Boy Brand

Obviously,the actor whose X factor has been accentuated by his lineage and talent,does not want to make himself available to anyone at the click of a mouse. He strongly feels that too much accessibility robs stars of their mystique.

“I don’t see myself using any such means to communicate with my fans,clarifying anything controversial written about me or even promoting my films. Firstly,I am a bit shy,and secondly,I believe in retaining some mystery about myself so that my fans can discover me through the films and the interviews I do,” accounts Ranbir for the distance he maintains from the media.

Endorsing products,the other platform frequented by stars and accused of robbing them of their shine,however,is a different matter.

Along with his acting,the Kapoor scion says that he also loves being part of the endorsements. “They are flashed on television all the time,and have a great impact on the viewers. But I keep a reality check as a brand ambassador,as I am an actor first. I am here to act and I don’t regard endorsements as a career-option,and certainly not a means of making money.”

It was while watching Shah Rukh Khan in a Pepsi ad,that he decided to become an actor. It’s a happy coincidence that he is now a brand ambassador of the same Pepsi,also the first endorsement he signed up for.

“Yes,The ad looked so much fun and was so entertaining that I wanted to become an actor so that I could be part of ad campaigns!” I am extremely particular when it comes to choosing the product I endorse,as I feel it is a great responsibility. For one,I have to be using what I endorse,and secondly it should add to my brand value. Today I drink Pepsi,have a Panasonic India television at home,wear John Players clothes,own a Nissan,use a Tata Docomo mobile and soon hope to have a Hero Honda bike,my newest endorsement,” says the actor,who for the first time,has faced the camera with his father,Rishi Kapoor,for a Pepsi ad.

Whatever his reasons for choosing a product,it cannot be denied that Ranbir lends his uniqueness,and his cool and trendy image to whatever he endorses. In fact,his first campaign for Pepsi with an appeal to Youngistan established his niche and the youthful appeal continues to be his calling card. “Yes I am told that the youngsters look up to me as a youth icon,all the reason for me to be very selective. That’s the reason I will never endorse tobacco,alcohol or fairness creams! Fairness creams because I firmly believe that we should be proud of our colour and secondly I don’t really see these cosmetics making our skins any fairer. We should just stick to moisturisers,” says the actor with a knowing smile.

We are sitting in the star’s van on the set of Barfee. Ranbir,who is known to be politically-correct in his interviews and always hides behind a veer of correctness,looks remarkably fresh as he steps into the air-conditioned comfort.

His part in the film requires him to look like the boy next door,so he’s donned a bush-shirt and trousers and sports a small moustache. But the character is deaf and mute and,obviously very tough to portray.

In fact,Kapoor has a hands-on trainer on the sets who helps him with the nuances of playing a challenged individual. His soon-to-release Rockstar,in which the course of a village bumpkin is charted as he travels westward,is a role for which he had to learn how to milk buffaloes in a Punjab village as well as how to strum a guitar! He smiles as he talks about the openings new-age cinema has brought in—good movies and challenging parts.

Of course,he has to connect with the story and character,but Kapoor looks at the director first ,when signing a project. “He should certainly have a story to tell,but frankly it doesn’t work for me if he and I are two different energies. I depend a lot on the director to extract the best out of me,which is only possible if there’s a great amount of love between us. It’s only through this connect that my character will come out. As an actor,I want to push myself,and this is not possible if my directors don’t help me discover the different aspects of my craft. Today I am grateful if a director points out that I have given a bad shot,because that’s how I will push the envelope. Not that I am passing the entire onus on the filmmaker. As an actor,I am equally responsible for what you eventually see on screen,” says the actor,adding that till now he has been lucky to have worked with directors for whom he has great respect and with whom there is a perfect understanding.

Competition for the young actor does not mean looking within himself,but looking up to the body of work of the reigning Khans,Aamir,Shah Rukh and Salman and aiming to be like them. “In fact,not only me,all of us youngsters like Imran Khan,Shahid Kapoor should learn something from the kind of films they have done,and the persons that they are. It will take some time to match up to their success.”

geety.sahgal@expressindia.com