On behalf of all the Ranbir Kapoor fans around the world and here at Ranbir-Kapoor.com, we wish him a lot of success for Saawariya.

With SAAWARIYA slated for release next Friday, there’s talk that Bhansali is planning to revive BAJIRAO MASTANI, which he had announced a few years ago. There’s also talk that he’s planning to start a film on the famed Heera Mandi of Lahore. The grapevine is also abuzz that the film-maker is planning a love story again, with freshers heading the cast yet again. “I am not revealing anything right now… Honestly, I haven’t decided what my next move would be. I cannot think of anything till SAAWARIYA releases,” he smiles.

Here’s yet another interview of upcoming artist Ranbir Kapoor, son of Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor. Ranbir is nervous about his first release but at the same time is sure that he has given his best shot hoping not to disappoint anyone.

So, how nervous are you? Or should I say thrilled?

You know, honestly, I think it’s a mixture of all. Three-four days back, I was quite blank, I was in a state of zen. And I loved that feeling because I wasn’t nervous, excited or anxious. But now it’s seeping in. The reactions have started coming in from the promos and the music, and so I’m a bit scared and hopefully, everything will come out well.

You’ve seen the film. How did you like it?

You know, because we worked on the film for so long, you can’t really get objective about the film. I’m in love with the film, I’m in love with my character, and I think that even if I’d lasted 10 years in this industry, I wouldn’t get a film like Saawariya.

It’s such a great opportunity to work with someone like Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I hope and pray, and will work doubly hard to work with this man again, because it was just an out-of-control, brilliant experience working with that man. Yeah, you do feel awkward, the first time you see yourself on screen. But it’s just such a beautiful story, and so excellently crafted that it’s a good feeling.

How do you think you’ve done?

I think I’ve done really well. I can’t compare myself with anyone, but on a personal level I think I’ve done a very good job.

You’ve worked before on Black, as an assistant to Bhansali. And now you’re his leading man. How different are things?

I don’t think there’s much of a difference, because I was learning then and am still learning now. He’s given me and Sonam a lot of love. He’s imparted a lot of knowledge about cinema, and about life, to us. And we’re just grateful to him for giving us such a big opportunity and launching us in such a big way. It was always a dream to work under him and my dream came true, so I’ll always be thankful to him. I just hope and wish that he continues to love me as much as he does right now.

Assuming you won’t tell us too many specifics about the character before the movie is out, is the character a lot like you?

Yes. The character’s name is Ranbir Raj, which happens to be my grandfather’s real name, his name was Ranbir Raj Kapoor. There are a lot of things, a lot of character traits which are very personal. There are conscious tributes, like the name, made by Mr Bhansali to my family and my grandfather. It’s a happy-go-lucky character, there’s a lot of inspiration taken from Charlie Chaplin and Raj Kapoor. If the character from Shree 420 was alive today, he would be this character.

Did your parents give you a lot of inputs on acting?

I don’t think I actually went to them for advice. Of course, since I’ve been growing up, they’ve always been subconsciously telling me things which have stayed with me. They don’t sit me down and say ‘these are the things you have to follow.’ They’ve never done that, they’ve left my decisions up to me. They guide me.

I just remember when I was shooting my first song, Masha Allah, I was really nervous. You know, people look forward to Sanjayji’s songs, he has this understanding of song picturisation and music. So I messaged dad, told him that I was really nervous, and asked, ‘What do I do?’

He messaged me back saying ‘Don’t be silly, what are you nervous about? You’re a Kapoor! Just smile and sing the song, don’t act like you’re singing just sing it passionately, and everything will turn out okay.’

Those were really encouraging words and really helped me. And then Sanjayji was guiding me throughout the film.

You’ve spent time on the sets as an assistant director. How much do you think that helps you, as an actor?

Oh, a lot. You know, before this I went to a film school for two years, then to an acting school. I’ve gone through the experiences and I must tell every budding actor or director that the amount you learn on a film set in just two months is something you won’t learn from even 10 years of film school. The grounding experience you get in cinema, the exposure you get…

And I got the opportunity to see Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji, such great actors. Everything was just magical because they are geniuses in their respective fields. I think it’s really important to assist on a film, especially if it’s a director you believe in and respect. You learn a lot, experience a lot and see a lot.

