Padmaavat: Ranveer Singh opens up on his Khilji role like never before

He can be a loyal and intelligent ruler as Bajirao and he can also be the menacing and evil ruler Khilji. Such is the versatility of Ranveer Singh that he easily metamorphoses himself into the character he plays onscreen.

This time he had a bigger challenge up his alley as he took on the mantle of portraying an out-and-out negative character of Alauddin Khilji in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama ‘Padmaavat’.

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The movie after several controversies finally saw the light of the day on Jan 25 and opened to a massive response. Ranveer’s Khilji act has been amassing praises and the actor can’t keep calm. All the hard work has been paying off finally. (Also Read: Padmaavat BTS: How Ranveer as Khilji and Shahid as Maharawal came into being)

So, as the actor has been receiving praises for his negative act, one wonders what inspired him to take on such a role. Speaking to IANS, Ranveer said, “There’s no references (for the character) as such and it definitely didn’t come from within. I cannot really relate to Alauddin Khilji at any level. I am not as ambitious, as greedy and as manipulative.”

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Speaking further about the risks involved, the actor says, “It was a huge risk. I was very apprehensive about taking the risk but Bhansali was very persistent in his pursuit of me and he is the one who convinced me that I would be able to pull it off. I went with his conviction. I can never say no to Bhansali, given the amount he has contributed to my career and to me as an artiste. Once I committed, I put my everything into it. But, yes, initially there were apprehensions.”

While, his performance is earning rave reviews, many feel that his characterisation of Khilji was too barbaric and cruel. To which the actor replies, “As an actor, I just have to stick to the character that I find in the script.” Okay!

With so much spoken on Khilji, the actor finally proceeds to talk about his upcoming projects. He says, “I am working with films and filmmakers who are very different from each other. Zoya Akhtar, Rohit Shetty and Kabir Khan… It is again a very good opportunity to showcase my versatility… In my own estimation, I am attracted towards actors who are able to transform themselves with each character. “I always hope to be that way. I always endeavour to be that way.”

Inputs from IANS

Prajakta Ajgaonkar

Passionate about writing, and a Bollywood lover, she is all that is sweet and endearing! She desires to put her best foot forward in everything that she does and loves to help anyone who’s in need.