BOMBAY TIMES (March 27, 2017)

Ranveer Singh launches Durex Jeans, India's slimmest condom pack, which slides in your pocket easily so that you are ready for love anywhere, anytime. Follow #DurexJeans

Ranveer Singh gets serious... no, really!
DNA (January 1, 2016)


Main akela
Ranveer may have learnt to share space with actors on screen, but in real life, he runs solo. “Some actors get weird around me, mostly guys from my generation. I think I make them insecure,” he says. “But 200 characters live inside my head. They just pop out. It just happens,” he says. “I oscillate between extremes.”

He developed a baritone for Bajirao Mastani in the 21 days before shooting, where he locked himself up in a room and conjured up in his head the person he was going to be for the next few months.

In control
Ranveer is big on creative control, even when it comes to brand endorsements, the kind of work most actors treat as easy money for little effort. Ranveer says he was the brainchild behind the “My name is Ranveer Ching” campaign as well as the infamous Durex commercial. “No mainstream celebrity has ever promoted a condom brand, and I decided I should. So I called up Durex and told them I wanted to work with them.”

Best thing ever
“I love being in a relationship. It’s the best thing ever,” he says. “My whole thought process has changed. My priorities have changed. My mindset, my outlook, my world view — everything is changing.”

Playing the fool
“At my core, I’m hypersensitive. I’m melancholic, a brooder. So I adopt my public persona as a counter. The happy guy, the funny guy, the guy that makes everyone smile. It’s second nature now. Naseeruddin Shah calls me the fool… If life’s a stage, I play the fool, ” he says

Ranveer may not be in control of his mind but he’s firmly in control of his image. He’s keenly intelligent and without anyone knowing it, quietly running the show.

Ranveer Singh talks about life, love, ambitions and all that matters to him right now
Shubha Shetty-Saha (MID-DAY; October 12, 2014)

It's never an interview with Ranveer Singh. It is him chatting like an old friend, while you try to sneak in a question here and there. Excerpts from the chat with the actor:

Ranveer: Did you see my Kill Dill trailer?
Hitlist: Yes, it’s being talked about on social media.

Ranveer: Social media has become so huge. It is like putting a microphone in everybody’s hand. It has changed the definitions of human relationships. The equations in romantic relationships are also changing and how. Earlier you would meet someone at a party and if you are interested it would all play out differently. Now you have Facebook and Twitter — you can check on that person and start chatting immediately. We are all living parallel virtual lives, which is damn crazy but exciting, too. As a celebrity, you open up about your life and brace yourself for all kinds of criticism. People will say good and bad things, you just need to be thick- skinned about it.

But that mystery factor that added to the allure of a star is missing now.
I agree. The mystery is dying a slow death which is why I think the new definition is how accessible you want to be. Being available and out in the public eye can make you go crazy. You need to know when to switch off. At this juncture, when I am done with Dil Dhadakne Do and starting work on Bajirao Mastani, I plan to go underground for a while. Playing Bajirao will require a different level of work and intensity. For me, this character could be life- altering. I will move my base and disconnect from the world. Just the other day, I had an inspiring chat with Farhan Akhtar. He told me that sometimes in your career you have to recognise ‘that’ role and give it all. For him it was Milkha (Milkha Singh in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag) and for me it is Bajirao. I know a year later, I will come out an altered human being but at the same time it scares me because the intensity of the character may affect my psychology.

Eventually, when you have to experience that kind of emotion in real life, you have no feelings left and you react differently as the character drains you emotionally. It scares the shit out of you, but it is a rabbit hole I am consciously getting into. I am terrified of it, but that’s what I like about it. I am going to make this special.

Is that why you have slashed the price for the role?
I don’t like talking about money publicly. I am not an actor because it pays me well. I do it for the love of acting. I have never made a decision because of the monetary aspect. The script needs to excite me.
By God’s grace, my father has worked hard and made life comfortable for us. Yes, we have gone through financial crunches, but he has always provided us with food and a roof over our heads. That’s why I have been able to take the gamble with my profession. The trade chooses to put a star value on you, but (laughing) sometimes you are not really earning as much as people might think you do, because you don’t really do things for money.

