The original 440 volt, Ranveer Singh is a walking, talking power house and well, his energy is infectious. After a smashing 2018, with movies like 'Padmaavat' and 'Simmba', Singh has now taken to the streets of Mumbai with Zoya Akhtar's 'Gully Boy' this year. The film portrays the actor in the role of Murad, an aspiring rapper from the ghettos of the city. In conversation with Asian Voice, Singh talked about the film, Zoya and the real him.
You are known to go full out for your roles.Is it easier getting into a character or getting out of one?
It depends from character to character. Some characters are easier to get into while some characters require more work, for instance a light film like 'Befikre' doesn't require much preparation, but a heavy film like 'Padmaavat' requires a lot more preparation. A character like Khilji doesn't leave your system long after the shooting but a lighter film like 'Dil Dhadakne Do'; you are able to get out of the process in a much more fluid way . It really depends from film to film, and character to character.
You have already begun work on '83', so have you left your character Murad behind?
I actually shot for 'Gully Boy' before 'Simmba'. It was Khilji in 'Padmaavat', then Murad in 'Gully Boy', then Bhalerao in 'Simmba'. We have actually not started work on '83' yet. We are still in the preparation process. Our entire ensemble of actors is getting together every morning for training sessions. We train every day for four hours to get the cricket accent right. Very soon after the release of 'Gully Boy' we can start working on the characterisation. I have to transform myself into the living legend Kapil Dev so it's a film that requires lot of prep. It's an exciting film to be a part of , given that it's one of the glorious chapters in our nation's history. As a creative person, as an actor, just the thought that we have been entrusted with the responsibility of capturing or immortalising on celluloid one of the greatest sport stories to come out of our country; the most amazing, spectacular human stories that we have witnessed.
This bunch of underdogs who nobody believed in and they proved everybody wrong and went on to achieve the ultimate glory is really one of the most amazing stories I have ever heard and the way the film is shaping up... the people that have come together on this project, the vibe on this film is very very strong.
Considering your level of energy every time you are in front of the cameras, do you ever have an off day?
I really really value my down time. It is almost as if when I am in public I wear my entertainer hat. It's sort of like a weird defence mechanism. That's also me. By nature I am an entertainer, I am a people pleaser. I love people, I love to entertain people, I love putting a smile on people's faces. While that side of my is very real, there is also a side of me that is quiet and sensitive. That side of me is also very real and authentic but not one that I like to present myself as when I am out and about. It's not the way I like to be when I am in public. Both sides are very real me, but they are two very different sides to me.
It's not for the world. It's for my wife, for my family, for my best friends. It is also for certain characters. Zoya is one filmmaker who can tap into that side of me and bring that side of me to the screen. I'm very thankful that I have a filmmaker like her who is able to tap into that side of me and present me that way on screen. It's very cathartic that way to be able to be like that in a film.
