'Whoa, I'm a Hindi film hero'

He reminds you of the Aamir Khan of yore.

Maybe it is his cutie-pie features or his grand passion for cinema. He is a Piscean, just like Khan. And, like him, a perfectionist to the core.

But Shahid Kapoor is very much his own person. The teen sensation of Ken Ghosh's Ishq Vishk is far too level-headed for his 22 years. Born into a family of actors (his father is Pankaj Kapoor and mother, television actress Neelima Azim), Shahid knows success has its fair share of pitfalls.

He has 20 offers following his smash debut, but he is taking it easy. "I am very selective. I am the only actor in the history of Indian cinema who did not sign a film till his debut film released. People would tell me, 'Are you mad, Shahid? Sign a film. What if your debut film flops?' But I was confident Ishq Vishk would do well."

And it did. As a result, Shahid is fielding a barrage of calls even as he makes time for a tête-à-tête with Rohini Iyer:

Ishq Vishk is the first big hit of the year. Are you flattered?

It is not sinking in. But it feels great, yeah. Actually, what works for the film is the freshness. There are so many newcomers. There are no larger-than-life situations in the film. It is a real, very true film. In its genre, it is a good film. People relate to it.

I went to this theatre. They stopped the show in the middle of the film, switched on the lights, and put me on stage. It was crazy. All this attention is very, very flattering.

What about female attention?

No stalkers yet, thank God. But I love the attention. This is what I have always wanted, what I have dreamt of.

You are very level-headed for your age.

I have to be level-headed. My parents are artistes. I have seen this before.

Of course, the reactions I have been getting are crazy. It didn't hit me till I went to Liberty [a Mumbai cinema hall] for the first show. They saw me and there was chaos. That was the first time I realised, 'Whoa, I'm a Hindi film hero'.

In between, I did notice a slight change in myself. My walk changed. That's when I told myself, 'Shahid Kapoor, behave yourself. Don't get carried away.'

One hears that a lot of topline directors have offered you their next venture.

Senior directors have called and complimented me. It feels very good. A newcomer needs to be encouraged.

But I can't talk about the offers. The minute I sign on the dotted line, I'll make sure you know.

Is it true that you are being ultra-choosy about your work?

Not ultra-choosy. I would say careful, definitely.

Out of the film offers I have -- 20, I think -- I am going to sign only two or three.

The audience today is smart. They need to be surprised all the time. There is no place for substandard work.

The artiste and the audience share a relationship. There is a certain credibility factor that an artiste has to build. They have certain expectations of certain artistes.

This is the beginning for me. I will make sure I live up to expectations and never let my audience down.