Redefining music and romance in Hindi cinema

You’ve got to hand it to Ranbir Kapoor for having high rankings, charming his fans, and thriving in the Bollywood industry. After all, he’s the fourth generation of the Kapoors, the first family of Indian cinema, and also the third generation of two prime musical stars, grandfather Raj Kapoor, and father Rishi Kapoor. Ranbir Kapoor is the grandnephew of the late Shammi Kapoor, the third prime musical star who redefined music and romance in Hindi cinema.

During an interview with India-West, the soft-spoken pedigreed performer talks about his new discoveries and aspirations.

Excerpts from an interview:

Q: You suggested Shammi Kapoor’s name to Imtiaz and also persuaded your granduncle to do the film, right?

A: Yes, Shammi Kapoor saab plays my guru, who is a shehnai ustad in the film. He has only a few sequences but the highlight is a jugalbandi between him and his sitar and me on my guitar. I confess that I conned him for three hours, almost blackmailing him emotionally to accept the role as he was unsure of doing the film because of his health. He was having to undergo dialysis thrice a week and was restricted to his wheelchair. But he did it for me and in the Delhi schedule, he would get his dialysis done there. I am very emotional about this gesture.

Q: As of now, he is the only Kapoor you have co-starred with in a film.

A: Oh, he is the original rockstar of Hindi cinema! All my preconceived notions about him as a megastar were dispelled in a moment when he came on the sets-he was like a little boy, nervous and anxious, and always insisting on rehearsals. But he shared such fantastic experiences of his times with us. He would also interact with Composer A.R. Rahman and get into discussions about Apple, Mac and music.

Q: Ironically, he had made some satirical comments about Rahman and his music in an interview just before signing the film.

A: That’s strange. He did get to hear the music CD and had liked it.

Q: What does “Rockstar” mean to you?

A: I want the film to do well. Less for myself, but more for the team and above all, for the immense sacrifice and hard work of one man called Imtiaz Ali, who has made the film with so much love.

Q: On the inlay of the album, Imtiaz has stated that the film and its music “made itself.” What is your take on that?

A: Well, it was a special film from the beginning with all the right energies happening, but I think Imtiaz was the sole reason why all that happened. He is a genuine person, does not take work for granted and understands key aspects like Indian people and culture and the complexities of relationships. He could have made yet another “Jab We Met” or “Love Aaj Kal” to ensure a safe run, but he chose to go a different way.

Q: Arising from that, a rock-centric musical as a genre has not worked here.

A: I don’t think you can call “Rockstar” a rock music-based film. It is a love story that is rooted in India with the role of a lifetime for me. The music is in that sense incidental as the hero wants to become a rockstar.

Q: For the first time, however, you participated in a major way, with the music. Would you call it self-discovery, given the rich musical heritage of Raj Kapoor and your father?

A: I would. It was such a great experience sitting on all eight tracks as well as the music pieces. For the first time, I really got involved in the songs, and observed how Mohit Chauhan sang and why. This helped me perform on screen during the song sequences.

Q: Purely a personal opinion, but when I hear Mohit sing, his vocal tenor does not make me visualize you on screen.

A: I hope that the audiences here do not find any disconnect between the voice and me. The choice of Mohit was unanimous so far as Imtiaz, composer Rahman sir and I were concerned.

Q: How was the Rahman experience, with you being parked in his studio several nights for the making of the soundtrack?

A: Rahman sir is so humble. You have to see his passion for hard work. He works in isolation, when he has a relationship only with music, which is why it was so wonderful to get into his studio so many times and watch him make music.

Q: The buzz is that you were highly involved with this music because you had initially given short shrift to lip sync numbers as per global sensibilities and now found yourself short of songs to perform on concert tours and shows.

A: (Seriously) Yes, that’s true. I do need a bank of music for my stage shows, which so far has been restricted largely to the songs of “Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani,” but that was not a musical. “Rockstar” is the first film in which I learned to participate in and contribute to a song at all stages. I even learned to play the guitar.

Q: What is special about your character, Janardhan/Jordan?

A: I would say that it is Imtiaz’s contribution. I am in no way an actor with a huge reservoir of experiences, but Imtiaz shared so much of his life experiences, his angst, and his intensity with me that performing the role became very easy. There are not many filmmakers who do that for their actors. His friendship is something that I have definitely taken away with me from the film. Even Nargis Fakhri surrendered completely as an actor to him and bravely treaded terrain that would have been otherwise difficult for any new actor.

Q: Arising from that, how would you react to a celebrity stating on Twitter, “I wish Ranbir stops trying hard to be just an actor and concentrates on becoming a star?”

A: I want to be not just the best actor but the biggest star! I also want to produce and direct films like Raj Kapoor and my father did. I know it will need a lot of sacrifices, but I will reach there one day. I am grateful for everything that I have got, but there is a long way to go. I am all for balancing the “masala movies” that I get, which are important to bring in the revenue, with a “Wake Up Sid!” and “Rocket Singh – Salesman Of The Year.” I have no false illusions about myself – I know that I cannot do yet what the Khans do or have a “Singham” to my name. But I am comfortable with every kind of film and good actors will always last, like dad has done for four decades.

Q: But in the star-versus-actor tussle, what do you feel about star images in the matter of career longevity? Do they help or hinder?

A: Hats off to the seniors for lasting as long as they did though, and maybe partly because they were categorized largely in a single genre, like my father Rishi Kapoor, who I think is the greatest actor of his generation. He never had a style, was so spontaneous, and was a successful lover boy for over two decades! Today cinema has progressed and actors have become fearless.

Q: What next?

A: I have a great role in Anurag Basu’s “Barfee” and I am looking forward to Ayan Mukerji’s “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.” But I want to take up direction really soon. I am working on a couple of ideas.

Q: That’s great news! As of now, your personal relationships and issues grab far more print-space than your work. According to a recent article in a Mumbai tabloid, it says you’ve had seven relationships with actresses.

A: (In a shocked tone): Seven???? Wow! That’s six more than I know! Well, I guess we are easy targets for the media. I had just one relationship with an actress that I was always open about. But I really hope to make people forget about anything other than my work in the films and years to come.

FILMOGRAPHY

(Hits/Successes in Capitals)

2007 – Saawariya

2008 – BACHNA AE HASEENO

2009 – WAKE UP SID! (in Mumbai), AJAB PREM KI GHAZAB KAHANI, Rocket Singh – Salesman of the Year

2010 – RAAJNEETI, Anjaana Anjaani

2011 – ROCKSTAR (Released 11.11.11)

Share and Enjoy