Posted:
Q. You're in great shape these days. Is it courtesy an international trainer?
It's difficult to find trainers here who match that level of expertise. I researched well before I hired my trainer Llyod Stevens. I saw the results Hrithik Roshan achieved after he trained with international trainers for Krrish. His trainers put me onto Lloyd. I'm not doing this just for the sake of it; proper training is part of my work. Hrithik inspired me to put in much more effort and achieve my goal the right way. I'm in the best shape ever right now. What's most important is bouncing back after my back injury. I couldn't stand for two months. From being bed-ridden to going in for therapy for six hours a day for a month and eventually getting my back in order and achieving this physique... feel ecstatic.
Q. Success came to you early. Does it intimidate you?
It doesn't intimidate me. I enjoy it. I've always been an attention-seeking kid. I can't help it if I'm being myself and having fun. That's one thing people try to twist around and use against me. If I have inherent energy that's infectious so be it. I'm aware I'm not normal and am a bit more uninhibited than the rest. I don't try to seek attention. Rather I'm the centre of attention.
Q. In spite of lying low this year, you've got so much going for you...
I'm waiting for my films to release. The long gap is worrying because you don't want to be away for long. It's not advisable especially this early. But now Vikramaditya Motwane's Lootera is complete, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Ram Leela is on and Gunday, to be directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, will soon start. The line-up is exciting. I was always told by my mentor Aditya Chopra that the choice of films is most important. Hence I've been choosy. I'm glad I held out and didn't sign anything that came my way.
Q. Why did you choose an offbeat film like Lootera after doing commercial films?
I like to keep people guessing. I don't want to be repetitive. Lootera is a break from what people would usually expect from me. It's a period film and I play a guy who doesn't speak much. I kept asking Vikramaditya why he had cast me. The character was so not me. He replied, 'Somewhere, I've seen this side of you'. I kept surprising myself with what I was able to do with Lootera.
Q. Apparently, Deepika Padukone and you share great off-screen chemistry. The workshops were where the romance reportedly began...
We share great chemistry. Before the film, I'd met her twice or thrice at events. At Mr Bhansali's insistence we started building a rapport. We hit it off at the workshop. I really enjoy her company. Since we're both young, we have a lot in common. We go out with friends, hers and mine and we've become friends ourselves. However, whenever we've gone for a movie, there have been 15 other people too. But obviously only we get noticed!
Q. But there's obviously no smoke without fire...
That's what the media's looking for. They scrutinise everything possible. She's a warm, kind and totally sorted person. You have to admire that she's living away from her parents in a different city and running the show herself. And not letting success go to her head is commendable. She's freakishly calm and composed. There's never a dull moment between us. There is chemistry and camaraderie, I don't think about tomorrow...
Q. You never felt attracted towards her?
She's absolutely gorgeous. Though I'm not in that space right now. I'm not looking to be in a relationship. I'm too preoccupied with work and myself. But ya, if you ask me do I get lonely or do I miss that feeling of having someone, which is the greatest feeling in the world; or that sense of loving someone and being loved, receiving affection, the emotional support... yes I do miss all of that. I know it's fantastic but there are always two sides to it. When you receive, you also have to give. And I don't think I can at this stage, which is fine. I'm 27, have just started my career and want to give it my 100 per cent.
Q. What about your on-off equation with Anushka Sharma? Reportedly, she flew down to celebrate your birthday in Spain?
That story is untrue. Anushka is really, really special. I care about her a lot. But as it always happens, when we get caught up in our own lives, we kind of drift away. When I was working with her we were thick, now we've drifted apart. I miss her. I always miss her whenever we drift apart. And unfortunately we don't really cross paths.
Q. So as of now what's your equation with her?
We're friends. We're not as close as we used to be. But it's all chilled out.
Q. You've lost out on Anurag Kashyap's Bombay Velvet. Are you disappointed?
When Anurag came to me with Bombay Velvet (based on Mumbai Fables, a semi-fictional study of the city in the '60s by Gyan Prakash), I thought it was God sent. It was a character I wanted to play. As a performer you have certain strengths. Unfortunately, the film didn't work out as dates were a problem. I was already committed to Mr Bhansali's Ram Leela, a film of tremendous scale and budget. Now Ranbir Kapoor is doing the film.
Q. Didn't it pinch you even more to know this?
I'm so happy that the character and its film has got its worth. Ranbir is a brilliant actor. In fact, he dropped in on the set of Ram Leela when he was shooting in Filmcity. We spoke about the character and compared notes. I thought his take was interesting and vice versa. So it's all healthy competition in the name of cinema. I want him to win all the awards because I just love the character. I'm thrilled that chalo main nahin kar paaya, but someone just as good will do justice to it.
Health and Fitness
Anupamaa
Seher Hone Ko Hai
1