Ranbir Kapoor on taking a 6-month paternity break to be with daughter Raha, how Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar is a ‘complete rom-com’

After playing a dacoit in revenge actioner Shamshera and a guy-next-door who discovers his superpowers after he falls in love with a girl in Brahmastra, the actor is back to his signature genre — romantic comedies. The actor has earlier starred in films such as Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, Jagga Jasoos, and Besharam, to name a few. However, he says, this time it feels more “complete” than the ones he’s done earlier. The 40-year-old actor, however, has said that this will be his last romantic comedy as he is ‘getting older’.

When asked what brings him back to rom-coms, he says that it’s probably because Tu Jhoothi Main Makkkaar is a “true blue rom-com” as other films that he did earlier didn’t feel “complete”.

“I think I got lucky (with Tu Jhoothi Main Makkkaar), finally life has come full circle that I’m a part of a true blue rom-com. I think all the rom-coms I’ve done in my career, it felt short of really feeling like a complete film. Luv (director Luv Ranjan) and I used to discuss what is the feeling that we want to give the audience, we want to give them a warm and happy feeling in the cinemas, we want them to have a great time, laugh, feel romance, get emotional, take some learning and at the end leave the theatre with a very warm and nice feeling. I love that feeling when I go to the theatres, we’ve really tried to give that feeling to the audience and we’ve succeeded. We’re really proud to be a part of this rom-com,” said Ranbir.

Ranbir’s collaboration with filmmaker Luv Ranjan also comes in the times when the actor is feeling the need to do “massy films”. On being asked if that is one of the reason for doing the film, he shared that he wanted to collaborate with Luv soon after he watched Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 starring Kartik Aaryan among others.

“Absolutely! And I recognised that when I saw Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2. I was like this is a new filmmaker with an original voice who is talking to the youth of the country and making entertaining films. Actors are always on the lookout for directors like that. I got really lucky that I could collaborate with him. And he also used to like me as an actor, likes me as an actor, so there was mutual admiration there. It just fits, all the pieces just fit really well.”

While Ranbir’s Shamshera didn’t perform as well as he would have liked, Brahmastra, in a way, revived Bollywood after back-to-back flops following the Covid-19 pandemic. How does he look at the change in theatricals today?

“For years, people have (questioned)… the Hindi film industry. It has been a soft target because it is such a popular industry. But I’m seeing this more post Covid-19 where people are finding great joy to put the industry down because films are not working, of course films are not working but that’s a part of every industry, it’s not just the Hindi film industry. Everybody is trying, nobody is taking their job for granted,” said Ranbir.

He also emphasised on the need to deliver “quality content” and not take the audiences for granted. He said, “People know that this is a very hard profession and it requires a lot of hard work, sacrifices and a lot of luck. So everyone is trying out there and I think a little bit of support from the media would be lovely; it goes hand in hand. So, it kind of (upsets) you sometimes but there are highs and lows, films will start doing well and people will forget it and nobody will remember this ‘hashtag boycott Bollywood’ and other things that have been happening. So I think we just have to deliver on content, make good films and the audiences are waiting as they love cinema. So when you have a good film coming out, people flock to the theatres to have a great time. That time is going to come soon and more films are going to do well.”

Ranbir is out and about promoting his film and shooting for Sandeep Vanga Reddy’s Animal. The actor had shared that he wants to go on paternity leave following the birth of his daughter Raha and now he can’t wait to take the impending long break. On this, he smiles widely, and says, “In two months time. I’m looking forward to it. I think I’ll have a good five to six months of absolutely no work and just be in a blissful state.”

“I’ll be done with Animal by the end of April, and then I’ll take a long break to spend time with my daughter,” he concludes.