"After 'Kaminey', I think I lost the track. So after 'Haider', I did not want to repeat the same mistake. With due respect to the kind of support and appreciation I received for 'Haider', I wanted to do better roles. I'm happy I didn't have to wait much and got a chance to perform in 'Udta Punjab'," Shahid said at the success party of "Udta Punjab", which released on June 17 after a tussle with the censor board.
"Since I have done 'Kaminey', one thing I have realised is that the youth wants to watch something different. However, we are scared to experiment with new ideas," he added.
Shahid played a contrasting double role of Charlie and Guddu in Vishal Bhardwaj's 2009 film "Kaminey" with ease. And now, his role of a drug addict rockstar named Tommy Singh in "Udta Punjab", which got leaked online before its release, has been lauded by many.
"We are genuinely upset about the leak. We are thankful for the massive support we got from media and people. Even though the leak happened, it is the biggest opening in my career. However, I feel if the film wasn't leaked, it could have earned 20 to 25 per cent more," he said.
The Abhishek Chaubey directorial, based on drug abuse in Punjab, minted Rs 33.80 crore in its opening weekend.