Ranbir Kapoor guards his private life as much as he can. In the Capital to promote Bombay Velvet with co-star Anushka Sharma, he tells Karan Bhardwaj that overexposure kills the mystery of an artiste
Not very long ago, a few reports surfaced of how Ranbir Kapoor is not satisfied with the final cut of Bombay Velvet and is also unhappy about the delay in its release. So while he is now out promoting the movie in full swing, which is set to release on May 15, questions of him being miffed with director Anurag Kashyap were rampant at a press conference with the star.
While Ranbir was all praise for the talented filmmaker, who had stepped out of his way to work with ‘stars’ like him and Anushka Sharma, he was subtly smart in holding Kashyap responsible for everything that has come finally on the table. Talking about the film and his character, the heart-throb was over-the-top “cool” about the movie and his stint with Kashyap, going so far as to casually call the filmmaker ‘pakaau’ and “bossy.” Confessing candidly that he had not watched any of Kashyap’s movies earlier, he said, “not many people watch Kashyap’s movie”.
It’s beyond comprehension that a serious filmmaker, who has come up with the most expensive movie of his career with the Kapoor scion, was being described so callously on a public platform. Or maybe, such loose remarks show the lack of confidence of the actors in the filmmaker’s vision. Whatever be the case, the director and his actors don’t seem to be on the same side of the coin. What rather irked the media in the Capital was the absence of the filmmaker himself at the press meet.
Why did Anurag, who oversells even the smallest of his projects, choose to stay away from the launch of his most ambitious projectIJ Meanwhile, the press conference of Bombay Velvet had actors Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma speaking their heart out about Kashyap, love life and much more.
Excerpts from the transcript:
Ranbir, you didn’t have a big release for quite sometime.
Ranbir: Yes, you miss the buzz when your films are not released because you work really hard and you want the audience to see your work. But honestly, I have been working round the year. Bombay Velvet was supposed to release last year but its release got pushed. The makers thought that they needed more time for post-production. I did a cameo in pk for which Rajkumar Hirani asked me just 10 days before its release. But now I am back with a bang!
Anushka, you are carrying heavy costumes in Bombay Velvet. How challenging was thatIJ
Anushka: The are very elaborate, so much so that on any given day, at least three girls would accompany me in handling them. It was very difficult to carry those clothes. But since the movie belongs to a certain period, we tried to design the best of costumes.
It’s your first movie with Anurag Kashyap. Something that you liked and disliked about him.
Ranbir: When I signed Bombay Velvet, I had not seen any of Anurag Kashyap’s movie. I don’t think many people see Anurag Kashyap’s films. I liked it purely based on the character, script and on the world that Anurag had created. He is one director that makes you believe that you are contributing to his project and he brings out the best in everybody. What I don’t like about him is the fact that it’s hard to talk to him at times because whenever you talk, he starts a biopic of his own — whatever he has gone through and his experiences...
Anushka: What I like about Anurag is the fact that he has a different outlook towards most of the obvious things, which comes out in his movies, too. What I don’t like about him is his habit of stretching conversations over the top. Initially it was difficult to deal with but after a period of time, I learnt how to tackle him.
Besharam failed at box office. Does that make Bombay Velvet all the more important to youIJ
Ranbir: I want every movie to work because filmmaking is an expensive affair. You make movies for the larger audience. But the audience’s reaction is not in my hands. We can only put in our hard work. I cannot denote fate of any movie but what I can do is work with the right people and choose great scripts. I accept audience’s verdict. IfBesharam didn’t do too well, that indicates that it wasn’t a good movie.
The movie relives Mumbai of the 60s. Your character, Johnny Balraj, is very intense. How did you prepare for itIJ
Ranbir: This character is from the other spectrum of the society. He is a road-dweller, born to a prostitute but has big ambitions. It was challenging but Anurag made it really easy. He has been working on this project for eight years with his writers and technical staff. So when we reached Sri lanka to shoot this movie, everything was already prepared. They had recreated Mumbai there. We would like to credit him for everything. My preparation is always led by one simple strategy. I go by the director’s vision and embrace his thoughts. I’m not a method actor and just go with the flow. I learn from the process of filmmaking, imbibe things from the sets and co-actors.
Was there any apprehension in working with AnuragIJ
Ranbir: Anurag didn’t approach me. In fact, I approached Anurag for Bombay Velvet. Vikas Bahl, one of the producers of this movie, handed out the script to me. I really liked it and I called Anurag to ask him if he could envision me in the character of Johnny Balraj. There are a very few scripts which allow you to break your image or how most people perceive you.
How did you find Karan Johar, the actorIJ
Anushka: People will be surprised to see his performance. There’s a certain way how we perceive Karan, as a person and as a filmmaker. But he has given a completely different take to his character. I won’t be surprised if he becomes the next Mogambo (chuckles).
Are you getting married next yearIJ What are your thoughts on marriage and loveIJ
Ranbir: Yes, I have a disease called love. But there’s no plan to settle down soon. There are rumours which are being spread. I’m not getting married next year. I’m focussed on work at the moment.
Anushka: Marriage is not on the cards. There’s a long way and much to be achieved before settling down. But I believe in love. It is a beautiful thing. It’s a celebration of life. It’s definitely not a buri bimari (as a song in the movie).
This is the most expensive movie by Anurag. Aren’t you under pressureIJ
Ranbir: I’m not pressurised at all. But it’s money well spent. Movie-making is an expensive proposition. They had to recreate the Mumbai of 60s. So it was meant to be big. Maybe, that’s one of the reasons why Anurag also chose to work with established actors.
So what did you discover about the Mumbai of 50s and 60sIJ
Ranbir: The era of 50s and 60s was a fascinating time for Mumbai. The jazz culture, that we have shown, was huge. Whatever we are trying to show in the movie did take place in reality. Cinemawise, 50s was a golden period. It was a more trusted era in filmmaking. There were icons like Raj Kapoor, Bimal Roy and Guru Dutt. We have taken references from people of that time.
What’s next for youIJ
Ranbir: I am really excited about biopics on Kishore Kumar and Sanjay Dutt.
When are you joining social mediaIJ
Ranbir: I am uncomfortable being on the social media. I don’t think actors have that much freedom of speech. If I write anything on Twitter, I will be grilled to clarify it. The mystery of an artiste is already dying. We feature in television shows, commercials, social media and what not. So we are already over-exposed. I try to protect myself and my private life as much as I can. It will help me survive for long in the industry. Else people will be fed up with me in next five years.
Did you walk out from any movie midwayIJ
Anushka: Besharam.
Ranbir: I left Jodha Akbar. I was damn tired and it was a late night show. The movie was also very long. My dad also reprimanded me for doing that. He said I shouldn’t have gone if I was not interested enough.
photo Pankaj Kumar