Thankfully after starting to smoke during the filming of Kismet Connection, due to his breakup with Bebo, Shahid Kapur aka Sha-K has decided to kick the habit for good! Realizing how harmful it was for him and the negative message it was sending out to all his fans, especailly the young ones, he promised to quit … and quit he has.

Sha-K has been gearing up for his next film with Ken Ghosh and training very diligently with close friend and trainer Abbas Ali. Ali had been getting worried about Sha-K’s demeanor and the damaging effects that the smoking was having on him.

Now that he has been off the cancer sticks for several days, things will get better for him in terms of feeling better and being able to concentrate on his training and shooting. It’s ironic that he has quit just as Kismet Connection is getting ready to be released. All the best to Sha-K in this venture.

Shahid Kapur will soon be seen in a new avatar, that of a sensitive and caring teacher in Paathshala. Produced by Ahmed Khan (Lakeer, Fool N Final) and directed by Milind Ukey, Paathshala has Kapur essaying the role of an English and music teacher who helps nurture a bunch of mischievous and troubled kids.

Excited to be emulating one of his favorite actors Aamir Khan, Sha-K is looking forward to the film with much anticipation. Ahmed Khan too is looking forward to producing a film that he says, “In Paathshaala, I’m doing a film straight from my heart.”

Several recognizable child artists will be members of the Paathshala cast, such as Swini Khara (Cheeni Kum), Haji Ali (Tara Rum Pum) and Dwij Yadav (Nanhe Jaisalmer).

We remember two that both Sha-K and Ahmed were also child artists at one time. Khan was in Shekhar Kapoor’s Mr. India. In light of this fact Khan comments, “We’re all putting our minds together to look into the mind of a child and the child within a man.”

Paathshala’s school set has been erected at Film City. “We even have a basketball court,” says Khan.

Although an original script, Paathshala being written a year before Aamir Khan’s latest super hit Taare Zameen Par, producer Ahmed Khan admits there are similarities between the two films. We’ll just have to wait for the release to find out how many similarities really do exist. Will it become a super hit too? Only time will tell.