"Isn't it wrong to expect an actor to always be idealistic," reasons Shahid Kapoor, as he discusses his upcoming film, Kabir Singh. Recreating the Telugu drama Arjun Reddy that sees its protagonist become aggressive and an alcoholic after a failed romance, Kapoor finds himself battling the same questions on chauvinism that plagued the original film.

By pointing out that not all creative pieces must be utopian, he makes a case for himself. "I am not expected to be idealistic. I am expected to be real; mirroring life, representing all shades of people in their entirety. Once we become adults, we are on our own, drawing heavily from popular culture. But, we must represent grey shades of human beings in films to represent life."