Ranveer Singh sat down with HT Brunch for an interview and immediately won the reporter’s heart. How did he manage to do that? With his realness. This man can make anyone comfortable! Rashmi and Swagata from Team MissMalini can vouch for this (yep, they were the lucky ones who got to chill with the star in his living room, no less). That’s why, when I read this interview of Ranveer in my Sunday paper, I had to pick out his best quotes and collate them all for you!
On fame and why he wanted to be an actor:
I was never hungry for this kind of attention, it was the love of performing that got me interested in acting, now I go to a college with thousands of students screaming my name and waving at me, clicking selfies and that’s what being famous is all about. I just thought that Hindi films were damn cool, and wanted to be a part of them.
On the drawbacks of being a movie star in India:
Everyone has a mobile phone with a camera; every phone can record video. You have to be prepared to be captured. It’s very easy to be misconstrued and presented in ways that you wouldn’t prefer. If I take a selfie with bags under my eyes, it becomes a hashtag. After becoming famous, I’ve realised how overrated fame is. It gets in the way of normal life.
On his equation with his father:
My father pulls me up, and rightly so. The main struggle between my father and I is that he thinks I’m too impulsive. He wants me to consider every aspect of a situation and make an informed decision.
On how he selects a movie and his wish to remain the way he was when he made his debut with Band Baaja Baaraat:
When the first reading or the narration changes something in me on an emotional level, I realise I’ve got something good to work with. I am not an over-thinker; I won’t read it twice or ask for more narrations. I debuted in Bollywood without inhibitions, and I don’t want to develop any fears now. Nothing is more detrimental to an actor than the lack of total surrender.
On the effect this injury (caused due to falling off a horse while shooting for Bajirao Mastani) has had on him:
The injury led to a lot of anger and frustration. Fortunately, I’m playing a character filled with rage, so it’s a good outlet. When I’m injured, even the smallest of issues seem monstrous. It makes me feel depressed and angry at the world. My self-confidence, my happiness, everything comes from my physical fitness, and injuries put me in a funk.
On watching and loving movies in a theatre:
Yaar, I just watched Baahubali, and I flipped. Flipped matlab I went mad! I watched it in a multiplex and I was behaving as if I was in a single-screen theatre. I was clapping, shouting, standing up and howling. I went mad over that film. I never want to lose the ability to sit in a dark theatre, surrounded by people, eating popcorn and watching an amazing film. I’m the best viewer a film can get. I think everybody should call me for their trial shows because I like all kinds of movies. I will find some amount of credibility in everything. I will laugh out loud and I will cry. Directors will say, ‘Kaash, audience ka har member Ranveer jaisa hota’.
On learning things from Deepika Padukone:
The most important thing I’ve learnt from her is her ability to stay solidly grounded. That’s an invaluable lesson and a necessary reminder (of reality).
On making life easier for Anushka Sharma:
Before starting Dil Dhadakne Do, I made a mental note to be the best co-star to Anushka Sharma. I decided I’d make it a breeze for her to work with me; compensate for all the stress I caused while shooting for Band Baaja Baaraat.
And finally, on boring the shit out of Sanjay Leela Bhansali!
I have a huge problem with my line-of-sight while doing a serious scene. I just cannot have a crew-member lurking. And it bothers me when a director scolds me. Mr Bhansali is generous with his praise but equally blunt when he’s dissatisfied. He’s told me ‘you’re boring the sh*t out of me,’ in so many words.
How can Ranveer bore the shit out of anyone is something we’ll never understand, but you can read this NOT boring interview right here.