Ranveer Singh has had a terrific decade, thanks to his choice of scripts. He started out in the film industry in 2010 with Band Baaja Baaraat for which he won Best Male Debut award. Nine years later, he’s bagging awards for Best Actor for Gully Boy. Come to think of it, most of his movies stay in our hearts long after we leave the theatre. From Lootera to Ram-Leela to Bajirao Mastani, Ranveer Singh’s movies have left a lasting impact on us all.
However, for one of his most controversial and acclaimed roles as Khilji in Padmaavat, Ranveer didn’t readily agree. He had initially turned down the role because he was in too happy a mindset to pick up a dark character.
Ranveer was invited to CNN News 18’s actors’ roundtable along with Ayushmann Khurrana, Shahid Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna and Vijay Varma. The actors were asked by host Rajeev Masand about the roles they first rejected but later agreed to do. That’s when the Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl actor said that he wasn’t too convinced to play Alauddin Khilji.
He said, “I found the character so loathsome, so despicable and so dark, so messed up. It was out of sheer fright and fear that I told Sanjay sir (Sanjay Leela Bhansali) that this might take me into sort of a hole that I may not come out of. I can see myself going a bit barmy on this guy and I don’t know if I was at that stage in my life. I was very happy. DP (Deepika Padukone) and I were gonna get married. It was all roses. Touchwood, Jhulelal.”
However, SLB did manage to convince Ranveer. The actor added, “I remember that one moment on his balcony eating macchi curry. We were just going back and forth. I was apprehensive and he got frustrated. He could not have said another word to convince me. He just got frustrated, he put his chawal back in his plate like this. ‘My boy, don’t you want to play a character who’s got 75-kilo ba**s?’ I was like you know what? I mean I’m on.”
Well, we’re pretty sure the movie wouldn’t be the same without an angry, dark and sinister Ranveer Singh lighting up the screen. Obviously, we’re pleased that Sanjay Leela Bhansali managed to convince him. And after the number of awards Ranveer bagged for this role, we’re sure Ranveer is pleased, too.
Featured Image: Instagram
POPxo is now available in six languages: English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and Bangla.