Did you have a plan in mind, to assist first?

Yes, completely. I loved Devdas and wondered if Sanjay Leela Bhansali knew I existed. So I kept a conscious agenda in mind that I would go to him, assist him, get my learning experience and also make it a point that he likes me and casts me in his next film.

You’ve known Sonam forever. Was it fun working with her?

Oh, we’ve grown up together. Such close family friends, our grandparents, parents and finally me and her. She’s such a good human being and apart from that she’s such a talented actress. Everything with her is all-heart. If she likes something she’ll say it, if she doesn’t, she’ll say it. Everything’s black or white, there’s nothing in the middle. And you know, we’re the only two people right now who feel the same thing at this moment, and our friendship has grown as we share the same nervousness and anxiety and excitement. We have the same kind of expectations and we share a lot together, so I think we’re really close friends and our relationship has grown stronger because we did our first film.

It’s one of the year’s most-hyped releases. Is all the buzz scary or exciting?

I think it’s a mixture of both. Scary because you think about all the expectations. The expectations are so high, and the fall will hurt more. But I don’t think about all that. I think of it as a responsibility, and I’ve worked very hard on this film and hopefully people will like it. I’m just asking people to give me a chance and not compare me to anyone. See me as an individual. I haven’t tried to copy or mimic anyone. This is all me, this is all Mr Bhansali and see it as Saawariya.

You’re starting your career with a big Sanjay Leela Bhansali film. Where do you go from here?

It’s scary, because if I had been in the industry for two-three years, and then go to Sanjay Leela Bhansali, I would understand the value of working with him. Getting to work with him in my first film itself, it’s like a diamond-encrusted spoon which is being fed to me. I just hope I can live up to the expectations of working with him.

I don’t know where I go from here. There’s no timetable, no decision on steps I want to take ahead, or the kind of films I want to do. I want to work with everyone and hopefully my journey will be enriching.

What do you think of the way Bollywood has grown over the last couple of years?

It’s fabulous. The exposure to Indian cinema internationally has grown drastically, and people look at it as a form of art. Earlier, it was just entertainment but now people are actually looking at Indian cinema. People say that films of the 1950s and 1960s, the stories they had aren’t being told anymore. I disagree. I feel people are making beautiful films, they have a lot to say.

What kind of films do you like to watch?

All kinds of films. I watch all the Hindi films, a lot of English films, foreign films. If you ask me favourites, I’ll say Shree 420, Life Is Beautfiul and Devdas — Mr Bhansali’s Devdas, that is.

As a student of cinema, how do you categorise Mr Bhansali’s work?

I wouldn’t categorise him, he’s a genius and that’s his style. You don’t come across people like this often. I have worked with him as an assistant director and I can say this with authority that he is the most hard-working person I have come across. To him things haven’t come very easily.

You love the film, you enjoyed working on it. How important is commercial success for you now?

It’s extremely important. You work so hard at it, you’ve given it your all, and who doesn’t want appreciation? At the end, you work for the appreciation, and want the film to do well. I haven’t gotten around to thinking of what’ll happen if it doesn’t do well. I have a positive outlook to it, and we’ll see what happens.

Are you looking at reviving the RK Studios banner?

Definitely, that’s my top priority. I want to bring all the glory days back to the banner. We are working on something right now and soon we’ll have something materialised. In the next two years, there will be a film releasing under the RK banner.

Alot of your contemporaries from film backgrounds are making their debuts. Are you guys competitive about this?

All the newcomers are my friends. I wish all of them luck as they wish for me. It’s like a brotherhood. It could be Neil, Sikandar, Harman, Imaad…

Sanjay Bhansali knows exactly what he wants. Was it hard being his leading man?

