Shahid Kapoor sets record straight on the rumoured war with Ranveer Singh over sharing screen space in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmavati'
Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh
Shahid Kapoor's long paternity break ends next week when he begins shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's historical-drama, 'Padmavati'. Keen to spend time with wife Mira and daughter Misha, who was born on August 26, the actor had kept himself away from film studios for three months.
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In the much-hyped Bhansali project, Shahid plays Rani Padmini's (Deepika Padukone) husband, Rajput king Raja Rawal Ratan Singh, who ruled the state of Mewar, in present-day Rajasthan, in the early 1300s. Before he was signed on, Vicky Kaushal and Fawad Khan's names did the rounds for the part.
Shahid is amused that there has been continuous deliberation in the press about the casting. "I was surprised to see so much interest in the film and cast even before it had rolled," he says. Once the three lead actors were confirmed, the curiosity surrounding the project that's expected to touch R190 crore to make, heightened. That Deepika and Shahid were cast together for the first time caught viewer interest. "We could not have got a better platform for our first outing together," he adds. But, the detail that caught the fancy of the industry and fans was the rumoured cold war between Ranveer Singh (who plays Alauddin Khilji) and Shahid over screen time.
Reports suggested that when Sasha came on board, it was ensured that the story didn't focus only on Padmavati and Khilji, but explored the queen's relationship with Ratan Singh too. This apparently had irked Ranveer, and Bhansali, it was alleged, had been unable to get the two to sit across the table for a chat.
"You know what the film's title was meant to be, right? It was 'Padmapati'," he says sarcastically. He clarified that they are all happy to do the film, and have met. But did Ranveer and he discuss this face to face? "Well, we did not sit across a table, as reported. We were seated on chairs facing Sanjay sir, who was seated on a sofa," he says, adding, "What others may have thought when I joined the cast, I don't know, but sir told me he would not offer me a role that wasn't worth my time."
He'd rather talk about the new phase he is to enter as a performer. "My focus is on being part of one of the most anticipated films of 2017. I love Sanjay sir's need for perfection. I need someone to push me. I love being pushed from a cliff, till I am hanging for dear life with one hand."
Shahid is an admirer of SLB's craft. "I have the chance to work with him. I'm not doing anything extraordinary to get into the character. I'll go with his vision," he says when asked if beefing up is part of the prep. "I can't talk about my character or the film. You know he [Bhansali] doesn't like it," he says.
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