Shahid Kapoor was raised by his mother, actor Neelima Azim, after her separation from his father, actor Pankaj Kapur. In a recent interview, Shahid spoke about the challenges Neelima faced as a single parent and how those experiences shaped his sense of responsibility and protectiveness towards her.
In an interview with Screen, Shahid shared, “My mom was quite young when she had me. We were more like friends, and she always took me wherever she went. Since I was her firstborn and elder son, I naturally felt a sense of responsibility. I didn’t grow up around my father, so in such situations, you don’t think about age—you just feel like the ‘man of the house.’ Of course, I didn’t have much to offer at the time, but I had the courage to stand up for my mother. I always felt protective and deeply connected to her. She treated me like a friend, and that bond remains unchanged to this day.”
Shahid recalled how he was eager to start working early in life, beginning his journey with dance at 14 and later appearing in music videos and advertisements by 18. “I think a lot of it stemmed from the fact that my mom was a single parent. I didn’t want to add to her financial burden, so the only thought in my mind was, ‘I need to start making money.’ By the time I was 14-16, I wanted to support her. She was managing everything on her own, and I felt the need to contribute. If nothing else, I wanted to at least take care of my own expenses,” he said.
Shahid Kapoor in Deva
Shahid made his Bollywood debut with Ishq Vishk at 22, quickly rising to fame. Over the years, he has delivered commercially successful films while also earning critical acclaim. His latest film, Deva, directed by Roshan Andrews and co-starring Pooja Hegde, was released on January 31.
