Karisma Kapoor remembers Shahid Kapoor’s early days
The actor’s inspiring journey was recently discussed in the upcoming episode of India’s Best Dancer Season 5. During the episode, Karisma Kapoor praised Shahid, who is currently prepping for Cocktail 2 with Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna. He talks about his transformation from a background dancer to a Bollywood superstar.
The emotional moment came when contestant Prince revealed that he too had once worked as a background dancer before entering the reality show. Karisma immediately linked her story to Shahid Kapoor’s struggles and recalled how the actor once danced behind her in a film song.
Recalling those days, Karisma told that Shahid had appeared as a background dancer in one of her songs and now he has reached incredible heights in the industry. She said she could see the same dedication and passion in contestant Prince.
Shahid Kapoor once danced behind Bollywood stars
Before venturing into acting, Shahid Kapoor was a part of choreographer Shiamak Davar’s dance troupe in the 1990s. During that period, he appeared as a background dancer in many Bollywood songs.
Her most recognized performance was in the song Le Gayee from Dil To Pagal Hai, which starred Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor. Later fans saw Shahid dancing in the background during the energetic number. She was also seen in the song Kahin Aag Lage Lag Jaye from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer Taal. At that time, very few people would have imagined that the young dancer from the background would one day become one of the leading stars of Bollywood.
From rejection to Bollywood stardom
Shahid Kapoor made his acting debut in 2003 with Ishq Vishk alongside Amrita Rao and Shenaz Treasurywala. The romantic drama made him an overnight sensation and won him the Filmfare Award for Best Debut Actor.
However, Shahid’s road to success was not very easy. In an old interview with Hindustan Times, the actor revealed that he faced rejection in around 100 auditions during the initial years of his career. He admitted that at times he did not even have enough money for food or travel to auditions.
Talking about his first salary, Shahid told that he earned only Rs 1.5 lakh for his first film. He said that the amount was small, but enough to survive during those difficult days. He also recalled that he was advised to focus on opportunities rather than money at the beginning of his journey.
Shahid Kapoor is now one of the highest paid actors of Bollywood
Over the years, Shahid Kapoor proved his versatility with films like Jab We Met, Kaminey, Haider, Udta Punjab and Kabir Singh. His performance established him as one of the strongest actors of his generation.
Now, Shahid is reportedly one of the highest-paid stars in Bollywood. According to Pinkvilla, the actor may get around Rs 45 crore for the second season of Farzi, which will be the biggest pay check of his career so far. From dancing unnoticed behind Bollywood superstars to becoming one of the biggest names in the industry himself, Shahid Kapoor’s journey remains one of perseverance, patience and hard-earned success.
According to GQ India and publicly available data, Shahid Kapoor has amassed a massive wealth of around Rs 300 crore over the years.