Ranveer Singh reveals what kept him going during ‘harsh lessons, disappointments, humiliation, rejection’ of struggling days

Actor Ranveer Singh has revealed one of his most memorable auditions in an interview - it was not for his first film, Band Baaja Baarat, but a project that was offered after his debut. He was supposed to enact a scene where a teetotaller drinks alcohol and dances his heart out, Ranveer told Femina.

A Femina report quoted him as saying, “After Band Baaja Baaraat, a prominent filmmaker was auditioning me for a significant part in his project. The scene was that a character who is a teetotaller, happens to drink one night, and starts dancing. I performed and danced my heart out. Such was the intensity that I puked at the end. The filmmaker thought it was sheer brilliance. He said, ‘Kitni detail mein socha hai iss ladke ne’.”

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Ranveer has delivered hits with his past few releases including Padmaavat and Gully Boy. The actor values and enjoys the success but said about his days of struggle: “Those years have given me some of the fondest memories of my life. Things are flying at the moment, but I will always remember the time when there was none of it; when I used to be staring at the bottom of the barrel not knowing whether that phone is ever going to ring, or if I will ever get a break. Through the harsh lessons, disappointments, humiliation, rejection, one has to find something within him that keeps him going. For me, they were two things. One, I was passionate about acting, and wasn’t pursuing it for money or fame. Two, self-belief; I had to keep telling myself, ‘You’re good, you have to believe so because if you’re good and persistent, something will happen.’ Today, I value every opportunity.” 

He also talked about his stardom and said, “For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a performer, and today, stardom is its by-product. When youngsters seek my advice, the first question I ask them is, ‘Are you passionate about acting or are you lured by the glitz of stardom?’ Stardom to me is empowering. You have the ability to spread smiles and cheer. It goes without saying, it comes with a certain amount of responsibility. There are negatives too, but the upside compensates, and you learn to take it in your stride.”

“I am a special case because I never became a huge star in my head. I’m still the kid with stars in his eyes who is in disbelief that he even became a star. Priyanka (Chopra Jonas) always tells me, ‘Tu wo ladka hai jisko yakeen hi nahin ho raha hai ki wo star bann gaya. Jo aaj bhi bolta hai ‘mummy, main star bann gaya, dekho ye log meri photo lena chahte hain (laughs).’ However, of late, my workload has increased, and I am short on time; this is also changing my demeanour,” he added.

Famous for his quirky attitude and lifestyle, Ranveer gave a philosophical insight into this side of his personality and told the magazine, “Usually light-hearted and jovial individuals are not taken seriously. However, I am a serious and intense man; a deep thinker. I choose to reveal that side of me on the screen. In person, I try to be cheerful. According to me, we live in maha kalyug. The world around us is dark, and the agony of existence bears down on people; everyone is fighting some battle or the other, and thus, it’s important for me to spread happiness. But I understand that some people in their myopic gaze may believe that that is all there is to me. I hope my performances have proven otherwise.”

Last seen in Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy as a street rapper, Ranveer will soon start working on Karan Johar Takht. Currently, he is working on Kabir Khan’s 83 where he plays Kapil Dev who led the Indian cricket team to win the 1983 ICC World Cup.

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