Ishaan Khatter talks about being compared to elder brother Shahid Kapoor: ‘I never tried to shine in his light because…’

Ishaan on being compared to brother Shahid

Ishaan Khatter has had a unique Bollywood journey as he works to overcome the shadow of his well-known older brother, Shahid Kapoor, and gain recognition for his own abilities.

Ishaan recently talked openly about the difficulties of growing up in the spotlight and his unwavering will to establish his own identity in the movie business in an interview with Zoom.

Reflecting on the early days of being noticed by the media, Ishaan recalled, “When my brother got married is the first time that there was media and paparazzi. That thing had started to get blown up, along with social media. I was clicked, 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."

While acknowledging the inevitable comparisons with Shahid, Ishaan stressed that his circumstances were different. “His parents were working actors and professionals, but none of them were movie stars, right? 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?"

Despite these expectations, Ishaan holds no resentment—only admiration. “I’m proud I’m his brother. If people click and know me because I’m his brother, that’s obvious because I haven’t done anything they know me by. So my focus was to just work. I anyway 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."

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Ishaan is Neelima's son from her second marriage to actor Rajesh Khattar, and Shahid Kapoor is the son of seasoned actors Pankaj Kapur and Neelima Azeem.

The brothers have a strong bond founded on respect for one another, even though they are 15 years apart in age. Ishaan frequently appreciates Shahid's candid and helpful criticism since he feels it has aided in his development on both a personal and professional level.