Shahid Kapoor gears up to play a self-destructive character in Kabir Singh

The movie highlights the story of love and passion on a path of self-destruction through alcohol, cocaine, cigarettes and lots of anger.

When asked how challenging was to play the self-destructive character, Kapoor said: “It was almost schizophrenic because the two worlds are such contrasts. Had I been single, living alone, I might have immersed myself in this dark zone for six months, like I did during Udta Punjab. But this time I am married, a father, so I had to sanitize myself before returning home to protect my children from the negative energy. I couldn’t carry Kabir’s emotional baggage back so I had to flip roles after ‘pack-up’.’’

He added, “Yes, it took a lot out of me because not only does this character degenerate into a loner in a self-destructive mode, I had to also create three different silhouettes, one of which needed me to be out of shape. That upped the physical challenge but also needed mental conditioning because as actors we are used to showcasing ourselves in our best shape. Here, I wanted to look my worst for an honest portrayal.’’

Apart from Kapoor, Sandeep Reddy Vanga directorial Kabir Singh stars actress Kiara Advani in the lead role. The film is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Murad Khetani, Krishan Kumar and Ashwin Varde. The film is slated to release on Jun 21.

Earlier, Kapoor and Advani were seen featuring in music video Urvashi.

Advani made her Bollywood debut with Fugly in 2014 but caught the limelight in MS Dhoni: The Untold Story couple of years later. Recently, the 26-year old actress raised the temperature with her item song in Kalank, dancing with actor Varun Dhawan.