Shahid Kapoor
Shahid Kapoor Varinder Chawla

Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor has run into rough weather with his failing films and now top heroines are refusing to share screen space with him, according to reports.

Once launched as Bollywood's chocolate boy, Shahid has come a long way ever since his "Ishq Vishq" (2003) days. But of late, the actor is facing tense times with his films' poor fate. His latest "Phata Poster Nikla Hero" failed to impress and had a short box office span.

Adding to the blow, well known faces have rejected offers featuring the star.

Shahid was reportedly signed in for Tigmanshu Dhulia's "Milan Talkies" replacing Imran Khan, but the film's initial female lead Priyanka Chopra backed out of the project. Priyanka and Shahid's chequered history is seen as key in the actress' reluctance to be part of the project.

Newbie Shraddha Kapoor walked in to the project but soon enough she too made a quick exit from the film. And recently, the actor came out saying that he had not agreed to be a part of the project in the first place.

But a recent report by an entertainment tabloid quoted a source saying, "Shahid Kapoor was desperate to do 'Milan Talkies'. He wanted to work with Tigmanshu Dhulia. But when the makers approached Deepika Padukone and Anushka Sharma, they refused to star opposite Shahid Kapoor and he's going through a rough phase.''

The report of the actresses declining the part has come as a surprise. Since Anushka had previously worked with Shahid in "Badmaash Company" and shares a comfortable equation. Shahid had also suggested Anushka's name for Vishal Bharadwaj's "Haider."

As for Deepika, she has already worked with Shahid's stepmother Supriya Pathak in "Ramleela" and is now sharing screen space with his father and veteran actor Pankaj Kapur in "Finding Fanny Fernandez". The gorgeous actress was reportedly delighted to work with the talented actors and so it seems a little odd if Deepika turned down Shahid, with whom she is yet to share the screen together.

However, Shahid can look forward to his upcoming release "R... Rajkumar" directed by Prabhudeva. Also the actor will play the lead role in Bhardwaj's "Haider," adaptation of Shakespeare's "Hamlet".