But more money also means more freedom to choose.
Mere itne shaukh bade nahi hai. I don’t lead a very lavish lifestyle. I choose to live with my parents because they sort out my life. Everything is done for me which empowers me to go out and do what I want. I remember, not so long ago I was offered a ridiculous amount of money to do something and I discussed it with my dad. He simply said, if you are not sure, don’t do it. We don’t need the money. When I was 21 and came back from USA after finishing my degree, my dad was going through a financial crisis. But he never asked me to earn just because he had invested in our education. Instead, he encouraged me to do what I want.

The condom ad was also what you wanted to do and not because of money?
After Band Baaja Baaraat there were lot of offers, admittedly they were not so tempting or lucrative till Ram- Leela and Gunday happened. One day as I was travelling, I saw billboards with faces of stars. I thought: People are selling everything, why aren’t they advertising condoms? We have evolved as a society, but sex is still looked at as a dirty and taboo topic. We need to have an open discussion about sex. (Laughing) So I thought of approaching the condom brand I use. It was my idea. I got my best friend to direct it and it became huge. I am glad that it was my first ad because advertisements are part of your equity. They are not involuntary consumption, so it becomes your duty to make them entertaining. I love pushing the envelope. It gives me a high.

It also brought out your humourous side.
It is a Cancerian (his sun sign) trait to be sensitive, emotional and have a lot of empathy towards things happening around you. So for me to trivialise everything and make things light around me is a defence mechanism. People think I am goofing around and that I am a funny person, but for me it is just an easier way of getting by. Otherwise, I will end up taking everything to heart. Being emotional is good for an actor though.

But it can also work against you.
People who care for me, such as my father and Adi sir (Aditya Chopra), tell me that I can’t devalue myself and get emotional about business negotiations. There is no place for emotion in this industry. Thankfully, I have a strong support system that helps me get away from doing business deals and concentrate on the creative side. I am enjoying myself right now.

Any plans to write a script soon? 
I am attempting one. When I was in film school in USA, I had written a script which got me an A plus plus grade. My professor told me that it will fetch me a good price. But when I came back, I saw that script already being made into a film. I have another idea in my head. Also, I have seen this Hollywood film which would make for a great premise for an Indian movie. I want to write, direct and make music at some point. I don’t want to only stick to acting. When I have my own home, there will be a music-studio in it. My dream is to do something like what Woody Allen does.

Tushar Joshi (DNA; May 21, 2014)

Ranveer Singh is currently on a cruise ship in Barcelona, shooting for Zoya Akhtar’s film. He reunites with Anushka Sharma, with whom he made his debut, in this film. Before that, he sat down for a tete-a-tete. We talked about everything from being an outsider to the two million-plus views for his condom ad, from sex, to being open to full frontal nudity. And it is all in the Singh ishtyle — ballsy and brawny. Excerpts from the conversation...

How different is the Ranveer of 2014 from the one who made his debut four years ago?
In my first year I had no idea how to be. I wasn’t raised around anyone who is famous, I didn’t know who to be or what to say. It wasn’t just the first year, it was well into the second year as well. It took me around two years to get used to it. I am still very open, honest and frank. I don’t mince words, but I do understand that there is a level to which you can speak your mind. Ninety per cent of the time I am pretty honest, it’s that 10 per cent you don’t want to ruffle any feathers as it will create nuisance, it is that 10 per cent that people use and twist and turn and they create misunderstanding. So there is a 10 per cent tact that has come into my way of being. I am very happy about it as God knows I needed it. With successful films a bit of self confidence has also come. I had to hit the ground so to speak when it came to coping with fame. I can’t put up a public image and be someone I am not. But now I am slowly getting used to becoming a public figure.

Do you still feel like an outsider?
Yes, I am not from a film family, so I will always feel like an outsider. I am an outsider by my fundamental constitution. The industry has been very warm and accepting and that’s based on my ability. Yes, I have a lot of friends and wonderful personal equations with people in the industry, but I am still not a filmi kid. I don’t go back many years with anyone. I was born and raised in Mumbai so I do know some people, but for the most part I am first generation. God willing if I have kids someday and they get into the industry, then they will be filmi kids.

