'Shattered when Kareena walked out' - Ranveer

It's been fabulous; I've never been this excited ever. I got a call from Mr Bhansali's office asking me to meet him on a script. I met him the next day and barely had I returned home when I called him back saying I'd do the film. It took me absolutely no time to say yes. It's A dream to work with a genius and a big deal for a newcomer. Undoubtedly, he's a unique filmmaker. Some senior actors told me, 'You think this is a big deal for you, but you have No idea how big a deal it actually is!' Agreed his past few films may not have been that successful but the fact remains that his films have a certain standard.

Mr Bhansali wanted Kareena. And you can imagine my excitement! Besides being aware of how much I admire her, he believed we'd make a good pair. She also agreed to do it. I even bumped into her once when she gave a look test. Everything was hunky dory till then. Soon I took off to Europe for my birthday. There I had the most amazing time. I saw my favourite band perform live. I had my family and friends along with me. But the minute I got back, the first call I get is that Kareena has dropped out of the film.

That was shattering. I had already begun envisioning her as 'Leela'. Post her marriage now; I'm not sure how many opportunities I'll get to work with her. I hope we do get another chance. It's something I've always wanted, something I was super excited about.

No, her exit didn't kill my excitement. When I agreed to do this film, I didn't know Kareena was going to be cast opposite me. I knew Mr Bhansali would find a fitting replacement. Of course, it took a while to cast the female lead (Deepika Padukone). Shooting was delayed for two and a half months. We then visited Gujarat to get the flavour of the place, which is an essential part of Ram Leela. After BBB, this was my second opportunity to go on a research trip. But for BBB, Habib Faisal had done all the work beforehand, things like 'business' was written as 'binness' in the script itself. But for Ram Leela it was up to me to infuse the Gujarati dialect and accent into my character.

The thing is that Mr Bhansali gets extremely involved with the script and the actor. If I'm doing a scene where I'm weeping or where I'm sad, he'll be sad and undergo exactly what I'm going through. The amount of support and space he gives his actors is great. He's even collaborative, allowing you to bring your interpretation of the character. He might tweak it later but he'll invariably retain 80 per cent of our imagination. Another interesting thing is that he gets these 'jhatkas' (inspiration) on the set. Suddenly, he'll get a brilliant idea and elevate the scene further.

He nichodos (extracts the best) you. I perform from my heart but Vikramaditya Motwane and Mr Bhansali know how to get it out of your gut, from your inner visceral feelings. They create that atmosphere on the set. A set full of technical chaos isn't supportive. Like in the chat show Inside The Actor's Studio, Jim Carrey says acting in films is also about transcending all the bullshit that's happening around you. Directors like Vikram and Mr Bhansali make sure their team is diligent enough so you have no choice but to do your best. Yes, Mr Bhansali's a hard taskmaster but only when everyone contributes their best do you get something spectacular.

He's the director he's not only feeling what you're feeling, but he's also dealing with a dozen other things. He does have a temper. But from what I hear it's not as bad as it used to be. That's because he's so passionate about his craft. His endeavour is to achieve magic every day. Frankly, he's never been angry with me. We gel well with each other. The kind of reactions that come naturally to me is the type of performance he wants in Ram Leela.