Shahid Kapur returns to school

Shahid Kapur (left) in a scene from "Paathshala".

It's not often a Bollywood actor visits his alma mater to promote his film.
But Shahid Kapur did precisely that when he visited the Gyan Bharati Public School in Delhi when he was here last week for the promo of his latest film “Paathshala”.
In the film, 29-year-old Shahid plays the role of an English teacher in a school, and it was perhaps in the fitness of things that he returned to the school where he had studied till the age of 10 before shifting to Mumbai with his father.
It was a holiday at Gyan Bharati School but somehow the word went round that the actor would visit it and a large number of students had turned up to shake hands with him and take his autographs.
Shahid recalled to the media how he would hold the hand of his grandfather and reach the school and then request the guard to let him in as he used to be late, almost always, by five minutes. He, however, advised students not to do so.
Shahid visited his old classrooms, interacted with the students, shared his memories of the school and watched a cultural show presented by the students.
While Shahid projected himself as a naughty student indulging in pranks, his former class teacher described him as shy and reserved. The teacher is surprised that Shahid has become an actor and recalled that he had never displayed inclination for acting when he was in the school. Another teacher recalled that Shahid was attentive in class and never troubled him.
Shahid said that the film sends out the message of the importance of education in life.
The actor also took the opportunity of visiting the apartment in South Delhi where he had spent his early years.