Masala entertainers encouraged Ranveer Singh to become an actor

He has played myriad roles ever since his Bollywood debut in 2010 with "Band Baaja Baaraat". Actor Ranveer Singh, currently busy with Rohit Shetty's "Simmba", credits his career in the Hindi film industry to his love for masala entertainers.

Masala entertainers, are in fact, his "favourite" genre.

"Mainstream Hindi films, masala entertainers are the reason I ever wanted to become an actor. When I was a kid, I used to only watch these kind of films. It has been my education, it has been a part of my upbringing.

"So, it is a huge deal for me that I am finally doing something that is a true blue masala entertainer," Ranveer told IANS in an e-mail interaction from Mumbai.

In "Simmba", Ranveer will be seen playing a flamboyant policeman Sangram Bhalerao. He feels he has earned this opportunity.

"Having put in the work over few years, I'm getting to be a leading man in Rohit sir's film. I regard him to be the finest proponent in the masala genre.

"He is the undisputed best in the business of masala entertainers. It could not be sweeter, it could not be better," said the actor.

For the "Padmaavat" star, the entire "Simmba" team is like a close-knit family.

"The 'Simmba' journey so far has really been an enriching experience for me."

This will be the first time Ranveer will be trying his hands at mass comedy. He says it is his home territory as he is a big fan of actor Govinda.

"I'm a huge Govinda fan. Yes, I'm going to try my hands at mass comedy but I always thought this would be home territory for me because some of my favourite films that I have grown up watching are Govinda's films.

"Mass comedy is something that I thought I would be adept at," he said.

Calling the film a "full on family entertainer", Ranveer, 33, says he has realised that comedy is serious business.

"So like I said there are 'Navarasas' (nine flavours) - there is everything in the film -- there is action, there is drama, comedy, it's got these big action sequences, big songs, it's a full on entertainer for the family.

"Out of all the Navarasas, the most difficult one for me to play I realised is comedy. You really have to nail it. Your timing has to be just perfect," said Ranveer, who endorses eyewear label Carrera.

Now that the "Bajirao Mastani" star has tried it, he says he has "even more respect" for actors like Govinda, Johnny Lever, Kader Khan and Anupam Kher.

"What they do is really admirable and I have all the more love, respect, admiration and reverence for them having tried it myself," he said.

Is he thrilled to play a police officer, a character superstars like Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar have played successfully in the past?

"There is a lot of work that goes into making a masala film, in terms of demands on you as an actor... You really have to put in a lot. I am thoroughly enjoying it because I am getting to perform the 'Navarasas'.

"It's like every flavour is touched upon and celebrated -- whether it is comedy, drama, dance, action - everything rolled into one. It's is like a kaleidoscopic showcase of my ability as a performer and it's really so fulfilling," he said.

Ranveer calls "Simmba" his biggest film given the "very large scale" that it is mounted on.

(Durga Chakravarty can be contacted at durga.c@ians.in)

--IANS

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