Shahid Kapoor started out as a background dancer — the trade of his early idol days — before his boyish charm carried the teen romance Ishq Vishk (2003) and won him the Filmfare Best Male Debut. The son of actor Pankaj Kapur, he graduated from chocolate-hero roles to the beloved Jab We Met, then startled audiences as twin brothers in Vishal Bhardwaj's Kaminey.

His partnership with Bhardwaj peaked in Haider (2014), a Hamlet retelling in Kashmir that brought him the Filmfare Best Actor award. He has since alternated prestige work like Udta Punjab and Padmaavat with the polarising money-spinner Kabir Singh, his biggest hit, and found streaming success as a counterfeiter in Farzi. Recent outings include the action noir Deva (2025) and a swashbuckling collaboration with Bhardwaj on the way.

Filmography Highlights

• Ishq Vishk (2003) — Filmfare-winning debut as a college romantic
• Vivah (2006) — Traditional family romance that became a sleeper hit
• Jab We Met (2007) — Enduring romantic comedy opposite Kareena Kapoor
• Kaminey (2009) — Dual role as stammering and lisping twins in Bhardwaj's thriller
• Haider (2014) — Filmfare Best Actor-winning Hamlet adaptation set in Kashmir
• Udta Punjab (2016) — Fearless turn as a drug-addled rock star
• Padmaavat (2018) — Rajput king Maharawal Ratan Singh in Bhansali's epic
• Kabir Singh (2019) — Controversial, record-smashing hit — his biggest earner

Image: Wikimedia Commons. Part of the Top 50 Bollywood Celebrities series. Ranking inspired by popular industry listings; profiles are original editorial content.