Pankaj Kapur Defends Kabir Singh: “Films Show the World as It Is — Not as We Wish It to Be”

The veteran actor praises Shahid Kapoor’s evolution as a performer and calls Kabir Singh an honest reflection of flawed masculinity rather than a glorification of it.

Pankaj Kapur, one of Hindi cinema’s most revered actors, recently shared his thoughts on his son Shahid Kapoor’s journey and the controversy surrounding the 2019 blockbuster Kabir Singh. With an illustrious career spanning over four decades, Kapur remains a respected voice in the industry, and his perspective on the film’s criticism offers a grounded take on art, society, and storytelling.

Addressing the backlash Kabir Singh received for allegedly promoting toxic masculinity, Kapur stated that the film simply mirrors a reality that already exists in society. “That is okay because it doesn’t mean toxic masculinity doesn’t exist. It exists in society, and because somebody made a film on it, we started objecting to it. This is our own outlook,” he explained. The veteran actor emphasized that cinema should not be expected to sanitize human behavior, adding, “Films show the world as it is — not as we wish it to be. Kabir Singh showed a flawed man, but that’s what makes it compelling.”

Kapur also spoke warmly about Shahid’s evolution as an actor. “For a long time, I used to tell him and others that his main potential is drama and that nobody has tapped it. He was getting only sweet boy roles. It was tapped by Vishal Bhardwaj,” he said, referring to Shahid’s acclaimed performance in Haider. Kapur credited that film, and others like Kabir Singh and Farzi, with helping Shahid find his true range as a performer. “Shahid also became intelligent about which films to do and which not to do,” he added.

Reflecting on their collaboration in the 2011 film Mausam, which Kapur directed and Shahid starred in, the veteran actor said it was an ambitious and honest effort to tell a story about love separated by circumstance. Beyond his professional insights, Kapur highlighted that he has always allowed his children—Shahid, Sanah, and Ruhaan—to follow their own creative instincts, believing that every artist must build their path independently.