Track Ranbir Kapoor over the last year or so and you’ll note a marked difference in the man. He’s not as cagey as he used to be, when you ask him about the people close to him. Of course, he’s far more open to talking about upcoming films and roles, but he’s now also game to tackling controversial questions he once shied away from. Here, he gets candid about the Kat you don’t see, wanting to wear his underwear over his pants in Ayan’s superhero film, being in the dark about Deepika’s depression and saying no to Dil Dhadakne Do. Excerpts...
On Katrina Kaif
Katrina is actually a badmaash on set. She isn’t what she comes across as. She constantly needles you, constantly challenges you.... there is always a sense of takkar that she gives you. She inspires you. It’s wonderful working with her. She is not a pseudo-intellectual, she understands cinema and understands how it works from an outsider’s perspective, better than anyone I have met. The opinions of people close to me are important — my parents, Katrina, Ayan, the other directors I have worked with, like Anurag Basu, Imtiaz Ali and Anurag Kashyap. I am pretty close to Karan and my friend Rohit Dhawan. These people’s opinions matter because there is no sense of them being my ‘yes people’. They have a very strong opinion of good and bad, right and wrong and I value that. I will always value that. Katrina is my critic. Of course and vehemently. If she doesn’t like something, she’ll rub it in my face. If she likes something, she will just pass one snide comment. She is not good with compliments, she loves to criticise.
On playing superhero
It is every actor’s dream to play a superhero. Everyone knows that Ayan’s (Mukerji) film is not a clichéd superhero film. He is going to spend 10 years of his life on making this trilogy. It’s a mythological set in a contemporary world. It’s about a boy born with a certain superpower which I can’t talk about right now. It’s too early. But it’s really exciting to partner with Ayan. I think that is my most favourite creative partnership. I am so proud and inspired by this young boy’s mind and what he is going to do with the film. The kind of ideas he has, I am really, really impressed by the thought. This one is with Alia Bhatt. Also, I hope I can wear my underwear over my pants. That would be good.
On Deepika’s depression
I didn’t know about Deepika’s depression at all. I have no idea. It depends from person to person. When an actor talks about something, you have to understand, they’re sometimes role models, they can inspire people. When an actor talks about something, it always has to come from the intention of wanting to improve somebody else’s life or mental health or problem or disability. Like Hrithik Roshan spoke so vehemently about his stammering problem. It is not about speaking about it but also giving them the solution to it. I think that’s what’s important. When you speak about a problem and just talk about it, that’s sympathy. When you give them a solution, you’re doing something for society and helping them. In that sense, yes, it’s important. How do you overcome your disability, your fears? If you can inspire people with that, I think that’s brilliant.
On rejecting Dil Dhadakne Do
I think it’s unfair to talk about movies that you aren’t part of. There are so many actors who were part of Bombay Velvet before I came on board. Movies are written in your destiny. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. As an actor, you can only do two or three movies a year. So many films are offered to us, we have to choose what we connect with best and what we want to be a part of.
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