Shahid Kapoor says working on 'Mausam', his father Pankaj Kapoor's directorial debut, forced him to get out of his comfort zone as an actor.The actor, who took a year and half off from other projects to concentrate on the love-story set in the recent past, says he learnt some of the most valuable lessons in filmmaking by observing his father on the sets.

“He (Pankaj) pushed me a lot as an actor. When I signed up the film I knew that I wanted to learn and unlearn certain things. I mean, every actor has a comfort zone and knows that there are certain things which people like about him and he plays on them. I wanted to get out of that and 'Mausam' helped me do that,” said Shahid.

Most writers, me included, tend to dislike the telephonic interviews. But in the case of Shahid Kapoor I can accommodate. Why? Well, because on all previous occasions I've interviewed the star in person. There was a time when Shahid Kapoor was anonymous. It strikes me, looking at him now, that he just can't wander unnoticed. His Twitter fan club goes insane the moment I tweet 'Attending the Mausam music success party tonight'. Questions pour back to back.

When I reach the Marriott for the party, the paparazzi can't stop flashing. It goes to such an extent that the video teams standing behind the still photographers have to shout out loud for them to stop clicking. In short, there's a stampede wherever 'Sasha' is present. The most endearing thing about Shahid Kapoor - and there are many - is his refusal to accept how famous he's become.

Actor Shahid Kapoor revealed some of his intimate secrets to DNA when he visited the office. Excerpts from the interview..

You like music?
I love house music. I obviously listen to a lot of Hindi music, usually not my own films because by the time it’s ready you’ve heard it so many times and you’re quite tired of it. Ummm, right now it’s Pitbull. I listen to energetic music in the mornings.

Shahid Kapoor dropped by at DNA Tuesday afternoon.A sunny yellow Tee and an equally sunshiny grin to combat any wet weather blues that might be pervasive around the office. He is a celebrity known for his tight reserve, his control — preferring such a diplomatic stance most times that many movie scribes privately dub him ‘too politically correct’.

Tuesday though, contrary to his no-frills approach, he was in his element. He laughed, he quipped, he regaled the ladies in the room with flirtatious banter — and all through looked as though he was enjoying himself.

With Shahid Kapoor sporting a moustache in his latest film, Mausam can easily be termed as his first mature performance. The biggest USP of the film is that it aims at narrating a unique journey — transition from a fun-loving to a serious atmosphere, with Shahid Kapoor as the lead character.

And the change is not only in the atmosphere but also among various relationships among the characters. The story allows the actor to start as an innocent, 18-year-old boy who then grows up to be a matured man with his becoming an Air Force officer.

Actor Shahid Kapoor is eager for the release of dad Pankaj Kapur's directorial venture 'Mausam'. "Of course, every film that I'm a part of is special to me, but 'Mausam' is all the more special because it's dad's film," he told us after a gruelling day that was spent answering questions and promoting the flick, the trailers of which are getting 'good feedback'.

However, ask Shahid Kapoor if he is a part of the sequel of 'Kaminey', and he is quick to reply, "Yes, I'd love to be a part of the movie. It's always fun to work with Vishal Bhardwaj, and though we have mentioned the sequel of Kaminey in passing nothing concrete is on paper yet.