Shahid: No need to be big, brawny to be action hero

Press Trust of India 

Mumbai

An actor doesn't have to become "big and brawny" to play an action hero, says Shahid Kapoor, who believes even a regular-looking man can appear tough on screen. Shahid, who features in Ali Abbas Zafar's crime thriller "Bloody Daddy", said the film is the first outand-out action movie of his career of over two decades.

"I have done action in the past like 'R... Rajkumar', 'Kabir Singh' is a love story but it had its beats of action. 'Haider' had a little bit of action and 'Udta Punjab' was a very intense character, but this is the first time I'm getting into proper action," the 42-year-old actor told PTI in an interview.

A remake of 2011 French film "Sleepless Night", the movie stars Shahid as Sumair, who faces off against Gurugram's whitecollar drug lords, deceitful friends, a ruthless crime boss, murderous narcs, and both corrupt and honest cops - all during one fateful night.

A character's look should justify the way it has been envisioned in the story, Shahid said. "A lot of times people think that we have to do action, so we should look big. But that becomes like a predisposition. The story and the character has to fit into this scenario. If an actor thinks that they should look really big and brawny to do an action film, it's not true."It is what you bring on the table -- skill, understanding, performance, body language and the fluidity with which you fight... I just did what I felt would be right for the film." According to Shahid, megastar Amitabh Bachchan had a long-standing career as an action hero but he is a "real looking person".

"There are so many films that we watch now where an actor looks like a normal guy. Most of the boys who do all the stunts are all very normal. But they're extremely fit,'' he says.