Ranbir Kapoor turns director

August 25th, 2008, Two films old only, and he wants to take up direction already to revive his grandfather’s R K Films’ flagging banner.

And, if newcomer Ranbir Kapoor is to be believed, he would have taken up a home production earlier, only he had already accepted a lot of acting work outside. “My plan got delayed, but now I’m working on it,” Ranbir told BT with an air of bravado. “Things will fall into place very shortly. I’ll star in the film and direct it. Is that too much responsibility?” Yes, it certainly is! “But I don’t think so,” argued Neetu and Rishi Kapoor’s son. “I’m passionate about being a director. I’ve lots to say. And I hope audiences accept me as a director as much as they have as an actor.”

Raj Kapoor would love his enthusiasm. For Ranbir is clear that his home production will be a celebration of cinema. “It will bring a smile to the face, a tear to the eye, that RK Films was famous for,” he promised. But Papa Rishi might not find a spot in it. “We get lots of offers to act together, and I’d love to share camera space with him, but Dad’s busy with several acting assignments,” Ranbir revealed.

Comparisons with Rishi, that Prince of Romance in the action era of angry young man Amitabh Bachchan and he-man Dharmendra, are unavoidable. But Ranbir said, “I’m not making a conscious effort to walk in my father’s footsteps, though he’s my favourite actor and I don’t mind being compared with him. But I don’t act or dance like him, I want to be myself on screen.”

He talked about his latest (and second only) release. His role, apparently, was written with Shah Rukh Khan in mind. “Aditya Chopra had the script for some time,” admitted Ranbir. “When the role was offered to me, I grabbed it, I wanted to be part of something that was so young, so today.” Not to mention, the chance to work with Bipasha, Minissha and Deepika. “In Saawariyan, I didn’t get the girl, so God made up for that,” he joked. Who was he best with on screen? “I cringe when I see myself on screen, so I avoid looking, but people have liked my rapport with Bipasha,” he said. Yes, there was also a role for Katrina Kaif in the film, but her character apparently was omitted from the final script. Does he regret that? “Why should I,” Ranbir asked, “I’ll have plenty of other opportunities to work with Katrina.”

Meanwhile, he’s got Ayaan Mukherjee’s Wake Up Sid to look forward to. Shooting begins in October and is slated to wind up by January. Ranbir is happy to co-star with the sultry Konkana Sensharma. (“She’s effortless, just to hang around her is an honour!”) And he’s got films by Raj Kumar Santoshi, Shimit Amin and Prakash Jha on hand. “I’m listening to one script every day. But my aim is not superstardom. My target is to achieve what my grandfather did,” he said. Raj Kapoor must also be proud… and hopeful.

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