Your condom commercial is as big a hit as your last film...
I always thought that the Do the Rex video would become really big or we would get a big jhaap on our faces. I was totally invested in it from start to finish because it was my idea. I was out daydreaming one day while promoting Ram Leela and thought, ‘Yaar apne desh main koi condom kyu nahi promote karta?’. I was passing by a small town somewhere in the North and I saw all these hoardings; somebody was endorsing toothpaste and someone was selling fairness creams. I thought the one product that really needs to be promoted in our country is condoms. We have so many sex-related problems. So I told my people to check if Durex wants to tie up because I have been using that brand all my life. They came up with this idea and then my best friend Karan Kapadia and I got together and made it. When it was ready I was shit scared and I didn’t know how people would take it. But the day it released my phone went crazy as if a hit film of mine had released on a Friday. Bosco, who choreographed it, said he has never got such a reaction to even his songs and I felt the same way: That I haven’t got such massive reaction for any of my films.

Why do you think it took so long for an actor to endorse safe sex?
It took me three-and-a-half-years. I was offered many endorsements before and I said no to staggering amounts of money, I feel like whatever I do becomes part of my equity. So I am very hung up on creatives being a former copy writer myself. It’s put me over the moon when it did so well. It’s because traditionally we have unnecessarily been making so much noise about the forbiddeness of sex, it’s taboo, that’s why rapes happen and it’s terrible.

You remember the first time you discussed sex?
I was an early bloomer in that sense. I got into pornography earlier than everybody, I lost my virginity at an early age, I was at that point considered to be a corrupt influence on other kids. I was always ahead of my times. I have also been raised with a very liberal outlook. I have lived in America so that has had a great influence on my mindset and am very comfortable with my sexuality and I guess it comes from a lack of insecurity. I am not afraid to talk about sex. People say such a bold move, it takes guts, but I have always been like this.

Your thoughts on frontal nudity? Would you do it if offered a part that required you to go bare?
I am not closed to doing anything. I am perfectly fine with it. I am comfortable in my own skin, and I work very hard to maintain my body. I have no qualms about doing a nude scene, if I believe in the director’s vision and if I am convinced that it is required in a scene, I’d even do full frontal nudity. I have said in my first year, I have no issues with showing my body whatsoever. For me being physically naked is not a big thing at all, because I as an actor let people into a much more personal space. I am baring my deepest emotions to an audience for me that’s the most naked I can possibly be. If I am crying or emoting, I am letting you into my heart. If I can be that naked then this physical nudity is not a big deal at all.

Now that you are active on social media, how do you deal with negative comments?
If I read anything negative on my timeline, I just block them. Fortunately, 90 per cent of all the messages I get are all positive. But yes there is a section of people who say nasty things, and I don’t have time for them so I just instantly block them. I will block people with negative tweets because I have the option to do it.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; May 5, 2014)

In an industry where friendships are fragile and competition is fierce, it’s hard to be buddies. But Karan Kapadia and Ranveer Singh’s dosti has survived for 20 years! If Durex is the first product that Ranveer has endorsed, it’s also the first big ad directed by Karan. Here the filmmaker talks about his friendship with the Ram Leela actor, and how the equation remains unchanged despite Ranveer’s star status.

You and Ranveer are best buddies?
That’s right. We go back 20 years. We weren’t studying together — Ranveer had come to our school for an elocution and drama competition. He actually started seeing my best friend and that’s how we got to know each other. What’s more, I always wanted to be a director and he wanted to be an actor.

Ranveer tells us you are like a second son to his parents...
That’s absolutely true. Ever since we became friends, I have been regularly spending nights in his house. Ranveer has become a star but for me he’s still the same — my buddy, my brother. We still talk a lot of shit with each other and do a lot of masti together. For me nothing has changed except for the fact that Ranveer’s dream has come true. I still find it hard to believe the kind of adulation he gets. It’s great for him.

This is your first ad film?
This is my first big ad film. I have done a couple of other commercials. I have shot the entire Prithvi Theatre Festival with Kunal Kapoor, their promos, also shot for a brand called Fuschia Tree — small stuff. The Rex ad is actually the first big ad film.