Sanjayji is a perfectionist, and he’s worked with such greats as Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. Him working with newcomers means the expectation is on him: what kind of a performance will he take out from the newcomers. I can’t gauge how well I’ve done, if I’ve kept up to his expectations. I worked really hard and Sanjayji is really, really happy with my performance. The biggest compliment he gave me was at the music launch when he said ‘you are the true successor of Raj Kapoor.’

Coming back to your question, there were a lot of stories that Sanjayji would shout a lot, would scold Sonam and me. There was nothing like that. The three of us are like a family: we go out for dinners, movies… Now, if he has certain kind of expectations about our performances, he has the right to shout at us. At the end of the day when you see yourself on screen, you’re just thankful to the man that he did that to us. Without that, I wouldn’t be able to do this performance.

Finally, speaking of Mr Bhansali’s stars and Shah Rukh Khan, how does it feel going up against him on the year’s most-awaited opening weekend?

Honestly, I’m so nervous and excited about it being my debut film that I can’t worry about things like that. Yes, I respect Shah Rukh Khan a lot, and I’ve been a fan of his. I hope his film does well, and our film does well too.

Just that our film does a little better.

Bollywood’s latest and most talked about entrant is Ranbir Kapoor. He has won the hearts of many young girls and guys even before his debut movie hit the screens. To make his career strong in Bollywood, the young lad is ever ready to do anything for his movie. For his first film ‘Saawariya’ directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, he goes bare bum.

In ‘Saanwariya’ the young man has done a scene in which he’s offfered more a peek of his bare backside, but to his credit, he’s quite cool about it.

“Yes, I have bared my butt in the film, and it’s for a song. I was not all embarrassed to do it at all. I would do anything at all for cinema. There are no inhibitions involved. I may be a very shy person otherwise, but once in front of the camera, I can open up. I hope people enjoy watching the scene,” he says.

Dressed in a casual shirt and jeans, lounging on his massive couch, and sipping a chocolate milkshake, Ranbir Kapoor gives no sign of the tumult in his mind. But with less than a month to go before he bares his soul in his debut film ‘Saawariya’ (director Sanjay Leela Bhansali), it seems that ‘star son’, and ‘has it all’ are phrases that are beginning to bother him seriously.

Starry snag
“People think that I have it all on a platter just because I am a Kapoor. But please don’t look down on me just because I am born into a ‘film’ family. We have our own disadvantages, our own disappointments. Sure, my rise is faster, but my fall could be harder,” he says with a hint of irritation.

“I just want respect for the fact that I also had my own struggle. I went through some very tough times during the making of the film. There were times when I would get depressed, but I kept myself going,”he admits softly.

Career mantra
However, Ranbir adds, “I know that even if I had been launched by my own banner, I wouldn’t have got such a great launch. Sanjay sir has taught me a great deal. Everything I do from now on will always be compared to ‘Saawariya’. It is the benchmark for all I’ll do later.”

So is that the reason why he hasn’t signed any films as yet? “I’m reading scripts, listening to story ideas. I want to do all kinds of films. My dad has always told me that many people depend on films for their livelihood, and it’s my job to keep on doing films. That is exactly what I intend to do.”

Pre-release pangs
Right now, life revolves around November 9 (the release date of ‘Saawariya’) for Ranbir. “All I can think of is the release of my film. I am too excited, too scared, too nervous to be thinking of anything else, let alone my next films.”

What does he think he’ll be doing a day before the film releases? After a minute or two of deep thought, he smiles, “I’ll Probably be jumping all over my house, screaming out loudly (a la Tom Cruise?). And, on a more sober note, I’ll be spending time with my family.”

If it bothers him that his debut is releasing at the same time as a Shah Rukh Khan film, he doesn’t let it show. “I want ‘Om Shanti Om’ (‘OSO’) to do well, and I wish them all the best. I want people to like ‘OSO’,” he says, before flashing that famed Kapoor smile and adding a postscript, “I just hope my film does better than theirs!”

