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Ranveer: I was dating more than two girls at a time
Riding high on the success of last year's surprise hit Band Baaja Baraat, and rejoicing in the reputation of being a 'ladies' man', Ranveer Singh is in the best phase of his career so far.
His next film Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl will release this Friday, in which Ranveer plays a con man.
Sonil Dedhia caught up with the actor for a brief rendezvous during which the actor spoke about his equation with co-star Anushka Sharma and why his Casanova image is all wrong. He also clarified his stand on imitating Salman Khan and Aamir Khan.
Do you think you have become a bankable star?
I hope so and I hope that the point is driven home with my second film. It's very important to have a good start, which I got in BBB, but it's all the more important to consolidate it, and for the audience to know that you are not just a flash in the pan.
I want to show my range as an actor and not just be known as Bittoo Sharma. I hope Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl does well.
Do you feel like a star?
No. I don't know what it means to feel like a star. Honestly, after BBB life has become really tough because I don't have any time for myself. I work like a dog, but I'm not complaining. I am just a normal guy who goes to work every day.
'Anushka deserves someone better than me'
After BBB, expectations from you are very high...
I think expectations or no expectations, both help in different situations. Last year, when Band Baaja Barat was released, I was making my debut along with director Maneesh Sharma, and Anushka Sharma didn't have any releases. Yash Raj was not having a good run at the box office and the audience did not show any interest.
Somewhere, it worked, because people walked in without any expectations and came out liking the film.
This time around the expectations are high and we are trying to live up to the expectations.
Does it scare you?
Yes, it is a bit daunting and I guess this is going to happen with each of my releases.
I don't think any filmmaker or actor can be over-complacent or over-confident about a film. At the end of the day, it is the audience that gives the verdict, and if you don't entertain them, it surely isn't a good sign for any film.
How do you think you have grown up in the past one year?
I have learnt a lot. It's been the biggest learning curve of my life. As an actor I have learnt a lot about the craft of acting and I would like to appreciate Anushka Sharma and Maneesh Sharma who taught me a lot of things in the last one year.
I have also changed as a person. Personally, I have given up a lot. I hardly get time to meet my friends and family or I don't have time to sit down and have a proper meal. I am constantly on the run, but I love what I am doing so I have nothing to complain about.
'I am not a Casanova'
What kind of roles were you offered after BBB?
There were different kinds of roles, but at the same time I was offered a dozen films which wanted me to play Bittoo Sharma again and I stayed away from all of them.
I want to do different roles and as an actor I would love to experiment with my films.
What made you select Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl as your second film?
When it was offered to me it was a no-brainer. I said to myself that I have to do this film.
Since I had a film on the floors, I didn't need to jump into anything, and the best part was that the longer I waited, the better were the offers!
With LVRB you have got the title of 'Ladies Man'...
(Laughs) It feels great being termed a ladies' man, but that doesn't mean I am a Casanova, at least not in personal life. People tend to confuse the real me with the reel me. It was a thrill during my teenage years when I was dating more than two girls at a time but that are a thing of the past.'Too much is written about Sonakshi and me'
On screen you share a great chemistry with Anushka Sharma and off-screen too you have a very good equation...
When I began my career, she was my only close friend. We are still great friends. We catch movies together and after shoots grab a meal together. But beyond that, there is no relationship.
Doesn't she deserve someone better than me? She is beautiful, intelligent and very independent. I honestly think she deserves Mr Right and I am not Mr Right now! (Laughs)
Currently, you have two strong link-ups, with Anushka Sharma and Sonakshi Sinha.
I think these things are inevitable. I did a film with Anushka and I admit that our on-screen chemistry is extraordinary. We share a great equation off-screen too.
With Sonakshi I am doing a film Lootera and, honestly, too much is written about us which doesn't even exist. I have just met her on four occasions and all of them have been professional.
So, are you single?
Yes, I am single (Smiles).
'Anushka and I share a great equation'
Has your equation with Anushka changed over the year?
No, it's the same. As actors, during the shooting of BBB we were exploring each other and by the end of the shoot we knew each other very well. Anushka is more experienced and I've learnt a lot from her. She is a fabulous actor. She is very spontaneous and I think when she is in the scene it just enhances your performance. We are on the same wave length and I am very happy that my first two films have been with Anushka.
LVRB resembles Bunty aur Babli...
No, there is no similarity. The only similarity that I can think of is that both films were made under the Yash Raj banner. They have made con films before and this is also a con film but this is a completely different film.
Was it difficult to leave behind the character of Bittoo Sharma?
I had to go through extensive workshops to create space for other characters in my life and come out of the Bittoo Sharma phase. But that's what makes an actor.
'There is no similarity between our film and Bunty Aur Babli'
How was it working the Parineeti Chopra, Aditi Sharma and Dipannita Sharma?
Parineeti is doing her first film and she is a bubbly and vivacious girl. Her comic timing is fantastic and she is a fabulous dancer. I remember during the workshops she looked a little nervous and I went up to her and gave her a small piece of advice--just look good and act well.
Aditi is so natural; she is like Anushka. Her presence in a scene is compelling. She is very natural and an easy actor to work with.
Dipannita is so much in the character that our chemistry in the film really came out. The experience has been fantastic.
There were rumours that your father had paid money to launch you. Does it still bother you?
No, but it did bother me when it happened. It was very upsetting as my father was proud of the fact that I have done it on my own.
I was also upset that Yash Raj Films had to send in clarifications for me for something that was a nuisance.
What really upset me was that when I was struggling, there was no one from whose example I could take heart. In fact, 10 years ago, I had given up on my dream of becoming an actor because I felt it was too far-fetched. The only actors who were offered roles at that time were Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Zayed Khan and Tusshar Kapoor.
Today, things have changed completely in the industry. Actors are offered roles based on merit and not on their lineage, and so I hope to serve as an example for all the people who come to Mumbai to become actors. I want everyone to know that an outsider too can come and make his mark.
'I am not stupid to publically mock Aamir or Salman Khan'
You recently took a dig at Salman Khan and Aamir Khan...
The whole interaction is on camera and anyone who wants any clarification can see the video. I was born in the 1980s and my heroes were Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and many more.
These are the people who have inspired me to become an actor and I loved watching them on the silver screen.
During the event, I was wearing a high-waisted pant and I gestured to it and said that from now on, I will only wear pants over my tummy like Aamir Khan. Whoever took it seriously needs to look at the video.
I wasn't mocking or poking fun at any of these actors. I am not stupid to publically mock Aamir or Salman Khan. I have tremendous amount of respect for all of them.
Which is your favourite con movie?
It has to be Catch Me If You Can. The language and the pace of the film, backed by a strong performance by Tom Hanks and Leonardo Di Caprio, just made the film very gripping throughout. In fact, it was one of the films I studied for my role in Ladies... In Bollywood I like Bunty Aur Babli a lot.