Actor Ranbir Kapoor launched the trailer of Shamshera in Mumbai on Friday. At the occasion, he spoke about how difficult the method of constructing the dacoit drama was for him.
When requested if being forged in a big-budget, multi-genre movie makes him really feel validated, Ranbir mentioned, “It is not validation. We work very hard on a film for years. Like, two-three years we worked on Shamshera, so many years on Brahmastra. Even when I did Sanju, there was a lot of apprehension. But it’s not just about (that). It is a collective of so many people coming together to make a film. It is not easy. If everyone had a formula then everyone would have been Mukesh Ambani. Nobody is. It is a challenge. It is a big risk when you do high octane action entertainers. I hope the audience likes Shamshera because that’s (our) only endeavor.”
Ranbir Kapoor has delivered noteworthy performances in movies equivalent to Rockstar, Barfi, Rocket Singh Salesman of the Year amongst others. In these movies, he performed underdog characters. About transitioning into enjoying larger-than-life characters, he mentioned, “It was very hard for me (to do this film). Karan (Malhotra, director) held my hand. One thing I lack as an actor is angst. I am not an angry person. I am a fun loving, happy and detached guy. Karan was like, ‘How do I extract the emotion of anger for the character?’ He started going deeper into my personal life. He wanted to tap into that side of me. So, it’s a partnership. I got a great creative partner in Karan. It was a very hard role and there were many days when I was like ‘I can’t do this’. Besides the physical stress, there was mental stress. The emotions were up there. I was talking to God and saying, ‘I am working hard. Give it back to me’. I went through those days and I am glad I did. Without a director like Karan, I would not have been able to do this (role).”
Ranbir additionally mentioned that he’s comfortable that filmmakers are actually providing him totally different sorts of movies, and mature roles. He mentioned, “Eight years back, I wouldn’t be offered films like Rowdy Rathore or a Dabangg because I wouldn’t fit into those parts. Because I was a younger actor, I didn’t have that opportunity. It is also tricky. Being part of well-made (films) is way easier than being part of a good commercial masala entertainer, as it is a multi-genre film. It has action, comedy, romance, emotion, family. It has got everything. And to make that amalgamation of emotions work is very hard.”
Ranbir Kapor’s final theatrical launch was Sanju, a biopic on Sanjay Dutt’s life. So, how was it sharing display screen house with Dutt himself in Shamshera? Ranbir mentioned, “This man (Dutt) standing next to me is my first idol, my hero. I had a poster of him. He has been a family friend. Then I got to act as him, got to portray his life and now I got to fight with him. The journey has been unbelievable. He treats me like his son, brother, friend. He calls me and shouts at me when I am doing bad films. When I was doing Barfi, he would tease me saying about what I will do next, ‘Peda’ or ‘Ladoo’? He insisted that I should larger-than-life characters, and I believe Shamshera is a positive step towards that.”
Shamshera, additionally starring Vaani Kapoor, is scheduled to launch in theatres on July 22.
