Step by step

Did you choose dance as the film’s backdrop because Kapoor is good at it ?

We had the story in place — an aspiring actor’s struggle — but as we etched out the character,we decided to define him as a good dancer since Shahid is very good at dancing. The story was turning out to be a slice of Shahid’s life and my own struggles in the industry so dance seamlessly blended with it.

You have seen Kapoor over the years.

Working with Shahid in three films — Ishq Vishk,Fida and now Chance Pe Dance — has been like working with three different actors. During Ishq Vishk,he was this eager,wide-eyed boy who would go by his gut instinct since he had nothing to lose. By the time we did Fida,he had tasted a bit of success and made calculated moves. He also made mistakes and learnt from them. Today,he understands the nuances of characters and how to approach a scene. During the first schedule of Chance Pe Dance,I was bowled over by what he was delivering — it was much better than what I had imagined. Shahid caught the look in my eyes and gave a huge smile. He was happy that he could stun me.