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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 really keep their head on their shoulders?
These questions run through my mind as I prepare to interview the Bollywood outsider (sorry, nepotism accusers!) who is arguably the most successful leading man in Bollywood today.
“Yes, I got carried away. My first shot in my sleep [Band Baaja Baarat, 2010] made me overconfident. A career-threatening injury during my third film [Lootera, 2013, see box below] made me break down,” Ranveer Singh, 36 and pretty much a millennial superstar, tells me in an introspective chat. “But no, I’m not insecure. I have always held my artistic integrity very close; filmmaking is a collaborative process, and I’m just a tool.
There is a pause.
“But,” Ranveer continues, unusually measured in his words, but honest as ever. “It’s getting harder and harder not to lose perspective.” [and keep one’s head on one’s shoulders]. It’s been over a month since then 83 released and seeing the way people react to me as an actor; if I read enough of it [the praise], I will begin to believe. I have to be careful and not lose my head. I’m just a tool in a director’s creative process. It’s not all about me. I know my place; I know that I am a microscopic point in the context of the entire universe. It is dangerous to have inflated self-esteem. So when I see this avalanche of praise coming my way for 83I take it all in, but I also channel it, put it all into my gratitude jar and separate.”
Reality check
Watching a superstar cut down to size is fascinating. The movie 83 was Ranveer Singh’s first biographical role after a series of Bollywood-style historical characters and caricatures that every popular actor should play.
In the film, Ranveer essayed the role of Kapil Dev, a much-loved national cricket hero, and the portrayal was hailed by his fans and critics alike. The buzz is that he is now a contender for a national award.
“Many people mention that I am a candidate for such and such an award, but I always say that the process is the price. If you are enriched by the work you have done in creating it, you have already won,” says Ranveer. Unlike most people around him, he is not obsessed with results.
“It’s always subjective how people will like it. I am a professional who is paid for my services to get a job done. I get paid and do my best. Also, I don’t care about the box office pe kitna kia [how much it earned at the box office]. This has nothing to do with my artistic work. If awards follow, I am very, very hospitable: I bow my head, fold my hands, and accept what I am awarded with complete humility. But deep in my heart, knowing I did my best is what helps me sleep at night.”
The real victory, I say, giving in to my desire to give up my personal opinion, is how underrated the ever-overrated Ranveer Singh was 83. In an industry where leading men are known to shortchange their co-stars’ roles, he allowed 11 co-stars to shine.
“I became an actor because I love to act. It is a star, not an actor, who feels threatened in these cases,” says Ranveer. “Only when your co-actors do their job effectively will the film be elevated. I can’t be a petty person. Eventually, the karmic balance will catch up and if you are good to your partners, everything will come back and come back to you.
Redefining fame
Over the years, has the idea of fame changed? From the stars who were elusive in the 1980s and 1990s to the last decade and a half, when superstars attended paid weddings and only went out to promote their films, to today, when a star is valued by his/her social media the following. Does a star have to work harder to become a star today?
“I think the meaning of fame has changed, and I think that’s largely because of the advancements in technology,” says Ranveer. “With the internet, mobile technology, smartphones and finally social media, things are very different now. First, I think there is fragmentation. Earlier, all the love of the entire audience would be focused on a few people. Now there are a few more celebrity favorites because there are so many more channels. So there is a fragmentation of time, attention and affection.”
He adds: “The other thing is that today’s 18, 19 and 20-year-olds were born into an already established internet system and have access to a lot more information. I often communicate with them to find out what they think about the stars. I learned that they are not easily impressed. They are a tough crowd, so to speak. They are always looking for 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 continue to perform well as that is at the heart of what I do.”
With respect
Could Ranveer have imagined 10 years ago that he would achieve the success he has today?
The superstar smiles. “I keep thinking: 10 years ago I wouldn’t have imagined this. It would surpass my wildest dreams. I didn’t even have a vision. I thought I was a really good actor and I was going to do well and do my best, but then I stop and see all this and I feel such a huge sense of gratitude. When I leave my toilet van to go on set, I say a little prayer before I get out… It’s an exercise designed to center me before I perform. I say a prayer of thanks every day.
Follow @jamalshaikh on Instagram and Twitter
By HT Brunch February 27, 2022
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