Since the film’s trailer was released, people have been totally digging into you and Deepika’s pairing post the break up. But what exactly do you play in the film?
You almost told mere dil ki baat, yaar! Nobody is asking me this question as they are more interested in filling their spaces with lots of masala on how awkward Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone must have felt while working together, what they would have done and all that! But then, the film is not about that. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is a film, crafted for the youth brand of India. Its about Deepika, Aditya Roy Kapur, Kalki Koechlin and myself, four youngsters who set out on a trek together and it is the journey of these four youngsters that we wanted to capture. That time in their lives when they are young, brimming with ideas, and ambitions and desires, the first time they fall in love, the first time their heart breaks, the second time they fall in love, so the name practically embodies the film in general!
Off late, we have seen you doing films like Rockstar and Barfi, which are commercial yet strongly performance driven. A film like Yeh Jawaani hai Deewani is categorized on the lines of an out an out commercial entertainer like Bachna Ae Haseeno. Why did you opt for a paradigm shift from what you were doing? Barfi! and Rockstar have been two of my favourite films, by far. I cannot deny that along with Wake Up Sid, these two films have shaped up as a better actor of sorts. Yes, both films were very performance driven but they were easy for me since I had to portray a character so different from me. I had certain prototypes for me to reach up to but in a film like YJHD, I had to play myself which is way harder than anything. You have to reflect your own personality and that certainly was a little tough for me to do. But it is not a deliberate paradigm shift. I always wanted to work with Ayan again and I would have almost killed him if he offered the film to someone else. We are the best of buddies and I will always work in films, he plans to make!
You are slowly turning out to be the biggest dark horse in Bollywood, bagging away all awards in a nomination list filled with heavyweights. Are you expecting the same with YJHD?
Well, awards have never mattered to me. I never even thought of getting awards while signing Rockstar or Barfi!. But I think, ek award sone pe suhaga ho jaata hai. Once the people like the film, awards ad that little shabashi to the credit. But more than that, when people go to the theatre, like my films and appreciate my performance, I guess that is the biggest award for me.
How much could you relate with your character in real life?
Honestly, I would like to be like Bunny but I am more like Sid from Wake Up Sid, sitting art my home relaxing in my boxer shorts with the video games by my side!
