Subhash K Jha

Shahid is down with conjunctivitis. "I had this eye infection for some time. I kept ignoring it, kept shooting for Abbas-Mustan's 36 China Town because the dates were so packed-in. That aggravated my eye problem. Now it's got so bad that the doctors have forced me to be bed-ridden completely until my condition improves.

My personal doctor has even warned the unit to not let me go anywhere near the shooting. Now I've no choice but to stay at home when I need to go out there to promote my two films Shikhar and Vah Life Ho To Aisi which open within a week of each other."

Shahid is upbeat about the releases. "Shikhar is a morality tale. What you'd expect to see next from the director of Sarfarosh. It pitches me against Ajay Devgan. He plays a guy ready to go to any lengths to achieve what he has to, while I'm the seedha-sadha bhola-bhala ideologue."

Shahid is very excited about his role in Vaah Life Ho To Aisi . "It goes completely with my lover-boy image...you know, soft gentle boy next-door...I'm with a bunch of kids.I loved every moment of my shooting with them. That automatically adds value-incentive to the product. If the kids identify with the project, the parents naturally follow into theatres."

Shahid is very excited about being in a film where he shares the credits with children. "Mr India is one of my favourite films. Though Vah Life Ho To Aisi isn't similar in theme I love the idea of acting with kids. I felt like one of them."

What went wrong with Shahid Kapoor's role in Deewane Huey Paagal ? Most members of the audience missed a stronger presence from Shahid.

"Isn't that the biggest compliment ? The fact that audiences think I'm not there as much they wanted or expected is a compliment enough. This was my first release in nearly a year since Ananth Mahadevan's Yeh Dil Maange More. Audiences seemed to expect to see more of me. I like that. But for me Deewane Huey Paagal is done with."

Now Shahid looks forward to two films on two Fridays. "Is that an over-dose of me in the theatres? We shall soon find out," Shahid has his fingers crossed.