Since the time he entered the industry, Shahid kept a distance from the Bollywood tribes. But lately he has been spotted hanging out with biggies like Karan Johar, Deepika Padukone and Varun Dhawan.
"I kind of feel like I don't belong here, I feel like a newcomer. I need to figure out this new room, and this new club that I've entered. Even though I've been here for 15-16 years, it's not my comfort zone, I need to get my head around it. I can't (afford to) feel like I know exactly what's going on, and exactly what I need to do next. So, I'm trying to keep it simple, and eventually I'll go with my instinct and my gut," he said.
Since "Ishq Vishk", Shahid has proved his mettle by playing complex and layered characters in projects like "Kaminey", "Haider" and "Udta Punjab".
"Sometimes, something comes along, and you feel, 'Yeah, I got this'. But my best work has happened when I've had no idea how I'm going to pull off a role, or I've had nothing to draw on from my past work.
"I'm never 'OK' with how I am. I need to keep changing and learning, even if it's not always so fast," Shahid has said in the cover story of GQ India's August 2019 issue.
For him, life exists in shades of grey. And that's what he likes to get into his roles.
"What excites me is the real. What I want to represent are certain truths about life, some of which make you feel hopeful and excited, and others that make you experience a sense of catharsis."
Looking at the films that worked at the box office this year, the actor said: "The two most successful films of this year are 'Kabir Singh' and 'Uri: The Surgical Strike'. Nobody thought these films would get these numbers.
"The size of a film shouldn't be defined by the money that went into making it. A big film that makes little money is a small film. And vice versa. Today, the idea has to be big."
( With inputs from IANS )