Exclusive: Ranveer on Deepika cleavage controversy, life

I had to lose weight for Dil Dhadakane Do. I did this for Zoya’s film. Her way of working is very natural. The style of director of photography Mr.Carloss is also very natural. Carlos never uses artificial lights. Whatever natural lights he can get he prefers taking a shot there. Zoya’s way of penning the dialogues definitely does not make one feel that it has been written for a particular character. The dialogue delivery makes you feel as though two people are engaged in a conversation. Natural lights to natural dialogues everything happens in a naturalistic space. Gym body is also not preferable, one needs to have a natural athletic body if he is playing a sportsman kind of a character. You are not playing Rambo or Rocky….i.e. if you try to put on a little she instantly corrects you. She prefers her character playing a simple common person. I want you to strip down all the muscles and really look lean for my character she told me while I was on for the role in DDD. While she wanted my looks to complement my dressing sense, physicality etc, I had to get the look right.

For me it was a journey. My root is theatre I have done a lot of theatre while in School. And in college I read theatre for almost four different years. I was struggling then…my default school is theatrical. Therefore I worked with Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Even his cinema is rooted in Gujarati theatre, Parsi theatre. Marathi… so Zoya is very new age contemporary director. Her style is similar to that of Woody Allan. She explores her strong points and her core subject has always been deep down inter-personal relationships. She and Reema are very formidable writing duo. Films are made but writing minutely, I feel Zoya and Raju Hirani take the longest time to pen their script to the minutest detailing. Before starting the film they first crack the script, I had accepted the role in DDD at the interval point only. She is a brilliant writer. In Luck By Chance the relationship of Farhan and Konkana is mind boggling. DD is also predominantly about relationship. Mother/son/sister brother father and their romantic relationship.Husband and wife relationship is also explored in this film. I just finished shooting with Shaad Ali, he is also theatrical…we can call him the “King of Kitch.” He also makes very funny, colorful and high energy films. Mr.Bhansali has that high drama and Octavian music in his films. I am working in a naturalistic zone for the first time. This is a wall which I have to break and flow from there. I was able to cross over from the earlier school. Within that space I came to know that we need not act. To just be…and not do, have that kind of comfort level was really difficult. I hope people like my performance in this new avatar…a little later I again want to go into Mr. Bhansali’s space.

-Vikram and Zoya are kind of similar. But Lootera was a period film and the character was that of a con man. His personality is not very open, it was a restrained persona. He always lives within himself. But this time DDD character is verbal, I have dialogues unlike the character in Lootera which was more internal. In DDD I am more vocal and verbal. It was a period film set in the fifties and the character would not like to speak in open. This character is an urban guy of today….The character’s name in DD is Kabir Mehra.I got an opportunity to work with a good director like Zoya. Also travelled a lot. Working with Anushka and Shefali was also fun. Priyanka, Anil Kapoor and Farhan were great learning experiences.. Zoya’s basic foundation is very strong, beginning from having cracked the script she moves on to empowering herself by casting actors with acting abilities. Everybody brings something to take the script ahead with their acting potential. Zoya and me are always having fun cracking jokes…we get on like a house on fire. She is also very funny. She has inherited wit and humour from her father also the writing abilities. she can make me do anything she is pure brilliance. Because she has the freshest and a unique voice. Her films have her impression as well makes films which aren't made before. After finishing Band Baja I would always ponder who all I would like to work with? Zoya was always in my mind. Having worked with her was an unexpected experience.

I would at times get out of control. We never analyze ourselves. I never found my energies high. I came to know after it was written and publicly noticed. All my friends know me as mad doing unwanted things. I keep drinking coffee all day so I turn mad. I started analysing myself and I think in my mind I feel…..I have one life and so many days only. I thus want to give every moment for that one thing I do. Certain experiences have happened as I am very new to film very young. While doing Lootera my back was broken, while lying in the bed I did ponder. If this happens often then if I turn fragile, I believe in Aaaj kal hai ya nahi. It was difficult for me to even stand at that juncture. I learned a lot from this accident. After suffering from Dengue during Gunday I was advised by the doctor that because of your fitness level you could fight it out. I was under the Rock bottom situation where anything could have happened to me. I countered fighting to stay alive. My childhood best friend passed away, unbearable for me. I had thought we would get married and see our kids playing /growing together. If you take it for granted anything can happen. He was my age one month apart, he committed suicide in America. I learnt that Aaj Hai kal nahi hai….Anything can happen …while I am travelling by car or elsewhere. Another friend who was driving down to Khandala just got saved by falling on the other side of the road. I got saved by a passing truck. So now I understand the fragility of life. For me, every day is my last day If I am meeting my mom and leaving for a trip then I meet her as though that is the last day for me. I always think every movie is my last one. My show meeting my friend etc is always considered as though this is happening for the last time. I do not know what future has in store for me. So I go after everything and live in the present. It is optimistic hoping that this will happen. My optimism is like I have it now and do the best.

