- Image Credit: Supplied
- A still from the movie 'Ram-Leela'
The memo before we sat down to interview Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone for this weekend’s romance, Ram-Leela, was straightforward: “No personal questions shall be entertained”.
Why? Perhaps because Bollywood gossips report Padukone and Singh have been spotted getting cozy at nightclubs after sundown.
But despite photographic evidence taken at several places, including in a nightclub in Dubai, these two “good friends” have shied away from labelling their relationship. We respect that. But what we don’t get is the mixed signals that they kept throwing our way during our brief Dubai encounter.
tabloid! spotted them sharing lunch (fried rice with egg on the side) from the same plate and they completed each other’s sentence in a way that only couples can. But we are not here to judge. As Padukone suggests: “just feel the love”.
“Maybe such love stories don’t exist in reality. But why do we sit and dissect it so much? Love is one of the purest emotions that one can feel,” said Padukone alluding to her latest romance, directed by Bollywood showman Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who introduced us to intoxicating, all-consuming love stories withDevdas and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
His latest, releasing on Thursday, bears his trademark razzle-dazzle and lovers who are devoured by passion and vengeance. Oh, and it’s also Bollywood’s gangster take on Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet, set in a fictional village in Gujarat where men and women are as dextrous with guns as they are doing high-energy garba (traditional Gujarati dance).
“In this film, I am playing to my strengths as a performer. He’s so loud, in-your-face, and it’s tough to ignore him. Also, Ram is a special character for me because my nana [grandfather] is also named Ram and I consider this a tribute to my nana,” said Singh. Before Ram-Leela, Singh was instructed to downplay all his natural instincts in Lootera, his last film, in which he played a scheming archeologist.“Mr Bhansali has created this lawless land where guns and goris [women] rule. They are barbaric and intense. In fact, the adjectives written on the script about Ram were ‘He’s cheap, loud, flamboyant, raw and rambunctious’. I am all that and more,” said Singh with a wink.
While he’s personally invested in his ardent lover role in Ram-Leela, his on-screen sweetheart found it liberating to play such a feisty role. Padukone (who’s described by Singh as the “sparkling, lovely Leela”) has enjoyed a dream run at the box office with a string of hits including Cocktail, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Race 2 and Chennai Express.
“Leela is like a breath of fresh air, full of energy and romance. She’s a girl who isn’t afraid of living her life the way she wants. She may look fragile but she’s emotionally strong. She can stand up for herself despite having a domineering mother. I am sure girls of today’s generation will identify with who I am playing.” Her sales pitch is uncomplicated: “We all aspire to fall in love and have that beautiful romance in our life, marry that ideal person and have beautiful family and children.” But Singh is quick to burst her bubble.
“But most people in the world don’t end up with the people they love. We live inkalyug [an age of downfall] and that’s why cinemas is so wonderful. It weaves this fantastic romance that makes a girl go: ‘I wish a guy like that would fall in love with me’,” said Singh looking into her eyes. For those wondering, he’s no sucker for romance and is a cynic who masquerades as a Bollywood romantic hero.
“I may be perceived as a ladies’ man but if I go to a DVD parlour, I will be that guy who picks up action, thriller or drama. Romance will figure last. I know it is hypocritical for someone who has acted in romances like Lootera, Band Baaja Baarat and Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, but I am a guy’s guy,” said Singh. Interestingly, he informs us that Padukone doesn’t share his taste in movies and that she loves Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet.
“I was in my sixth standard when I fell in love with Leonardo DiCaprio when he played Jack [in Titanic]. Then came, Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet blew my mind away. I am such a sucker for romances. Even though I know as an actor I want to do all kinds of roles, I gravitate towards love stories.”
However, spinning a yarn about two lovers in conflict is different from taking on Shakespeare’s revered classic Romeo And Juliet. Less than six months ago, director Manish Tiwari attempted to recreate the greatest love story of all time on the big screen in Issaq. “Shakespeare won’t be thrilled” and “where’s the novelty?” were some of the comments made by critics. But Singh is convinced that if anybody can pull off Romeo And Juliet, Bollywood style, then it has got to be Bhansali.
“He’s creatively volatile,” says Singh. Legendary for being an exacting taskmaster, Bhansali’s beautiful heroines have allegedly cried over the copious scenes ahead of them.
“That’s just a perception. He has a unique way of extracting the best from his actors. He allows our performances to come into our own. He loves challenging you and putting you on the spot. But he will do everything in his power to make you meet that challenge,” said Singh.
However, it isn’t Bhansali’s bullying tactics that have come under the scanner: it’s Singh’s scorching chemistry with Padukone being analysed and applauded.
“Chemistry can never be created. It’s inexplicable and I am just glad that we both share it,” said Padukone.
The makers are also confident that emotionally charged scenes such as the one in which the lovers are locked in a loud fight on a terrace and where Leela goads him to “man up” will attract viewers.
“That was a first for me. You have to be prepped like there’s no tomorrow. Remember, we are talking on top of each other and the audience has to listen to a bit of both. And, it had to be done within a certain time frame before the sun sets. So we had this 10-15 minute window where the light had to be a particular shade of orange. If the sun set before we finished our lines, it was all over. Talk about pressure.” The attention to detail is one of the factors that make Bhansali’s films visual spectacles. From the opulent chandeliers to earrings that his leading lady wears, everything is coordinated. “Be prepared to fall in love,” said Padukone.
When asked if it bothered her that a Hollywood film entitled Romeo And Julietwould release simultaneously this Thursday and possibly divide her audience, Padukone advocated peace.
“More love the merrier. It can only be a good thing. I am glad that it’s not one but two love stories that people can watch on the same day. In a world where we are so consumed by work, stress and the frenetic pace, love stories give you that escape. Go on, feel and the love.”
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