'Deva' is a piece of my heart: Shahid Kapoor

Actor Shahid Kapoor on Sunday said that for a long time many people have been urging him to take on a “massy film”, and his upcoming project “Deva” marks that next step in his acting journey.

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In the action thriller, Kapoor is essaying the role of a brilliant but defiant police officer. It is directed by Rosshan Andrrews and also stars Pooja Hegde and Pavail Gulati.

Produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur's Roy Kapur Films in collaboration with Zee Studios, the movie will hit the screens on January 31.

On Sunday, Kapoor unveiled the teaser of the film with fans at the Carter Road Amphitheatre here.

“'Deva' is a piece of my heart. For many years, people were telling me to do a massy film. That you go out there and do it for the masses. So for me, this is that next step in my journey. It's been probably my most challenging film. There is so much in the character which I don't want to reveal. You watch it on January 31,” the actor said at the event here.

Kapoor, known for films such as "Haider", "Kabir Singh", "Jersey", and "Jab We Met", said the film borrows its essence from the city of Mumbai as a character.

“We shot the entire film in Mumbai. Deva's madness is Mumbai's madness. The character's name is Dev but it has an (extra) 'A' (in its name). There are two types of animals within everyone. There is a Deva in us and there is an Asur in us too.

“This film is about seeing two personalities in one character. Mumbai is like that. It's beautiful and there are some edgy things too. That is what makes Mumbai so special,” he said.

Andrrews, known for Malayalam blockbusters such as "Salute" and "Kayamkulam Kochunni", said his dream of making a film like "Deva" came true after Kapoor agreed to board the project.

"To complete the dream, I needed a producer who supported me... Siddharth Roy Kapur and Zee Studios. It happened because of one person's 'yes', that is my brother, Shahid Kapoor... I'm giving the film to you. It's all yours," he said.

Roy Kapur described Andrrews as a "passionate" artist.

"Shahid, myself, Umesh (Bansal), we've all served his vision. It happens to be his 50th birthday tomorrow. So, a big round of applause and a very happy birthday to Roshan in advance for giving us this gift today," the producer said.