Kabir Singh is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film written and directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and jointly produced by Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar under T-Series Films and Murad Khetani and Ashwin Varde under Cine1 Studios. A remake of Vanga's own Telugu film Arjun Reddy (2017), it stars Shahid Kapoor in the title role as a surgeon who spirals into self-destruction when his girlfriend, Preeti, played by Kiara Advani, marries someone else. Adil Hussain, Nikita Dutta, Arjan Bajwa, Suresh Oberoi, Dolly Minhas, Suparna Marwah, Anurag Arora, Soham Majumdar, Kunal Thakur, Anusha Sampath, Amit Sharma and Kamini Kaushal feature in supporting roles.
Principal photography for Kabir Singh began in October 2018 and ended in March 2019. The film was theatrically released in India on 21 June 2019 and received mixed reviews with criticism directed at it glamorising misogyny and toxic masculinity, though Kapoor's performance and the soundtrack, which has become popular since release, received acclaim. Grossing over 370 crore, it became the third highest grossing Bollywood film of 2019, and Kapoor's highest grossing solo-lead release. It became the 26th highest grossing Indian film of all time.
Plot
Kabir Rajdheer Singh, a house surgeon at the Delhi Institute of Medical Sciences, suffers from severe anger management problems that gain him the reputation of a bully. After a brawl, Kabir is told to either apologize or leave, but chooses to stay upon catching sight of a new student, Preeti Sikka.
Kabir and his friends announce to the student body that Kabir has exclusively claimed Preeti. Initially timid, she adjusts to his overbearing attitude and eventually reciprocates his feelings, developing an intimate relationship with him. Kabir graduates with an MBBS degree and moves to Mussoorie for post-graduation. Despite the distance, their relationship strengthens over the next few years. After Preeti graduates, she introduces Kabir to her conservative parents, but her father Harpal catches them kissing and throws Kabir out.
Harpal continues to oppose their relationship, despite Kabir's attempts to explain their love. Enraged, Kabir demands that Preeti choose between him and her family within the next six hours, or he will end their relationship. Preeti is later unable to reach him in time; feeling abandoned, Kabir injects himself with morphine and remains unconscious for the next two days. Upon gaining consciousness, he learns that Preeti is being forced into an arranged marriage and gatecrashes the wedding party; Harpal has him beaten and arrested. After Kabir is released, his father, Rajdheer, ostracises him from the family for his antics.
With his friend Shiva’s help, Kabir finds a rented flat and joins a private hospital as a surgeon. To cope with his emotions, he abuses drugs and alcohol and names his new pet dog Preeti — none of which are successful. Within months, he becomes a successful surgeon and a high-functioning alcoholic both respected and feared by the hospital staff. His self-destructive behaviour and obsession worry his friends.
While hungover on a day off, Kabir is called in to perform an emergency surgery for which he unwillingly agrees. During the procedure, he collapses from dehydration. Suspicious, the hospital staff takes his blood samples, which contain traces of alcohol and cocaine. A case is filed against him and during an in-house hearing, a broken Kabir admits to alcoholism and violation of medical ethics. As a result, his medical license is suspended for five years and he is evicted from his flat. The next morning, he learns of his grandmother’s death; at the funeral, he and his father reconcile. Kabir also resolves to quit his habits.
Some days later, Kabir spots a pregnant but dejected Preeti sitting in a park. He approaches and offers to raise the child with her if she is unhappy in her marriage. Initially silent, she bursts into angry tears, berates him for discarding her, and orders him to leave. Shiva then describes Kabir's obsession and self-destructive habits, which she was unaware of. Shocked, she confesses that she left her husband three days after the marriage and has been working in a clinic to support herself. Overcome with anger, especially after hearing about his casual affairs, she had refused to contact him. She reveals that her marriage was never consummated and that the child is Kabir's. They marry and reunite with their families, with Harpal apologizing to them and the families coming together. The film ends showing Kabir and Preeti on a beach with their baby.