Ishaan Khatter recalls getting fame for simply being Shahid Kapoor's brother: ‘I never tried to shine in his light’

Ishaan Khatter shared that despite the influence of Shahid Kapoor's fame on his own career, he remains committed to forging his own identity in the film world.

Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor began his journey as a background dancer and later rose to fame with his film Ishq Vishk. The actor had established himself as a star by the time his brother Ishaan Khatter entered the industry. Now, in an interview with Zoom, Ishaan opened up about being recognised as Shahid's brother. (Also Read: Ishaan Khatter calls Tabu ‘naughty’, says intimate scenes with her happened seamlessly in A Suitable Boy)

Ishaan Khatter reacts to be known as Shahid Kapoor's brother.(Instagram)

Ishaan Khatter on being known as Shahid Kapoor's brother

He recalled being photographed for the first time during Shahid's wedding to Mira Rajput and said, "When my brother got married was the first time that there was media and paparazzi. That whole thing had started to blow up, along with social media. I was photographed, and after that, I was spotted and recognised at a few places. At least in my case, it wasn’t by design. But obviously, you’re known as someone’s brother."

He further explained that although Shahid’s parents, Pankaj Kapur and Neelima Azeem, were working professionals and actors, neither of them were stars. However, he had an elder brother who was a star. He added that he is proud of Shahid and said, "I had an elder brother whose act to follow would be… like he’s a movie star! But I never tried to shine in his light because everyone wants to be known for their own personality, right? If people photograph me and know me because I’m his brother, that’s obvious, because I haven’t done anything they know me for. So my focus was just to work. I have to tread my own path and make my own life. I’m totally fine with it being slow and steady. I’m in no rush to show people, ‘This is who I am.’ I’d much rather show it with my work."

For the uninitiated, Ishaan and Shahid are half-brothers. Neelima Azeem married actor Pankaj Kapur in 1979 and welcomed their son, Shahid Kapoor, in 1981. However, their marriage did not last long, and they parted ways. In 1988, Pankaj married Supriya Pathak, and in 1990, Neelima married Rajesh Khattar. She welcomed her son, Ishaan, in 1995.

Upcoming films of Ishaan Khatter and Shahid Kapoor

Shahid was last seen in the film Deva, which failed to perform well at the box office. He will next be seen in Vishal Bhardwaj’s action thriller Arjun Ustara, which also stars Triptii Dimri, Nana Patekar and Randeep Hooda in key roles. The release date of the film is yet to be announced. Ishaan, on the other hand, has the premiere of his film Homebound at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Helmed by Neeraj Ghaywan and backed by Karan Johar, the film also stars Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa. It received a nine-minute standing ovation at the festival.