A few days ago he sprained his neck very badly while exercising at the gym.

"I can neither turn left nor right. At least it's helping me to see straight," he jokes, spirit as intact as ever. "Getting injured during a shot or while exercising is no big deal. That in itself wouldn't have been much of a problem since I'm not working these days! Some rest, and I'd have been okay. But there's a problem! I've to dance, and dance fairly vigorously at an awards night on Saturday."

The elaborate act Shahid is to perform requires him to be brought on stage in a harness doing a 45-degree turn. The doctors have advised against it. "But a commitment is a commitment. And I can't back out. I'm taking injections and undergoing vigorous physio-therapy. On Saturday I'll take pain-killer injections and go on stage," promises Shahid who's just received his first best-actor nomination for the year in Vivah.

"Now that's a performance I am really proud of. It didn't require me to do anything bravura. If it still got me noticed I must be doing something right."