Ranbir Kapoor makes his debut in bollywood in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s most coveted project of the year ‘Saawariya’, a young love story featuring Sonam Kapoor opposite him. With charismatic look and innocent smile, Ranbir has already won the hearts of many young girls and guys even before the movie hit the screens. Even though he is nervous slightly about his first release, the young lad is confident about his acting skills and aims to meet up to the huge expectations that surround him.

Q: Are you nervous about your Bollywood debut in “Saawariya”?
A: Honestly, I am not a bit nervous. I was anxious when the promos of the film started showing on television. I received a range of reactions from people I know and that made me both nervous and excited (laughs). I am happy that I am getting so much attention in my very first film.

Q: Are you happy that you are being launched in “Saawariya”?
A: Absolutely, we all have worked very hard for this film. When we completed it, I watched it as one in the audience. Not only did I like the movie but I also liked the character I have portrayed. Right from the time the film went on the floors, I tried to give my best in every shot.

I knew that bagging a film like “Saawariya” and working with a director like Sanjay sir would have been difficult even if I had spent 10 years in this industry now. I hope I get to work with him again.

Q: Does the character you play in this film resemble you in any way?
A: Oh yes, the role I play is much like the real me. My character has been named Ranvir Raj, in dedication to my grandfather Raj Kapoor. I am grateful to Sanjay sir for the way he has paid a tribute to my grandfather and my family through this film.
I love my character in the film, who is inspired by the legendary Charlie Chaplin and the role my grandfather Raj Kapoor played in “Shree 420″.

Q: Your parents have been great actors. What tips did you get from them as you step into Bollywood?
A: I haven’t received any special tips from them for “Saawariya”. They have never made me sit down and take notes from them. They have been teaching me a lot gradually right from my childhood. I have always taken my own decisions but they have been by my side to encourage and guide me.

They have never stopped me from doing anything, instead they have just made me foresee the benefits and the drawbacks of my decisions. I can recall how nervous I was for the shoot of my first song “Masha Allah”.

I just didn’t know what to do so I sent across an sms to my father telling him about my state. He replied via an sms that I shouldn’t be foolish.

He reminded me that I belong to the Kapoor family, he told me that instead of just acting I should sing along and emote with all my heart. His words gave me a lot of strength.

Q: When did you decide that you wanted to become an actor?
A: I didn’t take that decision in a day or two. I am from a family where acting runs in the genes. I was in America when I watched Sanjay sir’s “Devdas”. I had then decided that I would debut only with him. I was already getting many acting offers then but not from Sanjay sir.

I was wondering whether he knows about me at all. So I decided to take the first step and go and meet him, assist him in film-making and then work in his film as an actor. Fortunately, this dream of mine has come true.

Q: How was the experience of working with Sonam?
A: I am very happy that I have worked with her in my very first film. We knew each other since childhood. Sonam is very intelligent and straightforward, she talks from her heart. If she doesn’t approve of something she would go ahead and speak out.

Our friendship has grown stronger during the shooting of this film since as newcomers both of us were going through the same emotions. We have shared a lot of feelings.

Q: Are you under any kind of pressure to perform since you are from the illustrious Kapoor clan?
A: No, not at all. At this point of time, I don’t want to think that people would compare me with other members of my family who have been or are into acting.

I don’t want to think whether I would stand up to their expectations or not. I am responsible for what I am doing. I want to work very hard so that people don’t write me off as worthless. I don’t want to let anybody down.

Q: Did you join this profession because you are from the Kapoor family or do you genuinely love acting?
A: I wouldn’t say that I was mentally prepared to play a hero on reel. I just wanted to be part of cinema, I didn’t know whether as an actor, or director or producer or as someone else. At the same time, it is true that I am where I am because of my parents and grandfather. As of now, I want to add to their reputation.

Q: How’s Sanjay as a director?
A: He is not only an excellent director but also a good human being. He is a rare gem you won’t find everywhere. Many people say he is very lucky but the truth is he has sweated out a lot to achieve the top place in the industry.

