New Delhi, July 20: Bollywood superstar Ranbir Kapoor who is coming to the big screen four years after he delivered the blockbuster ‘Sanju’, said it’s his ‘good fortune’ that ‘Shamshera’ and ‘Brahmastra’ came in his kitty at such a time.
Ranbir will be seen playing a larger than life quintessential Hindi film hero in the Yash Raj Films (YRF) action entertainer ‘Shamshera’.
Ranbir talked about the responsibility he had in playing the double role in the movie and why he chose ‘Shamshera’ and ‘Brahmastra’ to make a comeback on the big screen.
“I would like to congratulate myself that I chose such films at such time — when I saw it coming that you need a big ticket film to get the audience to the theatre. You need to give them a little bit of an extra X factor, to draw them in. You are seeing this model happening all over the world,” Ranbir said.
“It’s not like I will stop doing the kinds of films I used to do, but I will probably do it for different mediums. But if you want to pull the audience to the theatre and especially at a time like this post pandemic, you have to give them an experience that they will realise — ok this i can only see with collective audience on the big screen. And it’s my good fortune and my good fortune telling also that ‘Shamshera’ and ‘Brahmastra’ both come in that category,” the 39-year-old actor said.
If he was anxious playing the double role in a period drama, Ranbir said, “when you start a film you’re only excited. It’s a new journey new adventure. When I heard the script of ‘Shamshera’, I felt like wow this is like a roller coaster adventure film. The making of the film was really hard of course. When you hear the script it feels good only, but when you actually perform then you actually face the real challenge. But I am glad that we all went through it, because if you want to bring something larger than life on the big screen, you have to go through these beats.”
“Karan Malhotra is a very hardworking and imaginative director, and I think the way he has done the shooting of the film and the way he has imagined it, it’s beyond my expectations. I am very excited that the audience will get to experience it,” he said.
The ‘Barfi’ fame actor said that he was inspired by the story and the character. “It’s a surprise for the audience how they discover this film and my character.”
Whether he is a ‘directors actor’, the ‘Tamasha’ actor said, “it will be unfair to say that I am just a directors actor. Of course you marry the directors mind. but I think it’s a responsibility of an actor that he/she brings a particular personality to every character, makes a sub-conscious of the character. I think these are very little details, but this an actor can only bring, to show his personality through their work. Of course director is someone who moulds you, who tells you to do this and that, so you leave the reins to the director but you have to bring something to the table.”
If Hollywood is happening for him, Ranbir said, “I am not right now interested in Hollywood. I am trying to make my strong foothold here. I have always believed when you make a film of your culture, language, people, and that film you present to the world, I think there is no greater feeling than that. So the chase is not Hollywood, the chase is to make a film of your own– from your culture, language and people and then take it all over the world.”
Ranbir said that his dream role is to do a biopic on his grandfather Raj Kapoor. “I think that would be very interesting for me to play.”
The story of ‘Shamshera’ is set in the fictitious city of Kaza, where a warrior tribe is imprisoned, enslaved and tortured by a ruthless authoritarian general Shudh Singh. This is the story of a man who became a slave, a slave who became a leader and then a legend for his tribe. He relentlessly fights for his tribe’s freedom and dignity. His name is Shamshera.
The high-octane, adrenaline-pumping entertainer is set in the 1800s in the heartland of India. It has the big promise of a never seen before Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Shamshera in the film! Sanjay Dutt plays Ranbir’s arch-enemy in this huge casting coup and his showdown with Ranbir will be something to watch out for as they will ferociously go after each other with no mercy.
Directed by Karan Malhotra, this action extravaganza has been produced by Aditya Chopra and is set to release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu on July 22.
