It’s difficult to imagine Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh as an insecure and unsure soul.
But just a few years ago, that’s how Singh would have described himself.
In December 2011, at the Dubai International Film Festival, the one-movie-old actor, who was becoming notorious for his unabashed persona, brought his romantic comedy Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl to the UAE audience.
“Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl was a funky phase for me. I was coming to grips with life in the limelight … being thrust as this public figure from complete obscurity. I did not know how to deal with all that attention,” said Singh in an exclusive interview with Gulf News tabloid!.
He’s back on the Diff red carpet for the world premiere of director Aditya Chopra’s Befikre, along with his co-star Vaani Kapoor on December 8.
Over time he has become more himself, Singh says.
“It was not a good year [2011] for me personally. I didn’t know who to be, what to wear and what to say … Back in the day, I was trying to fit myself into a pre-existing mould of what a rising leading man in a mainstream Hindi film is expected to be. But now I find it liberating to be myself. I don’t design any particular kind of projection of myself,” said Singh, who felt empowered after delivering blockbusters and gaining critics’ approval with the romantic drama Lootera and Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram Leela.
The 31-year-old is now a bona fide Bollywood star with a number of hits under his belt, including Bajirao Mastani.
Singh’s real personality shone through in this telephonic interview. Him repeatedly chanting this journalist’s name like a rock star’s groupie instead of a traditional ‘hello’, and speaking freely about finding love online were the highlights. Befikre seems to be a relationship manual written by millennials. So what’s it about?
Actress Vaani Kapoor describes it as a light-hearted, but strictly not frivolous, romantic comedy, while her leading hero describes it as an endearing, humorous take on love and relationships.
Singh plays the rakish Mumbai boy Dharam, who travels to France and runs into the Paris-born Indian native, Shyra, played by Kapoor. She’s a tour guide in Paris while he’s new to the city.
The trailers show the two being reckless in love and daring each other to do some crazy stuff — in one scene, Dharam slaps an unsuspecting police officer. And, there’s some heavy-duty lip-locking. 23 kisses, if the headlines that followed the trailer launch are to be believed.
“Why is it a big deal? It is not like people haven’t seen kisses before. It’s not the first time … Perhaps because the trailer doesn’t show a lot about what the movie is about and therefore the kisses have become the talking point,” said Kapoor. Both actors claim that the trailer barely skims the surface of their feel-good European adventure, which has been given an 18+ rating in the UAE.
Modern day romance
And what’s wrong in being sexually liberated, asks the actors.
“These two characters, Dharam and Shyra, are comfortable with their sexuality. They are not floozy, they are not obnoxious people either. They are self-respecting and dignified,” said Kapoor.
This romantic comedy takes a page from today’s youth in India.
“This generation is more comfortable talking about sexuality and does not consider it a taboo,” said Kapoor.
While the film touches upon the changing definition of modern day romantic relationships, the leading pair believes that their characters will leave a lasting impression on audiences.
“Dharam is a happy chappy, cute and endearing. He has got a great sense of humour and he likes to make people happy. I had a blast while playing this role because I got to channel a lot of my own persona into this character,” said Singh. The actor believes that the notoriously reclusive director Aditya Chopra, who’s known to be partial to actor Shah Rukh Khan, wrote this role for him.
“It’s not an exaggeration, I promise. This part was designed keeping me in mind,” said Singh, adding that he brought in all the acting experience he had gathered over the years to the table.
For Befikre, they had a 45-day workshop planned before their shoot in France. But it took them just seven days to nail their parts.
“This film is heavily reliant on the actors. There is no background music, drama or conflict. We just have to make the banter engaging. It was very challenging, liberating and a fun, fresh experience. I don’t think I have ever shot a film with so much banter and repartee,” said Singh.
So will their fluid conversations remind people of the hit US films Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delphy? Just like Richard Linklater’s iconic narrative experiment, Befikre is also set in Europe and chronicles two lovers who discover each other while travelling.
“Absolutely not. I love that movie. Maybe the only resemblance is that Befikre has long, uncut shots. The story and the treatment are different,” said Kapoor.
As a part of her legwork for playing Shyra, Kapoor had a French tutor at home and also enrolled in a crash course in Paris to get the language and accent right.
“Shyra is not someone who is born and brought up in India. She is somebody who is so uninhibited and free-spirited. I needed to catch that energy and her vibe. Adi used to tell me that [I] cannot pretend, [I] cannot act here,” said Kapoor.
While their characters in Befikre are uninhibited, the two are old-fashioned when it comes to romance. While Kapoor hates the prospect of being on dating apps that are driven by vanity, Singh says it’s uncommon to find soulmates online.
“I don’t think people are going on Tinder to find love, it is designed for people to find sex. So it’s a generational thing. When I was 18 or 19, I could never imagine a thing like Tinder would exist. It is crazy … But youngsters are more self-assured, they are more comfortable talking about it and they are more evolved,” said Singh.
But the evolution isn’t limited to millennials; Singh and Kapoor are wiser after Befikre.
“Every day is surreal for me. There are days when I wake up and I have to pinch myself to believe that all these great things are happening to me. I live like every day is my last day,” said Singh. Being directed by Chopra of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge fame was a dream for these two Yash Raj Studios discoveries.
“It was 200 per cent on my bucket list. And Befikre may show that Indians don’t need the traditional dose of heavy fare and have evolved [to] like light fare,” Singh added.
Don’t miss it!
Befikre actors Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor will walk the Diff red carpet at 6pm on December 8 at Madinat Arena in Madinat Jumeirah for the film’s world premiere. The movie will be screened at 7pm. The film releases in UAE cinemas on the night of December 8.
