The media loved Ranveer’s madness and his co-stars confessed his enthusiasm was infectious. He did Gunday/ 2014 with Priyanka Chopra, his third film with Yash Raj banner and floored us with his portrayal of Kabir Mehra in Zoya Akhtar’s Dil Dhadakne Do. Filmmakers now sought him for powerful roles and destiny favoured him at the box-office.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali repeated Deepika and him in Bajirao Mastani adding Priyanka Chopra as Peshwibai Kashi. The audience loved Bajirao to an extent that they were willing to forgive Ranveer Singh’s senseless Befikre. When Sanjay Leela Bhansali announced his third Padmavat with the lead pair everybody said ‘not again’ and Bhansali soon clarified that Shahid Kapoor and not Ranveer Singh will play Deepika’s love interest in the film. Ranveer played Sultan Allaudin Khilji and stole the thunder from all.
There were stories of how he locked himself up in a room for days to feel Khilji’s pain and work out his character and simultaneously there were stories of Ranveer- Deepika’s romance off screen and other complex stories too. Some said his cheerfulness was a defence and he was in fact in clinical depression and therefore behaved oddly like landing at a party in his pyjamas. There’s a possibility that all these are just stories because eventually, matters is that his filmmakers vouch for his talent. In the coming year, he has Gully Boys, Simmba and Kapil Dev and of course his wedding.
To be continued
@bhawanasomaaya