All through 2009, Shahid Kapoor was mighty occupied as he was working non-stop on multiple films. Other than his biggest money spinner till date, Kaminey, he also had work on Dil Bole Hadippa, Parmeet Sethi's Badmaash Company with Anushka Sharma and Chance Pe Dance for which he had to actually shoot twice after Genelia D'Souza came in for Jiah Khan.

With a welcome break coming his way between January arrival of Chance Pe Dance and his next release Paathshaala (scheduled for April), where he has an extended guest appearance lasting as long as 40-45 minutes, Shahid Kapoor is happy to come down to first gear from the fifth gear.

"There I was working non-stop on films where I was shooting, dubbing or promoting them. However, now that I am relatively free, I am enjoying every moment of it", says Shahid with a glee on his face, "It is a period of unemployment for me and though I won't say that it is a good thing for any actor, a momentary break is anytime welcome. At least this way, I can use this break to reflect on the work I have done and analyse myself."

Continuing in the same vein, he adds, "Hota aisa hai ki jab aap poora poora mahina kaam kar rahe hote ho toh all the time you have deadlines playing in your mind. As an actor, you can't leave anything incomplete and hence your concentration is totally on the film you are on. Apne liye aapko time hi nahi milta and there is no headspace either to think about anything else. It is just when you are in a situation like I am in today that your professional life goes from fifth gear to first gear and you start reflecting on the past, present and future."

The fact though remains that Shahid is picking up a solid rope in his career to take him to the ultimate destination in Bollywood. With his backlog almost through (with an exception of Milenge Milenge with Kareena Kapoor which has now been moved to June) and the shooting through for all the films that he had signed last, all his concentration is now reserved for Mausam which marks the directorial debut of his father Pankaj Kapoor.

"First and foremost let me clarify that Mausam is just a working title. The film's shooting begins in April and while I am shooting for this, I won't be working on any other film", Shahid gets serious as he begins to talk about the approach that he is taking for Mausam, "No, it is not that just because it is dad's film, I am giving it any extra attention. Instead, it is the kind of film which an actor should be doing in a single stretch without working on anything else. The script is such that as an actor, I have to dedicate all my time and presence to it. Its more to do with the subject and the character than anything else and you would see it for yourself once the film releases."

Meanwhile, he is quite pleased that Paathshaala is all set for 16th April release. ''Paathshala is small in comparison to some other films that I have done. However, though I am not a quintessential hero in the film, it isn't as if I have a special appearance, as has been speculated by some. I have a substantial role that lasts for 30-40 minutes in the film", clarifies Shahid.

Other than Ayesha Takia, who was last seen in Wanted, Paathshala also stars Nana Patekar along with child artists Swini Khara, Ali Haji and Dwij Yadav.