Shahid Kapoor on his upcoming film, 'Haider', working with his father and sister, and the desire to do a dance-based project...

How was the experience of shooting for your upcoming film Haider?
Haider is cinema of passion. I am proud that I got an opportunity to be a part of it, and am hopeful that the audiences will appreciate the film. Today, young actors are taking up projects that are mainstream in an unconventional kind of way. This helps cinema evolve, as such films allow us to explore ourselves as actors and do more original work. If you are in a space which has been tried before, you cease to grow. But Haider is genuinely something unique, and when I took it up, it gave me that feeling of being in an uncomfortable space. I feel more comfortable in uncomfortable spaces because that's when I try to do probably something totally different.

You have just got back from London, where you were shooting for Shandaar with your father (Pankaj Kapur) and your sister (Sana) who makes her debut in the film.
We didn't shoot together much, but on the first day, I found it difficult to stand in the same frame as my father. It was scary. But from the second day, I started enjoying it and then we found 'our thing'. Out of the shoot 12-13 day of the shoot schedule, we only shot together for four to five days. I was busy clicking pictures of Sana's first shot. I was like, `Oh God! She is doing a movie, what's going on?` I think it's great because she is getting to work with Vikas (Bahl) who is a great director. She is a responsible kid. She assisted dad during his directorial venture, Mausam, in which I played the lead role. She has spent time behind the camera learning the nuances of filmmaking.

You are one of the best dancers in the industry. Will we be seeing you in a dance-based film?
I should do a dance film, na? I have been engulfed with this feeling for a month now. My brother Ishaan is a better dancer than me. He constantly tells me that I have to dance before I grow old. Yes, I want to do a dance film.

You have been linked to a few of your female co-stars recently. How do you react to it?
I have been linked to only one or two, here and there, I have the cleanest record (winks). I am the take-home-to-mummy type of a guy. I really am. One day people will know I am a nice guy. On certain days I see my dad sitting in a really grumpy mood. When I ask him what's wrong, he will be like: `Yeh dekho kya likha hai, yeh tumhare peeche kyun pade hain? Yeh kaun hai? Tum toh mile bhi nahi ho inse? Kyun likh rahe hain aise? (Look what is being written about you. Why are they behind you, you haven't even met her)` I have learnt not to react to these rumours. I'm calm right now, but sometimes it's really bizarre.


You had once mentioned that you are commitment phobic. Are you still the same?
My phobias keep changing. But there's always some phobia. I am no longer commitment phobic. I would be happy if something happened, but I am never looking forward for a relationship to work out. That's forcing it. It has to be a natural, organic process and if it happens organically then I would be happy. If a relationship blossoms, I won't complain.

Earlier you had said that you have made some bad decisions in your career. Looking at your career graph, do you regret any of the decisions of the past?
Anyone who says that they haven't made bad decisions is lying, or doesn't have perspective. Everyone has made bad decisions at some point in their lives. You don't regret those decisions. I think it's important to realise that the decision was an unfavourable one. Regret is an emotion, which should largely be avoided, as it leads to depression and negativity. There is something you take away from every film. Probably you learn more from an unsuccessful film than a successful one. As an artiste, there are always experiences that you can cherish and take lessons from. They help you grow as a person.

There will always be instances you wish you had avoided because they didn't enrich you in any way. I would call them mistakes. The success or failure of a film should not change the way you felt while working on the film. A movie may not do well at the box office, but it should fulfill you as an actor.