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The Big HT Brunch 18th Anniversary Special interview with Ranveer Singh: The #MillennialMegastar bares his soul
An HT Brunch exclusive: The generation-defining actor on his first decade in films, achieving megastar status at 36, and looking at stardom the way only a millennial can
Are superstars insecure? Is vulnerability directly proportional to the fame you achieve? Does effusiveness arise from the need to be loved? And, in the face of unimaginable success, can anyone truly keep their head on their shoulders?
These questions run through my mind as I prepare to interview the Bollywood outsider (sorry, nepotism blamers!) who is arguably Bollywood’s most successful leading man today.
“Yes, I’ve let myself get carried away. My first sleeper hit [Band Baaja Baarat, 2010] made me over-confident. A career-threatening injury during my third film [Lootera, 2013, see box below] brought me crashing down,” Ranveer Singh, 36 years old and very much a millennial superstar, tells me in an introspective chat. “But no, I’m not insecure. I’ve always held my artistic integrity very closely to me; filmmaking is a collaborative process, and I’m just a tool.”
There’s a pause.
“But,” Ranveer continues, unusually measured with his words, but honest as always. “It’s becoming increasingly difficult to not lose perspective [and keep one’s head on one’s shoulders]. It has been over a month since 83 released, and I see the way people are reacting to me as an actor; if I read enough of it [the praise], I will start believing it. I must be careful and not lose my head. I am just a tool in the creative process of a director. It’s not all about me. I know my place; I know that I am a microscopic dot in the context of the entire universe. It’s dangerous to have an inflated sense of self. So when I see this avalanche of praise coming my way for 83, I’m taking it all in, but I’m also channelling, putting it all into my jar of gratitude and compartmentalising.”
Reality check
Watching a superstar cut himself down to size is fascinating. The film 83 was Ranveer Singh’s first biographical role after a spate of historic characters and the Bollywood-style caricatures that every popular actor must play.
In the film, Ranveer essayed the role of Kapil Dev, a much-loved national cricketing hero, and the portrayal has been lapped up by his fans and critics alike. The buzz is that he’s now up for a National Award.
“A lot of people have been mentioning that I’m a candidate for such-and-such award, but I always say that the process is the price. If you’re enriched by the work you did in creating it, you’ve already won,” says Ranveer. Unlike most people around him, he doesn’t obsess over the results.
“How people will like it is always subjective. I’m a professional who is paid for my services to do a job. I get paid, and I do my best. Beyond a point, I don’t concern myself with the box office pe kitna kiya [how much it earned at the box office]. That has nothing to do with my artistic work. If awards follow, I am very, very welcoming: I put my head down, join my hands and accept what I am being honoured with in all humility. But deep down in my heart, knowing I did my best is what helps me sleep at night.”
The real victory, I say, giving in to my urge to drop a personal opinion, is how understated the forever over-the-top Ranveer Singh was in 83. In an industry where leading men are known to slash the roles of their co-actors, he allowed 11 co-stars to shine.
“I became an actor because I love to act. It’s a star, not an actor, who feels threatened in these instances,” says Ranveer. “It’s only when your co-actors do their jobs effectively that the film will be elevated. I can’t be a petty person. Eventually, karmic balance will catch up and if you are good to your co-actors, it will all circle back and come back to you.”
Redefining stardom
Over the years, has the idea of stardom changed? From stars being elusive in the 1980s and ’90s to the last decade and a half, where superstars performed at weddings for a fee and came out only to promote their films, to today, where a star is also judged by his/her social media following. Does a star have to work harder for stardom today?
“I think the meaning of stardom has changed and I think that is greatly because of the advancement in technology,” says Ranveer. “With the internet, mobile technology, smartphones and finally, social media, things are very different now. For one, I think there is fragmentation. Earlier, all the love of the entire public would be concentrated on a few people. Now there are several more beloved celebrities because there are that many more channels. So, there is fragmentation of time, attention and affection.”
He adds: “The other thing is that those who are 18, 19 and 20 years old today were born into an already-established internet system and have access to much more information. I often interact with them to understand what they think about stars. I’ve learnt that they aren’t easily awed. They are a tough crowd, so to speak. They are always seeking authenticity. So, if you really want to make a mark, you need to have some substance and authenticity behind what you present. In my context, that would be to keep delivering good performances, as that’s the core of what I do.”
Respectfully yours
Could Ranveer have imagined, 10 years ago, that he would achieve the success he has today?
The superstar smiles. “I keep thinking to myself: 10 years ago, I would not have imagined this. It would have been beyond my wildest dreams. I didn’t even have the vision. I thought that I was a really good actor, and that I would do well and give it my all, but then I stop and see all this, and feel such an immense feeling of gratitude. When I leave my vanity van to go to the set, I say a small prayer before I go out… It’s an exercise meant to centre me before I perform. I say a prayer of gratitude every day.”
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From HT Brunch, February 27, 2022
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