the trailer launch of his upcoming film Batti Gul Meter Chalu. He is, after all, coming on the back of the biggest hit of his career — Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat (2018) — that grossed over Rs500 crore worldwide. 

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During the media interaction at the trailer launch, a journalist cheekily remarked that it was good to see him in ‘a single’ lead role. “I’d have to share this with my wife. It is a very personal question,” Kapoor joked and went on to downplay the idea of 'solo lead roles'. 

“Character, scripts are more important. I have never looked at any film from a one or two-hero point of view. Be it Udta Punjab (2016), which had Diljit Dosanjh, or Rangoon (2017) that had Saif Ali Khan or Padmaavat (2018), that had Ranveer Singh,” quipped Kapoor, who then emphasised how his co-actor Divyendu Sharma is playing an important character in Batti Gul Meter Chalu. 

“Sharma has an important presence in the film, and  I will not consider it any less than a leading part. Actually, the film rides on his character. What is important is that you choose the right stories. We need to grow beyond these limitations which we subject ourselves to. I want to be part of good films,” he added. 

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Sharma played Akshay Kumar’s friend in Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017) and will be seen as Shahid Kapoor's friend in Batti Gul Meter Chalu too. Both films touch upon socially relevant issues and they are both directed by Shree Narayan Singh. Sharma was asked if he would get typecast with these two projects.

“No, I don’t think so,” asserted Sharma, adding, “This is old school thinking. Being hero’s friend or brother is all immaterial. By asking this question, I don’t think you are commenting on me, but you are commenting on the writers, as to how they just wrote this character.  Every character in a film is relevant to the story. I simply look at the story and if I like it, then I go ahead with it.”

Kapoor then jumped in with his observation. “According to me, he is the hero of the film. I’m the kamina [scoundrel], kapti [scheming man]. These words were not there when I took up the fllm. They were added later on," Kapoor said. 

The film, also starring Shraddha Kapoor and Yami Gautam, is set to be released on 21 September.

Meanwhile, there are murmurs that Shahid could soon share the screen with his half-brother Ishaan Khatter, who reaped success with his last film Dhadak (2018). "Ask him if he wants to do a film with me first," Shahid shot back, while clearing that there is no such project in the offing.