‘Kabir Singh’ First Reactions: Shahid Steals the Show, Say Fans

The film hits theatres on 21 June.

Shahid Kapoor in a poster for Kabir Singh.

(Photo Courtesy: Instagram)

While there’s still a day to go for Kabir Singh to release in India, the film is out in theatres in the Middle East and reviews from viewers have been trickling in. The initial verdict for the Arjun Reddy remake is positive with many praising Shahid’s performance.

While the trailer for Kabir Singh had some speculating that the film would glorify toxic masculinity, according to critic Anita Iyer, Shahid “delivers a restrained, measured performance” without glorifying the problematic aspects of his character.

Another also praised Shahid’s performance and pointed out that the film is an example of how Bollywood and Tollywood can complement each other.

Shahid Kapoor even responded to an effusive review that called his performance in Kabir Singh the best of his career.

Casting director Mukesh Chhabra also chimed in calling the film “mind-blowing”. He also praised its background score and Sandeep Vanga’s directorial chops.

Kabir Singh is the Hindi remake of Telugu blockbuster Arjun Reddy. The film has been directed by Sandeep Vanga and also stars Kiara Advani. Shahid plays the titular character Kabir Singh, a brash, alcoholic doctor who is quick to anger and is trying his best to forget his former partner who is forced to marry someone else.

Speaking about his role in Kabir Singh, Shahid mentioned that there’s more to the film than just his character. “As a subject matter in totality, it's a happy film. It's romantic and it has its dark parts but obviously what will attract you in those promos are these edgy scenes but the film has a lot more going for it,” he told PTI.

The film releases on 21 June.