FEBRUARY 2019 — 000Outside Mehboob’s Studio No 5, a post-apocalyptic
scene is brewing. It’s pouring hard: diagonal lines
of torrential rain, waves slowly lapping against the
studio’s raised entrance. It’s Friday, July 26, and
memories of Mumbai’s worst flood are top of mind for
the 40 crew members on set. The main door swings
open wildly from time to time when there’s a strong
gust of wind.
Inside the bare studio, the room pulses with the
hard, grimy beat of German electronic music. The
vibe is Bladerunner-meets-Shahid Kapoor-meets-GQ-
meets-peak monsoon. The track is “Kontrollverlust”
by the Leipzig-based DJ Marc DePulse and Xenia
Beliayeva. Which makes sense, given that this is the
man who took to the decks impromptu to DJ at GQ’s
Best-Dressed Party five years ago, and soundproofed
the basement of his Juhu home so that he could play
his music as loud as he wanted.
Kapoor darts into the room under the cover of
an umbrella, elfin, spritely. He’s in fine form, lifting
himself up and balancing on a set of red blocks to spin
in slo-mo for the photographer’s lens. He’s vegan now,
and perhaps that’s part of why he’s so light on his feet.
“I’ve been vegetarian for the longest time,” he tells me
later, “but now I also avoid milk products and gluten.
I don’t drink. I smoke occasionally. I consider myself
a non-smoker, but I go through phases of smoking.”
He’s a fan of Simon J Hill and his Plant Proof™
Insta account, an excellent primer for any layperson
interested in experimenting with a plant-based diet.
It’s been a year-and-a-half since our last interview,
before the release of Padmaavat. Back then, Kapoor
had revealed how his beloved DJ deck was tucked
away when the room was converted into a playroom
for his daughter Misha. Now that his son Zain has
come along, he doesn’t even know where it is. “A
friend of mine came up to me at the gym this morning
and asked what kind of music I’m listening to. I said,
nursery rhymes,” Kapoor deadpans. “He was like,
‘Uhh... Alright, bro. Have a good workout.’”
COAT, SHIRT,
TROUSERS;
ALL BY DOLCE
& GABBANA