Q: In the promos of “Saawariya”, you are spotted in a cap and with a guitar in hand, just like your father. Whose idea was this?
A: Every bit of the movie is Sanjay sir’s concept and idea. If I am resembling my father in any scene then that’s very good. We have received very good response to our first promo though I have not been intentionally made to look like my father. I have just acted out what the character demanded.

Q: The RK banner is going to be revived soon. Would you like to work under it?
A: Of course, that would be my first priority. I am going to bring back the golden days of the RK banner. We are going to start work in this direction very soon. I can’t reveal any more now but I promise you will get to watch a film under the RK banner in the coming two years.

Q: You are a big competition to other newcomers in the industry. What’s your take on that?
A: Come on, it’s not like that. Most of the newcomers in the industry are my childhood friends. They are all working hard the way I am, so my best wishes to all of them. Neil, Harman, Sikandar, Imaad and Imran are all like my brothers. I want them to wish me well the way I wish them well.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus ‘Saawariya’ and its stars Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor have become the talk of the town. Even before the movie goers got to see the real picture there is a huge fan following for Ranbir Kapoor. He is already considered the Gay Icon but his female fans are no less too. An incident that happened during Ranbir’s visit to Hyderabad on October 8 to promote his debut film Saawariya proves this statement right.

A source who travelled with Ranbir says, “Ranbir is hugely popular with the girls. I’ve seen them go berserk when he’s around. We were in Indore when a girl jumped from the crowd and couldn’t stop smooching Ranbir. On Monday, we had another crazy experience in Hyderabad.”

Ranbir and Co were travelling by car from their hotel Taj Krishna to PVR Mall in Hyderabad on Monday afternoon, when a crazy fan brought traffic to a halt.

Says the source, “A blue-coloured Santro stopped next to Ranbir’s car at a signal and a young girl was in the driver’s seat. When she saw Ranbir, she did a double take and ran out of her car with the engine still running!

She asked Ranbir for an autograph and he was horrified by her behaviour. He tried to persuade her to get back into her car since she was obstructing traffic, but she wouldn’t budge. Finally, the police had to come and sort out the massive traffic snarl she had caused!”

The source adds that Ranbir gets very embarrassed by his fans’ antics and is still to come to terms with his popularity.

“Sometimes, girls shout at him not to pull his car window up and bang on the car’s doors, or they tear his shirt, jacket or whatever he’s wearing and blow flying kisses at him. It’s crazy and he doesn’t know how to handle it!”

When we ask Ranbir, he sounds equally excited but sheepish. He says, “I felt like Tom Cruise.”

What are the advantages of having filmy background?
Sonam Kapoor: If I were not the daughter of Anil Kapoor, I would not have got this opportunity. It would have been very difficult.
Ranbir Kapoor: It is written for us. I would have been difficult if I were not from Kapoor family. But there are disadvantages too. The expectations are huge on us. The old adage – Rise is higher, fall is harder – applies to us.

Did you undergo any professional training?
Sonam Kapoor: I had been working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the past four years in the direction department. Working with SLB is like going to college and learning things.
Ranbir Kapoor: I did an acting course in a film school, New York. But what I learnt from Sanjay Leela Bhansali while working for him is much more valuable than I what I learnt at film school.

Why did you choose Sanjay Leela Bhansali for your first film?
Sonam Kapoor: I did not choose him. He chose me. He is my favorite director and the best filmmaker in the entire India. I never expected him to pick me up as heroine for this film.

Is acting there in your genes?
Sonam Kapoor: I could say that Ranbir inherited lot of acting from his parents Rishi and Neetu.
Ranbir Kapoor: Sonam inherited dedication and passion for cinema from her father Anil Kapoor.

Did you get any privileged treatment because of your filmy background?
Sonam Kapoor: People in the sets are nonchalant about our filmy background. And we never expected any special privileges.

Shall Anil Kapoor stop romancing on screen because you became a heroine?
Sonam Kapoor: No. Both of us are individuals and are free to choose the right characters for us.

How did you manage to shed your weight?
Sonam Kapoor: I could not believe it when Sanjay Leela Bhansali asked me to act in this film. I took the assistance of two experts from Hyderabad – Shervir and his wife. They made me lose all my weight.

