Ranbir Kapoor on playing his idol Sanjay Dutt: It seems life has come a full circle

It’s pouring outside, but Ranbir Kapoor is unperturbed. He is seated snugly in filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani’s toasty office that exudes positive vibes, thanks to the life-size statues of Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy and other comedy greats that stare at you from various nooks. RK looks dapper in a black sherwani-style kurta and jeans; his lean frame exudes warmth. It is widely reported that he’s dating Alia Bhatt and while that is not open to discussion because ‘his personal life is his business and not any of our business,’ there is a lot of cheer around perhaps because we are meeting him to speak about Sanju (a biopic on Bollywood star, Sanjay Dutt).

Excerpts from a conversation with the Kapoor scion, who, in his decade-long career, is considered one of the finest actors in Hindi cinema and a superstar to boot.

What is your earliest memory of Sanjay?

I saw Sanjay sir for the first time in Kashmir. He was shooting for Sahibaan (1993) with Papa (Rishi Kapoor). I recall seeing this tall man with long hair, wearing an earring, dressed in a Pathani; I was quite mesmerised by his aura. I was fascinated with him from the word go. During our growing up years, my sister, Riddhima, had Salman Khan’s poster in her cupboard while I had that of Sanjay sir’s. So, I have always idolised him. Of course, he’s very close to the family. He treats me like a younger brother and spoils me with many gifts as well as a lot of love. He gave me a Harley Davidson motorcycle for my birthday. He used to pick me up for a drive in his Ferrari late in the night. It seems life has come a full circle with him when I got an opportunity to portray him on screen. Initially, I didn’t have the confidence to play the part. However, when Raju sir shared the script with me, I discovered a human side to Sanjay sir. It’s not the Sanjay Dutt we know. I’ve a lot more admiration and respect for him now.

Was there a sense of déjà vu? After all, it is odd that Raj Kapoor’s grandson would end up playing Nargis’ son?

Subconsciously, the families have been close, professionally and personally. There has always been a lot of love and warmth between them. Sanjay sir’s sisters always treat me as part of the family. I was too young to make any connections of Nargisji’s and Raj Kapoor’s pairing on screen.  

Where is the Harley Davidson motorcycle today?

It’s at home. I remember I had to hide it from Papa for a long time as he doesn’t like bikes. When he found out that Sanjay sir had gifted me one, he called him and fired him. He told him, ‘Stop spoiling my son, isko tere jaisa mat bana.’ But now, he’s aware that I have the bike. It is one of my most prized possessions.

Did you ride it in Ajanta’s (Sunil Dutt’s home) compound earlier?

Actually, Sanjay sir gave it to me after his new building, Imperial Heights, was ready around seven years ago. It was a surprise, I came out of the gym and saw this shiny red Harley Davidson. I was very happy. My parents haven’t gifted me a bike. So, I was really thrilled to have it. I can’t thank Sanjay sir enough (smiles).

One can see from the trailer that you have done a marvellous job of transforming into this character. Are you also larger-than-life and emotional like him?

Not at all. You know me since I was a child. I’m more of an introvert. In this film, I really connected with the fact that we’re not seeing the larger-than-life Sanjay Dutt. We’re seeing him as a young boy who is lost; someone who is scared of his father; someone who lost his mother at a young age. Nargisji passed away barely two days before the release of his debut film Rocky. There is also the part on him getting into bad company, his addiction to drugs and his personal struggle to come out of it. Everything is there — the trouble he got into over the years, the price he paid for it, how he fell and how he resurrected himself. My life has been very different. Thankfully, there are not so many controversies. Sanjay sir’s life has been such a roller-coaster ride.

There has never been a biopic on an Indian actor in his own lifetime. So,  Sanjay and you are making history. Are you nervous?

It was a daunting task for me. I knew the expectations, I knew I was portraying someone who is still so relevant and a much-loved superstar. I knew the challenges and I also knew that there is a fine line between mimicry and representing someone who is loved by so many people. That’s why I had to represent him with a lot of respect, dignity and heart. It took us six to eight months to get ready. It took us a lot of time to prep, do the prosthetic tests, acting and character rehearsals. The bottom line is that it’s inspired by his life and we had a one-track mind to achieve it.

I heard that your father had tears in his eyes when he saw the trailer. What were the reactions from others like?

The reactions have been heartwarming. I’ve never got such a response for any film of mine. I know that’s because it’s a Rajkumar Hirani film and a Sanjay Dutt biopic. There’s a responsibility that I have as an actor. Raju sir shot my dad’s reaction on candid camera and sent me the clip when I was shooting for Brahmastra in Bulgaria. It was in the middle of the night. When I saw Papa’s response, I was very happy that I got a stamp of approval from him. He hasn’t seen the film yet, but of course, I look forward to his reaction.

Do you feel you have ever been unfaithful to a role? Or superficial?

I don’t take my job for granted. I understand that I’m one of the few privileged people who had it easy in life, and that there are many out there who are way more talented than me. I think if I take my job lightly or don’t surrender to every role, I won’t deserve the position that I’m in today. However, when I see Raajneeti (2010), I sometimes feel I should have worked harder in that film. Back then, I didn’t understand the movie’s beats and nuances. I’m grateful to Prakash Jha for giving me that film. If I had a chance to do it again, I will give it much more.

You really stood out in Raajneeti.

The role stood out. It was only when I was dubbing for it that I realised this film has so much potential for me as an actor. I think it did a lot of justice to me, but I didn’t do justice to the character. I regret not being able to give more to that film, though I’m very happy with what it did for my career.