MUMBAI: Ranbir Kapoor isn’t your average superstar. The young Bollywood actor, while having scaled the peaks of success with his recent releases, keeps his feet firmly on the ground. In a recent interview, the Kapoor scion spoke about his career, his love, his family and his future plans, the economic crisis and why filmmaking is almost recession-proof.
Clearing the air about his constant link-ups, especially with Katrina Kaif, Ranbir said, “I’m not denying anything. About the Ibiza picture, I don’t have a problem if you speak or write about it, but I don’t need to clarify. When you’re in a relationship with someone and that doesn’t turn into marriage, this society is very judgmental, especially towards the women. It’s unfair. So, the next time I speak about a woman in my life, it’ll be about my wife.”
Ranbir further added that he prefers to keep quiet about his relationship, otherwise people start making things up.
He also elaborated that he would one day like to see himself settled in life, with a wife and kids. “If I don’t say anything, people will still make up a story. Right now, there are no plans (for marriage). It’ll happen eventually… I want to have a family, I want to have a wife, I want to have children.”
Nonchalant about his success, Ranbir is seemingly very focussed and humble.
Ranbir is of the mould of stars, who doesn’t take their success for granted. Sample this: “My last film did well, but there are so many elements to it. Actors get too much of the credit. But I have a reality check. I’m not a superstar yet; I will be a superstar one day, but I need a large body of work to get there… I’ve just started, and haven’t achieved a fraction of what others have. I can’t challenge the Khans because no one can take their place.”
Touching upon the fact that Bollywood is a somewhat recession-proof industry, Ranbir candidly explained, “Good economy, bad economy…Indians will always watch movies. I think we are a great industry that entertains people in good times and in bad. I don’t have to rethink things because the economy is in bad shape; I just need to make honest films.”
Much has also been written about Ranbir’s future collaboration with Anurag Basu, for ‘Picture Shuru Productions’ (SEE STORY HERE). Ranbir explains why he’s venturing out, rather than producing ‘Jagga Jasoos’ and future projects under his family banner, RK Films. “RK Films is represented by Raj Kapoor and his movies. I wanted to do something independently with Anurag Basu. I thought it was unfair for Anurag Basu to direct movies under that banner.”
And finally, Ranbir even divulged what drew him to ‘Besharam’, his next release, helmed by Abhinav Kashyap. “Abhinav came to me with a script which I found simple and entertaining. I like him as a person, and I think he is honest, so I thought collaborating with him would be interesting. Having said that, I think it’s a hard genre, because you play a larger-than-life character, with dialoguebazi and herogiri. You have to come out of your comfort zone and play to the gallery.”
‘Besharam’, also starring Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, releases on 2 October, 2013.