Did you enjoy dances in this film?
Ranbir Kapoor: I struggled with my dances. But it was Sanjay Leela Bhansali who made my dances appear good on screen.

What is the story of Sawariya?
Sonam Kapoor: Sawariya is a simple and beautiful love story. It is about two souls consumed by love.

Were you nervous while doing this film?
Sonam Kapoor: when I asked the same question to Rishi Kapoor about Bobby, he said that he was not nervous. But very anxious and excited. The same applies to me.
Ranbir Kapoor: Yes, I was nervous.

You look good onscreen together? What is the secret?
Sonam Kapoor: We are good friends even before we signed up for this film. When you are good friends it shows on screen.

What kind of roles will you be doing in future? Are you up for exposing?
Sonam Kapoor: My family left the decision of choosing roles to me. I never stoop to the level of vulgarity. My parents trust me and they feel that I have good judgment. I would like to do both different films and typical glamorous roles.

Will you act in Telugu?
Sonam Kapoor: Yes. I am open for it. My father started his career in south films. I have high regard for the south films and south Indian directors.

Tell us about your aunt Sridevi Kapoor?
She is a legend. She is like my second mom. She did films like Sadma and Chal Baaz at the same time. That shows the kind of variety she offers. She balanced her career with commercial and critically acclaimed films. She is my god!

Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor – Saawariya Promotional Tour Pictures

His plans as head of RK Studios
We are planning two films. One will have Ranbir in it, the other Kareena. The scripting of both films is on and hopefully work will start by January.

On how filmmaking has changed since Raj Kapoor’s days
I think we have become escapists in our thinking. Our approach towards cinema has become plastic and life too has become far more expensive. That reflects in our films, not just in content, but also in the way we make films only to make money. My father, Mr Raj Kapoor, had the foresight. He made films that have endured not just in India but also abroad. Six-seven months back when I went to Tashkent and China , they kept asking me about his films. They see his films even now and have dubbedthem in their own languages.

My father made films for the ordinary man and kept the ordinary man in the middle of the story. That he had an understanding of the Indian situation was apparent when he made Prem Rog, which was released in 1982. Before the film got made, I had a fight with him and he almost threw me out of the house. My contention was that a film on widow remarriage would not work in an era when people were marrying multiple times. Prem Rog, nevertheless, became a successful film and was his most dramatically correct film. Even today I see new films lifting shots and sequences from Prem Rog. Though I had heard of yuppies and puppies and all that, last day I got to know about DINK: Double Income No Kids, earning childless couples. That’s far things have changed. Around 1950, when he made Barsaat, the film was given an ‘Adults Only’ certificate. Later from archieved documents, we learnt that the A certificate was because of a scene where Nargis was wearing a salwar-kameez without a dupatta. The morals were different, morality was different.

The making of a showman
I think, these days anybody who attends a lot of parties or is seen often on television, becomes a showman. It is his films that made Mr Raj Kapoor India ‘s greatest showman. He did not have much to show outside his films. It is what he did in films like Mera Naam Joker that counts. We created a Russian circus, had very expensive shots involving trains and the whole thing had a very David Lean kind of approach. When the film flopped, the financial impact on us was tremendous. At that point many leading actors and actresses offered to act in his next film without charging any money. But my father instead decided to cast a newcomer, Dimple Kapadia, in his next film. Bobby went on to become a huge hit. More than that, Mera Naam Joker has since then been accepted as a classic. Fortunately, Mr. Raj Kapoor never saw any films and got to know of what Dilip Kumar or Dev Anand was doing from others. We are fortunate to have seen him at work from such close quarters.

On why his father never cast him
I was fortunate to have my father and my grandfather, Prithviraj Kapoor, acting under my direction in Kal Aaj Aur Kal, but it’s my misfortune that my father never considered me in any of his films. He cast Sashi, Rishi and other members of the family, but maybe he thought I did not fit any of the roles. Even now, actors of my age don’t get any roles. They lie when they say that they don’t want to work any more. It is only Amitabh Bachchan who gets taken for these roles.

