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I’m on top of the world,” are Ranveer Singh’s first words to t2. Between promoting his November 14 film Kill/Dil and prepping for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani, Ranveer spoke to us on why Govinda is his acting idol and why he will do anything to get into the skin of his character.
Apart from Aamir Khan’s PK, if there is one recent trailer that has piqued audience curiosity then that’s Kill/Dil…
That’s what we wanted the reaction to be. We didn’t want people to know what the story is, but pique their interest enough to try and keep them guessing what it is.
It’s not very long, it’s relentlessly entertaining, it’s got a lot of humour and — even if I speak for myself — excellent performances from the cast, some really endearing moments, a healthy dose of action and romance and the last half hour is quite dramatic… the crescendo is amazing. Kill/Dil has its heart in the right place… the emotions are very honest. It’s well worth a watch. I am very proud of this film and it’s quite unlike anything Shaad (Ali, the director) has done before. Then again, it’s got the Shaad Ali chhap all over it. He’s always been known for entertainers that also tell a story and have great music … they are never brainless entertainers. Kill/Dil is just like that… like Saathiya and Bunty Aur Babli.
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Dev (Ranveer) and Tutu (Ali Zafar) are shooters for whom that is the way of life and they know no better… much like how you would find in Tarantino’s films. There’s a certain dark humour and the quirkiness and normalcy with which they go about the killing business is unnerving. Like Samuel (L.) Jackson and Vincent Vega (John Travolta) in Pulp Fiction, you will find Dev and Tutu discussing cheese sandwiches before they blow someone’s brains out! |
Kill/Dil looks like a mishmash of various genres — the classic spaghetti Western with a dash of Quentin Tarantino, but set in the Indian heartland and then there is a bit of Sholay thrown in…
(Laughs) I don’t think the film could have been summarised better. It’s very Tarantino-esque for sure… these two characters Dev (Ranveer) and Tutu (Ali Zafar) are shooters for whom that is the way of life and they know no better… much like how you would find in Tarantino’s films. There’s a certain dark humour and the quirkiness and normalcy with which they go about the killing business is unnerving. Like Samuel (L.) Jackson and Vincent Vega (John Travolta) in Pulp Fiction, you will find Dev and Tutu discussing cheese sandwiches before they blow someone’s brains out! The title is definitely a tribute to Tarantino’s Kill Bill films. The film is quite pulpy, like QT’s films. In the song Happy birthday, I am wearing the yellow suit that Uma Thurman wore in Kill Bill!
Yes, they are like a couple of cowboys living life their own way and the texture of the film is like a Western. But more than anything else, Kill/Dil is the clash between the underworld and the honest world… the clash between the world of ‘kill’ as represented by Govinda and the world of ‘dil’ that Parineeti (Chopra) stands for. Dev gets caught between these two worlds and there’s where the conflict comes in.
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Every moment around Govinda is a fanboy moment. I literally grew up on his films… I have been inspired by him ever since I can remember. Everyday on set, at some point, I would tell myself, ‘Man, I can’t believe I am doing a scene with Govinda!’ It’s like (Lionel) Messi playing with (Diego) Maradona! All through the ’90s, I was totally sold on Govinda |
You wanted to become an actor because of Govinda and his films. Was it a fanboy moment for you on set with him?
Every moment around him is a fanboy moment. I literally grew up on his films… I have been inspired by him ever since I can remember. When I was told that he would be playing Bhaiyaji, I was over the moon. On set, I was in awe of him… the kind of mastery he has over his craft and the way he did his scenes so simply and so organically was amazing. He adds a special Govinda touch to everything he does. Everyday on set, at some point, I would tell myself, ‘Man, I can’t believe I am doing a scene with Govinda!’ It’s like (Lionel) Messi playing with (Diego) Maradona! (Laughs)
Growing up, was there any particular Govinda moment or film that made you say, ‘Yes I want to be able to do that!’?
