Thankfully, my life has been very different from Sanjay Dutt's: Ranbir Kapoor

Actor talks nepotism in Bollywood and how two stars hailing from powerful families have different personal demons


Entertainment Desk June 20, 2018
PHOTO: MENS XP

Bollywood celebrities have tirelessly brought the word 'nepotism' into the limelight. Ranbir Kapoor who hails from one of the most prominent families of Indian cinema, has acknowledged the existence of nepotism in the industry. Despite all, the actor has never held himself back in proving his craft.

Ranbir Kapoor's performance in 'Sanju' trailer will blow you away

In his decade long Bollywood career, Ranbir has experienced the pros and cons of being a star kid. Moving forward with his good rapport in the industry, Ranbir recently told Filmfare about the privileges he had belonging to the Kapoor clan. His words come after realising the struggle that Sanjay Dutt, despite coming from a well-known family, faced throughout his life.

PHOTO: INDIA TODAY PHOTO: INDIA TODAY

Ranbir said, "I don’t take my job for granted. I understand that I’m one of the few privileged people who had it easy in life. I also realise that there are still many people in the world, who are way more talented than I am. I believe that if I take my job lightly or don’t seriously commit to every role, I won’t deserve the position that I’m in today."

The 35-year-old expressed his anxiety on playing Sanjay - a star who is still relevant in today's day and age. Ranbir confessed, "It was a daunting task for me. I knew the expectations; I knew I was portraying someone who is still so relevant and a much-loved superstar. I knew the challenges and I also knew that there is a fine line between mimicry and representing someone who is loved by so many people."

PHOTO: PEEPING MOON PHOTO: PEEPING MOON

The Barfi! actor added, "I had to represent Sanjay sir with a lot of respect, dignity and heart. It took the entire team six to eight months to get ready. The preparation, prosthetic tests and character rehearsals demanded intense dedication and perfection." Ranbir also stressed that the bottom line of Sanju is that it’s inspired by Sanjay's life "as it was".

When questioned on how much his real life resembles Sanjay's, Ranbir replied, "Not at all. You know me since I was a child. I’m more of an introvert. In this film, I really connected with the fact that we’re not seeing the larger-than-life Sanjay Dutt. We’re seeing him as a young boy who is lost; someone who is scared of his father; someone who lost his mother at a young age."

PHOTO: FILMFARE PHOTO: FILMFARE

I thought it was Sanjay Dutt, not Ranbir: Rishi Kapoor on 'Sanju' trailer

The Rockstar actor explained that Sanjay's mother, Nargis Dutt passed away barely two days before the release of his debut film Rocky. Speaking of essaying the controversial 90s actor, Ranbir added, "The film has everything - from Sanjay sir getting into bad company, his battle with drug addiction, the price he paid for his wrongdoing and how he resurrected himself despite everything. My life has been very different. Thankfully, there are not so many controversies."

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