She is an individual. I don’t think it has anything to do with me. Her individualistic persona is very strong mere se koi lena dena nahi hai.I guess people change being together…Adi sir says, "I have spoilt Arjun.” I keep chatting with Arjun until late nights. People bring sensationalism creating problems. We were doing a brand signing deal making different ads. Arjun is my closest friend in the industry. We are busy but we are in touch on a daily basis. I think on the first day I established my opinion. Deepika has given her final word on Facebook. We should take keen interest in her films..Especially with HNY we need to be happy. Deepika has a great line up Tamasha with Soojit Sircar, and many films.

The music of KIl Dil is great. They are a dream team-Gulzar Sahab and Shankar Ehasaan loy are like fire. It took one and a half months to complete music. He creates music. Jhum Barabar did not do well but music was great, this film is a full array...I am looking forward to a good response.

Yes surely…he is like my brother. I got to know him at the age of 16. I met him through a common friend. We have ten years of a difference. I am precautious…I am ahead of my times. We used to bond over commercial cinema, cricket and became thick friends. He is more than a director. At the age of 16 years I had dreamt Shaad would be the director and Yash Raj would be the producer. Almost cherishing a dream for 12 years has really happened with Kill Dil.I look up to Shaad for any big decisions, I remember I have left so many films before BBB. As Shaad advised me not to take a plunge. I had refused four films while I was struggling. He got me into Makrand Deshpandey’s theatres. He gave me first professional break as Assistant director for many advertisements. He has been a key influence in my life. I also thought becoming an actor is not within my reach as I had no uncle or Godfather in the industry. Nepotism was prevalent then, however a lot of avenues have opened up now. I had planned to turn a writer, but Shaad told me according to his observation I need not give up. I bought his idea. Undeniably, I would think-Will I be able to be a good actor but he planted in my head at the age of 19 that I could be an actor. This is when I told my father about becoming an actor. He gave me a break and gave me work. I gambled. I could not have asked for a better launch than as a lead for a YRF film. I have shared his experience with his journey of not doing a script which he did not like. Going back to assist Mani Ratnam instead. Saying no for right reasons is one thing I have learned from him. Adi, me and Shaad had decided on me being the lead actor…whatever may me my situation..For all these reasons Kill Dill is a little more than a film. On the first day of Kill Dill I told him: "Can you believe this….mein sala actor ban Gaya aur tu mujhe direct kar raha hai?” Yash Raj is producing and we have Chichi…it is like a dream. I have been Govinda’s hard core fan. In school, students teased me as junior Govinda. I have grown up watching Bachchan Saab Salman/Shah Rukh, Aamir, Anil Kapoor and Govinda are the people I idolize. When I get compliments from them it is better than awards I must confess.

I am at an interesting juncture..Kill Dill music is to launch will finish tomorrow, and a day after tomorrow will be Bajirao Mastani’s first day. We are speaking today at a very crucial period of my career Lootera gets critical acclaim, Ram Leela has got success. I am doing commercials. I can become complacent, I need to travel and need to take a holiday. I have decided to work more….the hunger has increased. I feel I need to do a lot. That fire has increased I am not satisfied…What next? I have a project one of my advertisements where I am attempting something never seen before. At the age I decided to be a copy writer. I like to give in my creative input. Two entities when are in competition…the managers try to write scoops about me….They are saying Ranveer is difficult to work …he interferes creatively. I give my input only when they ask me. Maruti does not want my inputs. So I do not interfere. I never ask producers to cast some one. If he asks who you would like? Only then I give my input. If my equation is good with them I can give my input. Chin-gees asked me what we need to do? Mr Bhansali also asks for my interpretations so I can give my input. If I find things glaring then I will say my creative disagreement. But I do not force or insist. I am not difficult to work with. Ask him if Mr Bhansali yells a lot on the sets? He says,"He never shouts at me...yeah he yells at others."

Another dream-turning Woody Allan-My aim is to turn like “Woody Allan.” I always wish to explore the creative avenues to the maximum. I will produce, write and act and do everything by myself. I have mental popcorn entertainer. It’s another social satire black comedy but I am not getting time to write as I am too involved with acting. At a later stage I will definitely do everything by myself-Writing/acting/directing and producing too.” He concludes with a laugh.