My admiration for him has been over the years and grown with time. In fact, it all started with Mr Bachchan, then Govinda, the three Khans, Akshay Kumar and finally Hrithik Roshan. Growing up, I was in awe of all of them… I wanted to be them (laughs). All through the ’90s, I was totally sold on Govinda. Some of my favourite Govinda films are Hatya, Shola Aur Shabnam, Raja Babu, Coolie No. 1… I could watch anything that had Govinda in it.
We can so picture you in a remake of all those films you just mentioned…
(Laughs out loud) I don’t mind doing a remake of Shola Aur Shabnam (a 1992 David Dhawan film co-starring Divya Bharati)… I think that will be cool.
You have a very distinct style as an actor, but has the way your idols approach their craft seeped into yours in any way?
I am someone who wanted to become an actor just looking at the work of other people, but at the same time, I have a certain individuality. I used to be a very good mimic, but when I became an actor, I made sure I used none of that and had my performances rise out of just me as a person. I don’t want to fall into the trap of being someone else. I try and not reference the performance of others. There was a time when my acting used to be very studied, very rehearsed, but I’ve evolved as an actor. Now I would rather do things more spontaneously. Now, if I am asked to watch a certain performance by a certain actor for inspiration, I avoid doing so.
You just said that your acting in your first few films was studied and rehearsed, but it actually came off looking very spontaneous. What’s the trick?
I think the trick is to rehearse a million times before, but once the camera comes on, approach the scene like you’ve heard of it for the first time. It’s a bit of a con, actually (laughs).
Your bald look for Bajirao Mastani is turning heads. How confident does one have to be as an actor and as an individual to experiment so drastically with one’s looks for a role?
I am someone who is very comfortable in my own skin. I am not afraid of messing with my own head — or hair — for the sake of a character. I like to experiment and I was very excited when I heard I would have to go bald for Bajirao. If you see me in Kill/Dil, then Dil Dhadakne Do (directed by Zoya Akhtar) and then Bajirao, you will see three different people. If I am a film lover, I like to see the actors I like daring to do different things each time. For me, the paragon of what I am talking about is Daniel Day-Lewis… nobody quite does it like him. Fortunately, right now, we are shooting the lighter portions of Bajirao. Once the promotions of Kill/Dil are done, I will really get into it and go into a shell. I did lock myself up in a room for a couple of days just to get the character into my heart and mind and I plan to go back to doing that. Bajirao is a totally different ballgame… playing that man calls for sitting, standing, eating, walking, reacting… differently.
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I am someone who is very comfortable in my own skin. I am not afraid of messing with my own head — or hair — for the sake of a character. I like to experiment and I was very excited when I heard I would have to go bald for Bajirao Mastani.... They (some of his peers and seniors) look at my approach with disdain. They tell me, ‘It’s just a role, why are you taking it so seriously, man?’ But I don’t listen to them, otherwise I will end up doing what some of them do… that is look like the same person in every film! |
Varun in Lootera, Ram in Ram-Leela and now Bajirao… every time you go so deep into a character, do you feel you lose a little bit of Ranveer Singh in the process?
Yes I do, actually.... Being so many people at so many different points of time means that sometimes you don’t know who you are. At the end of the day, when I become Ranveer Singh, I am devoid of emotion. I find myself behaving and talking like my character, much to the shock of my friends and family (laughs). It’s a hazardous profession and it happens... invariably. If you are the kind of actor who is willing to go so deep into a role, such things come with the package.
But is there anything that you won’t do even if a role demands it?
Nothing… I am ready to put myself out there all the time, every time. There are a lot of my peers and some of my seniors who think — and I am not saying they are wrong — differently. They look at my approach with disdain. They tell me, ‘It’s just a role, why are you taking it so seriously, man?’ But I don’t listen to them, otherwise I will end up doing what some of them do… that is look like the same person in every film! For me, as an actor, that isn’t exciting at all. Of course, I have a film like Dil Dhadakne Do that’s very light… a young contemporary kid of 2014… in short, I am playing Ranveer Singh in that film. But I am balancing that with Bajirao… a raw, rustic, gutsy 17th century warrior. That’s what being an actor is all about.
Priyanka Roy
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