On the Kolkata days
My father had great affection for Kolkata, where he spent a lot of time in his early days. My grandfather came from Peshawar in Pakistan , much before Partition, and started working in New Theatres in Kolkata. My father was a little child then and maybe it’s this background that made him speak Bengali very well. I remember when we made the Bengali of Jagte Raho, Ek Din Ratre, my father used to converse in Bengali with technicians like Taru Dutt. I come to Kolkata every few months, and each time I miss being with my father here. As kids, he used to take us around showing where he lived, where he worked, where he had misti doi and maacher jhol. Whenever I’m here these days, it brings those sweet memories back.

The Group expects to earn over Rs 25 crore from the limited edition Saawariya product range that it will introduce by mid October. The range will be available till December 31.

Sony Pictures is likely to earn between 4 per cent and 10 per cent from the sale of the products.

The men apparel will be based on what Ranbir Kapoor wears in the film. Women will be able to get a Saawariya makeover or beauty treatment at the company’s salons in Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Surat, Bangalore, Nagpur and Coimbatore. The service may be extended to Delhi later.

“The idea was to give women a chance to look like the lead heroine (Sonam Kapoor). We have also developed and designed a special limited range of beauty products such as nail enamels, perfumes and hair accessories,” said Rahul Balchandra, head of beauty division of Future Group.

The deal entails co-branding of men apparel, beauty products for women and home furnishing in 300 plus stores across 42 cities.

Your entry into films…
Was inevitable. It was a lot like an unspoken truth. I think this is what happens when you grow up in an environment that eats, sleeps and talks cinema. Ever since I learnt how to walk and babble, I’ve always wanted to do see myself up there on the marquee.

Ranbir Kapoor, Imad Shah and Neil Nitin Mukesh — debut vehicles that dare to defy categorization…
Isn’t that brilliant? Neil and I have been brothers-in-arms since childhood; I have loved his performance in Johnny Gaddaar. As for Imad, I haven’t seen Dil Dosti etc but I am sure with his genes, he’ll not trip up. Can we not parcel out cinema as parallel or mainstream? Good cinema is good cinema without fretting over which section to classify it as.

A lover-boy image like your father…
Is not what I’m getting stuck in. I think it’s too early for me to decide which films I’ll be comfortable with since I haven’t the time or inclination to sit and introspect.

After Saawariya…
I see myself doing films that have a strong storyline base. I’m too new to my job to have the gall to decide what ‘my type’ of cinema is. I have just begun my career and I’d like to work my way up and have my work to speak for itself.

Your versatility as an actor…
Is to be decided by YOU — the audience. I have worked for Saawariya and I hope my efforts are reflected onscreen. I’d rather not get too scathingly self-critical because I’ll run the risk of getting far too objective.

Your pairing with Sonam…
Has been received well. She has lived her role. If we do get paired in future, I think it would be great but I reckon there should be some exclusivity in film pairings otherwise over-exposure tends to play spoilsport.

Your debut in Saawariya…
Is more than I could ask for. Getting to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali has made me only wiser.

Deepika Padukone’s and your film…
Release on the same day, I know. But I am way too nervous to even fret over how her film fares. It’s the fate of my film that I’m decidedly focussed on. Nothing else matters.

Equations in the industry…
Are rarely if ever balanced unlike chemical equations. While the ratio of the link up to break up formula might work or alternately not work in a movie’s favour, it’s getting the premise right that’s the trick to getting a hit or a miss.

Seeing Rishi and Neetu onscreen again…
Would bring back a rush of memories. Sharing screen space with my parents would be fun, don’t you think? I’d be real shy though to have to ‘act’ with mum but if it gladdens her, I’d make all the right noises!

Your consuming passion…
Is for all things palatable. I’m a complete foodie. I have been ‘hands on’ on shorshe machh. A close friend of mine is a Bengali. I haven’t picked up too much of Bangla but understand it enough to realize it’s the language of love.