Ranveer Singh may be a lot of things, but the one thing he’s not is a conformist. Even as he rides high on the success of his past few films and the enviable roster he’s currently working on, there’s an effortless nonchalance to the cacophony around him. By no means is he Zen; he has the energy levels of a Duracell bunny on speed, but even as people are ready to slot him as being over-enthusiastic or rather rudely as “over the top”, Ranveer neither slows down nor is he fazed by it. In an industry of politically-correct actors and their publicist-trained counterparts, Ranveer is largely himself. Or is he?
We’ll find out.
It’s been an endorsement phase for him, what with his recent Durex association making much news. He is shooting for Myntra commercials, an endorsement he has only recently bagged, and has been up since 3 am. By the time we sit to talk at 9 pm at the N.D. Studios in Karjat where he’s been shooting, Ranveer, as is his wont, is still incredibly chatty and could put a toddler to shame with his need to move around. He’s a charmer, he’s sensitive, he’s jovial and he’s bordering on endearing eccentricity — all of those things that get significant press. But he’s also reflective and highly opinionated.
So what then is it that gets to him? “Elitism. I can’t stand elitists. They grind my gears. By nature of your position or birth or any other such circumstance, does not make you superior to anybody. I feel all humans are equal and all these disparities are manmade. On a superficial level they have differences but nobody was born with more or less…everybody has the same vein for life running through them. So I absolutely cannot get my head around why somebody would want to display such abject elitism,” he says with the seriousness that is seldom attributed to him.
He’s naturally cheerful and that is something that strangely doesn’t sit well with many in the industry who expect a certain degree of propriety. Ranveer is fully aware of the derision that has been directed to him even in the light of his stupendous career graph, and he himself likes to constantly project his light-hearted side. In his words, he is “predisposed to mischief and the desire to revel in mirth”. Tell him that even the chirpiest person has some buttons that shouldn’t be pushed, and Ranveer nods in agreement. He doesn’t get angry much, but says, “I have a very short tolerance for insincerity. Somebody who is very sincere makes my heart glow. Whether or not the person is competent or works smartly is another matter. As long as they work hard and are sincere, it makes me happy. I feel no work is big or small. Everybody should be thankful for having work to do or being given opportunities in life. There are far worse things in life. So we need to be grateful. I, however, get irritated by a person who displays a lack of sincerity. There’s nothing worse than being capable, yet not doing justice to the work at hand.”
This, of course, Ranveer speaks about in a purely professional setting. “I’m completely chilled out outside of work. I’m both fun-loving and serious at work and personally. I’m serious when I’m required to be,” he says.
The contrasts extend to his famed energy levels too. Even as he explains how he’s always been the high-octane kid, Ranveer reveals that he goes through prolonged down times as well. “I’m not lazy. But I’m also capable of sleeping for 24 hours. But if I’m active, I’m all over. If I don’t need to be active, I can remain in some kind of vegetative state,” he guffaws.
Talking him is like talking to two different people rolled in one. The merrymaker, the reflective one, the vibrant actor and the one who can go through seasons of hibernation. Point out the contrasts and he just shrugs it off with a smile. There’s surely a lot one doesn’t know about a man who is frequently labelled. Ranveer adds, “One of the things that people don’t know about me is that I don’t evade or shy away from conflict. If you got to do it, you got to do it.”
So what else is he willing to reveal about himself that we don’t get to read about? “Well, I’ve gotten into trouble with the law on various occasions, albeit all minor. I’m not a bad person who hurts people or something. I’ve basically gotten into trouble for having too much fun. What would constitute as fun? I’ll leave that to your imagination!” he laughs again, clearly wanting to put away the pensive side for the night.
He insinuates about his wild streak without saying much, but prod him about his passionate side, and he admits to being “all heart”. “I’m a heart person. All my decisions are heart decisions. They may not be good business ones and my father is petrified about my decisions, but I can’t have it any other way. They may not work all the time, but just the fact that I made them from my heart makes me feel like I can live with them. Every time my heart is not in it and it’s a business decision, it’s uncanny how it has not worked out. 'Lootera', I thought it was a beautiful movie. It deserved may be a little more than it got. My heart was in it. People say things like “Arre it didn’t make that much money”. It made enough money. It got 4 and half stars. I know 15 years down the line people will still cry when they watch the last scene. I know Vikramditya and I made a great film. So yes, if your heart is in it, the outcome is incidental.”
Being a “heart” guy is definitely a big plus in a relationship. After all, who wouldn’t want to be dating someone so full of life, so loving and sensitive? The actor, who is rumoured to be dating the lissome Deepika Padukone, says he’s the greatest boyfriend on earth. He declares, “You can check with the women, but I know that I’m the best boyfriend. I can be too sentimental though. And I can be possessive too. But I think I’ve become much better. I’ve learnt how to control that side of me. One of them (his girlfriends) explained to me about how relationships are like grains of sand. And I’ve learnt not to let things slip away.”
Even as he talks about lessons learnt, Ranveer does not let the excitement of being in such a gratifying space be diluted. A roaring career, a wonderful and successful girlfriend and an unwavering fanbase, Ranveer is clearly riding a major high. “I feel like I’m on top of the world. I’m not the king of anything, though. I’m just a regular guy who got very lucky.”
