UK: Bollywood megastar Ranbir Kapoor reveals what it was like working with his parents in new movie 'Besharam' and how he handles the pressure of fame

Record ID: 481028

  • Title: UK: Bollywood megastar Ranbir Kapoor reveals what it was like working with his parents in new movie 'Besharam' and how he handles the pressure of fame
  • Date: 8th October 2013
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 20, 2013) (REUTERS) SOUNDBITE (English) RANBIR KAPOOR, SAYING: ''Not at all, if I want to do something, if I want to make a mark in the world I would rather do it with my own movie, with my own culture, with my own language. We have great examples like a film 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' which comes from China, which is so see
  • Embargoed: 23rd October 2013 13:00
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  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Environment,People
  • Reuters ID: LVA8L6CR8VBNBYX3LAG8V9OOLH3C
  • Story Text: Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor is one of Indian cinema's most bankable young stars, and his latest film, "Besharam," which also stars his parents, is set to become one of the most widely released Bollywood films worldwide.
    Kapoor, a member of India's "first family of film" and the grandson of veteran Bollywood director Raj Kapoor, plays a charming but vulgar car thief in the Hindi-language action comedy that opened on Wednesday October 02 in 4,700 cinemas internationally, including 210 in the United States.
    Speaking to Reuters during a press trip to London, he said this role was a challenge: ''Well he is over the top, he is bit flamboyant, vulgar, repulsive. It's a far departure from the other characters I have played in my ten film career so it was a challenge. I am a bit of an introvert and to play someone who is so extroverted, someone who embarrasses people with his being, it was a bit of a challenge to play.'' Kapoor's parents, leading Bollywood stars Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, play police agents in the film, marking the first time the three have been in the same movie in what distributor Reliance Entertainment chief Sanjeev Lamba called a "casting coup."
    ''In this film they play these corrupt cops and I play the car thief and so the dynamic was very comedic,'' Kapoor explained.
    "Thankfully we didn't go for the cliche family drama where we are related in the movie. It was fun to work with them, it was a great learning experience. Having said that, it was very normal because they are actors and they didn't really bring their personal relationships to the set.''' Bollywood refers to the Hindi-language film industry centered in Bombay, or Mumbai, which is known for mass-appeal productions featuring lavish song and dance numbers.
    "Besharam" is a slang term in Hindi for someone who is shameless. Kapoor, whose 2013 coming-of-age film "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani" was among the five highest-grossing Bollywood films of all time, said the role was a departure from his previous films as he plays a "vulgar and repulsive" character.
    Kapoor, 31, is the winner of several awards, including two Filmfare Best Actor Awards, the Indian film industry equivalent to the Oscars, for his role as a troubled musician in 2011's "Rockstar" and as a deaf, mute man in 2012's "Barfi!"
    He said he's not looking to make a move into Hollywood: "Not at all, if I want to do something, if I want to make a mark in the world I would rather do it with my own movie, with my own culture, with my own language. We have great examples like a film 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' which comes from China, which is so seeped in their culture; 'Life is Beautiful' from Italy; 'Amelie' from France, so I think you have to make films which you connect with, which you relate to."
    Adding: ''Going to Hollywood would be a great opportunity, but I think I am very happy with what Bollywood has to offer.'' Kapoor's family has been a part of Bollywood, which is celebrating its centenary, for more than 80 years beginning when his great-grandfather Prithviraj Kapoor started in silent films.
    After studying filmmaking in New York, acting offers in India started coming in for Kapoor. Despite his huge success, the heartthrob is not completely comfortable with his superstar status in India and said he is trying to protect his private life from becoming a reality show.
    ''Like I mentioned earlier, your personal life, there is so much intrusion you want to try and protect it as much as you can, before it becomes a reality show. So I do come from the notion that I am single until I am married. In India that's what the culture is. Also there is so much judgment, especially on the women, if you break up with a woman then that woman is... her image has been tarnished and it's quite exaggerated with the media - and so I like to protect it as much as I can, and the day I do get married I guess that's when I am really hitched.'' Although directing is a long-term ambition, Kapoor said for now he is content to stick to acting. He has two films set to open in 2014: "Bombay Velvet," a crime drama set in the 1950s and 1960s, and "Jagga Jasoos," a children's detective film that he is producing.
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