“I am very Selfish” - Ranbir Kapoor

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

If you missed it, even the ticket windows are looking house-full today. The reason - Wake Up Sid and Ranbir Kapoor. Ok, so you might not have his steely brown eyes but you can achieve Sid's timeless classic style and how. You might not get a chance to buy that chocolate [^] brownie cake in time for your best friend's birthday but you can achieve it by surprising her with some decked up jam sandwiches.

Buzz up!
There are no rules when you join Kapoor's company. He ain't all that complicated. He is as simple a simpleton can ever be. Four days since Wake Up Sid has hit the theatres and the air smells fresh, the girls look even hotter and the boys on the streets seems like your best buddies. A revolution of sorts.


Young college lads adore their tee's with their favourite comic characters printed on 'em. Their red, green and blue converse. Ask anyone what's their favourite hobby, it's photography, they say. That's a sort of change we're talking about. That's what a four day old film can do to our countrymen. Ignore the cliched resorts, the sparkling restaurants or the cool cafes. Stroll past the Mumbai's queen's necklace and nothing can be more romantic.

For starters, Ranbir Kapoor knows how to stay cool when the heat is on. This correspondent gets lucky and how in this exclusive chat with the Kapoor kid post the good vibes coming from the critics, box office and fans after his latest release Wake Up Sid. You get a text message from his publicist which reads, 'Ranbir is calling you in fifteen'.

Firstly, many congratulations on the on-going success of Wake Up Sid.
Thank you so much. I hope it continues the way it has started. The entire team is happy with the way it was received by the audiences. So far so good.

The film is so simple Ranbir that the word complex doesn't exist. Is 'simplicity' the new term to describe your film?
I don't know if it's a new term. I just know that Wake Up Sid was made from the heart, with a lot of thought, honesty and hard work.

The film's editing is also talked about a lot
Absolutely. Editing is as important as the pre-production of any film. That's where you can change the pace and the tone of the movie. A lot of the new directors are editors themselves. They sit on the edit table and it's this tool through which a film is formed. Wake Up Sid works because of its editing too. It was crisp.

What sort of good wishes and comments have you been receiving after the first four days of the release?
Compliments and comments are coming in every day. I'm getting hundreds of messages everyday from the film fraternity and my well wishers. People are calling me and are landing up outside my house [^]. It feels great that a movie like Wake Up Sid is so appreciated by all. Like an actor, we work so hard on a film and when it finally pays off, we strive to work even harder for our next film. I obviously do not take it for granted the term 'I have arrived'. At the moment, I am not so confident about my acting career. So I want to work harder.

Well, for a change, it's good to be a bit selfish. Isn't it?
Why not? I am very selfish as an actor. I want to work with all the big directors and all the good production houses, be a part of good films and give as many hits as possible.

Your comic book characters have influenced people to such an extent that a whole new trend of clothing has started
All the movies that I do, the costumes grow my character. Ayan, Karan and designer Priyanjali paid a lot of attention to how you should look as a lazy guy. He should be wearing t-shirts, boxers; he wears only one kind of shoes, he is rich but only carries his one bag everywhere he goes. He is lazy to go shopping too. He doesn't even like to gel his hair. I mean, his hair is so unkempt in the film. Full marks to the entire team who've worked on the costumes. I think they've succeeded in making me look lazy.


Have you ever come across a situation in your school or college when you said to yourself, 'Wake Up Ranbir'?
Never. I woke up pretty early in my life. I knew from the start that I wanted [^] to do something related to movies. So I lived my life according to that. After completing my education in Mumbai, I went to a film school abroad. I went to an acting institute for a year in New York and directed as an assistant with Mr Sanjay [^] Leela Bhansali. So everything was pretty much planned in my life when and how I would've started my career.

The fresh reports coming in from UK is that the word of mouth is spreading thick and fast from India, resulting in people flocking to the theatres to go and watch Wake Up Sid. You never know Sid, it may turn out to be your highest grossing film.
I do have a reality check, yes. It's too early to even think that Wake Up Sid will be my highest grossing film. If it does, I'll remember this interview. And yes, I am extremely optimistic. We've worked really hard on the film and hope that the audiences go for a repeat watch. So far I am happy but I would rather wait for it to have a longer run at the box office before making any claims.

One of London's top newspaper company 'Trinity Mirror Southern' has compared your and Konkana's relation in the film with that of Batman and the Joker. Your comments.
That's a great compliment. It is something that I am extremely thrilled about to know that the newspaper from London [^] is putting us in the same light as the Batman and the Joker as far as our performances are concerned. It is the first and the only time I've heard that a comparison of such sorts is made.

Message for your fans…
Thank you so much for coming and supporting the film, me included. People who've not seen the film, please go and see it as the film isn't preachy. Wake Up Sid is made with a lot of heart and passion and that's the reason you should watch it. It's so simply so simple.

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