Ranveer Singh says he stayed focused in the most testing of times

Bollywood star, youth icon, fashion icon, entrepreneur and actor. It’s taken Ranveer Singh just over a decade to tick all those boxes and establish himself as an entertainment super brand who promises a maverick surprise, every time he hits the public gaze, on or off the screen.

Ranveer’s success as a celebrity lies in his ability to balance two very different aspects of being a new-age Bollywood star. He is equally at home cutting an impromptu eccentric picture — mostly highlighted by his irreverent sartorial choices for the media glare — as he is while showcasing well-prepared perfection while living his protagonist in films such as Bajirao-Mastani, Padmaavat and Gully Boy.

Tough character

He can now afford to look back at his struggling years with a note of contentment.

“At different points and in several instances during my struggling years, I felt like there was no hope. Getting one’s foot inside the door of a largely exclusive entertainment industry seemed unachievable. But I persisted. You could say I was both hungry and foolish. More than anything, I believed in my abilities and in my potential,” he recalls.

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“Even back then, when I had nothing, the same driven, tenacious and meticulous work ethic was characteristic of my hustle. I was well aware of what a long shot it was. But I was willing to take that leap of faith. When there wasn’t a good lead in sight for long periods, the phone wouldn’t ring for months, my faith was challenged, but I debunked the idea that what I was trying to achieve was impossible. I stayed focused in the most testing of times…,” he adds.

Ranveer would tell you it is important for him to draw from life’s experiences, in order to take his on-screen roles to the point of authenticity.

“For each different character, one has to tap into one’s own bank of experiences to make the portrayal truthful, visceral and honest. I deeply empathise with the underdog characters that I have played because I have been through a similar journey in my own life,” says the actor. — IANS