The Wild One! Ranveer Singh with his abundant talent and raw energy

Ranveer Singh always knew how to be in the limelight. When he was 16 years old, he gatecrashed Saathiya director Shaad Ali's party and danced to 'Jumma Chumma De De'. This unabashed manner has over the years won him legions of admirers, and also many haters who think he is an annoying attention-seeker.

But Ranveer, 28, couldn't care less, especially not when he is revelling in the success of his latest movie: Goliyon ki Rasleela Ram-leela has earned critical acclaim as well as Rs.52.75 crore in just three days, making it his biggest hit so far. "It's too taxing to be anybody other than myself," he says. "I won't conform for the benefit of others."

Seated in his black Jaguar, whose number plate, 6969, confirms his naughty credentials, he says, "I don't want a flat career graph. It has to be crazy." Ranveer started with a spirited performance as wedding planner Bittoo Sharma in Band Baaja Baraat (2010). He swept the best debutant awards and caught the eye of director Vikramaditya Motwane, who cast him as the thief-heartbreaker in Lootera (2013). "There was something really intense about him," Motwane says. His performance showed he could shuttle between cheerful rom coms and intense dramas. Now, accolades are pouring in for his performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's romantic tragedy, in which he demonstrates his range: He plays Ram, an over-the-top playboy, a despondent lover, a vengeful brother and a reluctant clan ruler. And makes a telling case that he is a formidable challenger in a scene dominated by the Khans.

He has some way to go though, especially in the numbers game. His previous three movies, including Ladies vs Ricky Bahl, have together earned only Rs.90 crore, a pittance by today's standards. But that does not bother him. "I don't believe collections are a barometer of success. I want my films to have repeat value." Indeed, money does not top his priority list. He hasn't signed an endorsement yet. "Brands have to value me the way I value myself," says the former intern copywriter with JWT and Ogilvy & Mather. "I won't be able to live with myself if I were in a tacky ad."

He can afford to. Ranveer Singh Bhavnani was born in the posh Mumbai suburb of Bandra to businessman Jugjeet Singh Bhavnani. His grandfather is the brother of Sonam Kapoor's maternal grandmother, which makes the actors second cousins. But they didn't meet much other than at their birthday parties, he says. Ranveer was a brat when he was in school, Learners Academy in Bandra. "He would always irritate me," recalls his photographer-friend Rohan Shrestha, adding that he bagged the leading parts in most plays. He graduated from HR College, Mumbai, and went on to pursue media studies at Indiana University Bloomington, US. There, his passion for acting was reignited.

Ranveer came back to four years of struggle: A year and half as assistant to Shaad Ali on ad films; an acting course at Kishore Namit Kapoor's academy; eight months with theatre group Ansh. He appeared for and aced many auditions but rejected the projects. "I took a gamble. I believed I was cut out for something bigger. I had my parents' support and so had the liberty to say no." He quit working and hit the gym to build a "sexy" body for his portfolio shoot. In 2009, he auditioned for Band Baaja Baaraat and impressed Maneesh Sharma. "There's a wild, energetic side to him but he's very focused," says Sharma, who also directed Ladies vs Ricky Bahl (2011).

Now that Ram-leela has perched him on the cusp of stardom, Ranveer's forthcoming projects will invite much scrutiny. He will next be seen in action entertainer Gunday with Arjun Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. He will soon start shooting Kill Dill with his "mentor" Shaad Ali. Thereafter is Zoya Akhtar's drama in which Priyanka plays his sister. But of all the characters he has played, the one closest to himself, he says, is Ram. "Ram is libidinal. He's intense, more like a man-child." That is quite an apt description for Ranveer.

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