‘I’m living my dream’

“It’s a family entertainer,with action,comedy and romance,” says Kapoor,who plays a “repulsive and vulgar character with whom one will eventually fall in love”. He’s a car thief with a heart of gold who feeds orphans and is a big fan of Bachchan. For Kapoor,this was a difficult role. “It was outlandish,external,and outrageous — be it his walk,talk or clothes. Everything about Babli is out there,whereas I’m an introvert,” he says. It was equally challenging for him to switch from the typically urban role of Kabir in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani to a rustic,Punjabi lad from Delhi in Besharam. But being a fan of Abhinav since Dabangg days,Kapoor just had to do this film.

Besharam also brings the Kapoor family together on screen for the first time. “The good thing was that they are not playing my parents in the film. I am a thief and they are cops,and I enjoyed the dynamics of our relationship.” He also enjoyed the company of actor parents,Rishi and Neetu,during the film’s shoot. “I was warmed by the fact that my mother is such a pleasant and caring person on the sets. My father,on the other hand,is my favourite actor,and I am impressed by the way he pushes the boundaries and has proved that stars may fade but good actors always shine,” says Ranbir.

Although he went to study film in New York,he shares he never harboured any acting ambitions. “I was born with a certain legacy and have a responsibility to shoulder but what I carry forth is my individualistic approach. Acting is a sum total of one’s choices,experiences,hardwork and perspective,” he says.

The actor is working on three more projects — a children’s musical detective story titled Jagga Jasoos,which he is also producing; Anurag Kashyap’s crime drama Bombay Velvet,in which he plays a boxer; and a love story with Imtiaz Ali. “Imtiaz has added so much meaning to my life and given me the role of a lifetime in Rockstar,” he says. On the Kashyap brothers,he feels they are like chalk and cheese. “While Abhinav is rooted and brings humour,Anurag is constantly pushing the envelope and dares to be different,” says the 31-year-old.

Talking about other “affairs”,Kapoor says rumour mills are part and parcel of showbiz. “I’m not angered by the gossip about me. Media is doing its job,and like the rest of the country,I too love reading gossip,” he says.