Shahid Kapoor Reveals He Did Haider For FREE Because Makers 'Could Not Afford Me'

Back in 2014, Vishal Bhardwaj created Haider which turned to one of the most revisited films in the history of India cinema. Starring Shahid Kapoor, Tabu and Kay Kay Menon in the lead roles, the film revolved around a young man named named Haider who returns to Jammu and Kashmir amid the violent insurgency, to seek closure of his father’s disappearance. While it was known, that Shahid did not charge a penny for his role, he recently revealed why he agreed to do the film for free.

In an interview with Film Companion, Shahid revealed that the team couldn’t afford him. “They couldn’t afford me. They said if they had to pay me, then the budget of the film wouldn’t get sanctioned because it was a very experimental subject. They really didn’t know if it would land at all but it was a very compelling kind of product to make and so I said, ‘Yeah, I will do it for free.”

When asked if he has done other films for free, Shahid stated that he made an exception for Haider. “It was only time I did it. It just happened at that time. I said, ‘Yeah let’s do it, it’s okay.” He then laughed and added, “Ghar bhi chalana hai (I have to take care of my household as well).”

Meanwhile on the work front, there are reports that Shahid may reunite with his Padmaavat director Sanjay Leela Bhansali for a big commercial entertainer. A source close to the development informed Pinkvilla, shared that Shahid and Bhansali have been talking since a couple of months for a very special film. “Shahid and SLB have mutual respect for each other and are discussing the idea of collaborating on a special project. It’s an out and out masala entertainer, and the script has been completely developed by Bhansali’s team of writers. The filmmaker has been actively working towards casting the film over the last few months, and is having detailed conversations with Shahid on the permutation and combinations with regards to film.”

Apart from that, Shahid Kapoor already has three films lined up in his pipeline. He will next be seen in directors Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah’s Impossible Love Story, Aditya Nimbalkar’s Bull, and a remake of the 1964 film Woh Kaun Thi?