Tell me about your background?
I quit college when I was in London. I started working as an assistant director to ad filmmaker Ram Madhvani. After that I did six films and a couple of small ones like Little Zizou and The Other End Of The Line. Zoya Akhtar’s Luck By Chance was my first big film where I assisted. Then I assisted Mani Ratnam on Raavan. I was with him for two years and he was the one who made me into a filmmaker. After that, I was Reema Kagti’s first AD (assistant director) on Talaash. That is the last film I did.

How did the ad happen?
Ranveer and I had been discussing for a long time about what he wanted to endorse as his first brand. He wanted something that will not only create an impact but will send some kind of a social message. He didn’t want to endorse something like fairness cream or a generic brand. We waited, and in between had started work on another product, but it didn’t happen. That was a year ago. Ranveer then came up with this idea.

He said, listen bro what do you think of endorsing a condom ad? I said it’s great, nobody has done it. In a country where everyone feels sticky talking about it, it was not only a mature thought, but a great move. He got in touch with Durex and we had our first meeting. They didn’t have a clue how to go about it because they had never done a condom ad. We presented the concept and the creative script. They gave us one line, around which we had to work — When you have great sex, do the Rex.

Why is Ranveer the best choice for the ad?
Because I don’t think anyone else can pull it off. Everybody is too conscious of their image. Ranveer is also conscious about his image but he is smart, intelligent, very mature. He doesn’t carry any baggage with him. Really good actors endorse few brands. For example, Rajinikanth doesn’t endorse any brand, Amitabh Bachchan endorses anything. Ranveer comes from a space where he believes in what he is doing. No other actor in our country has the ability to make fun of himself in a charming way, and find that balance. They need to stop taking themselves so seriously.

Any doubts while making the ad?
There were thousands of doubts, and apprehensions. We really didn’t know how people would react. The response has been so positive that we are humbled. Within a week, it has had close to 1.8 million hits. The industry has been calling and congratulating me and Ranveer. This is even without it being launched on TV as yet! Here’s an ad that has people talking openly about having sex and simultaneously sharing this social message ‘have sex but please use condom’. It’s definitely important in a country like ours.

Very unusual for a condom ad, right?
It’s unusual for an agency which was not involved in the initial stages. They approved our idea. Also, let me tell you that the lyrics are written by Ranveer who has rapped it himself. I had dummy lyrics so that we could get the tune right. Ranveer was working on it and cracked it a day before the shoot. We recorded it and then shot.

A lot of people feel he is too loud. What does his closest buddy think?
I keep telling him, tone it down, tone it down! Ranveer’s got so much energy and burning passion inside him. I constantly bring him down and tell him to play it subtle. Sometimes it’s too overwhelming and you want to see a controlled performance. He is definitely working on it. He is a versatile actor and with a good director he will be able to do it.

You have used that aspect of his personality for the Do the Rex video...
The energy of the ad is such that for certain things we have retained his over-the-top exuberance and for certain things we have kept it subtle. His first expression after he has great sex is natural. It’s an expression of what the f*** has happened to me! But when he is rapping, he is cool and while dancing he’s over-the-top because it’s a celebration. He has varied it quite well in the film while retaining himself.

The best thing about Ranveer?
His dedication. He is so serious and passionate about his work that even if he doesn’t agree with you, he will listen. If you ask him to just sit for 20 hours he will do so without any nakhras. His work ethic can’t be challenged. That quality will take him beyond any other actor.

And finally, which is your favourite part of the video?
There is a lot of it that I like, but the part I like the most is the second rap — Iss tale ki chabi tu jeb mein rakh, tujhe kya pata kab lag jaye tera luck... Though it’s cocky, it’s still got a meaning, and it’s flowing. I haven’t had to cut the shot — it’s a single shot.

Upala KBR (DNA; April 23, 2014)

Ranveer Singh is the first A-List actor to endorse a condom! The actor who always pushes boundaries, whether it is with his clothes, films or endorsement choices, talks about why he took on a product that promotes safe sex. Read on...

Your first reaction when approached to do a condom ad?
Honestly, I was instantly on-board! I was always clear that I wanted to endorse a product that truly has a positive impact on society and sends out the message of being socially responsible too. With the kind of problems we face in our country — HIV and STDs and unwanted pregnancies — I strongly feel that if there is one product that needs to be endorsed, it is condoms. So the idea occurred to me and I proactively approached Durex because I believe they have a global legacy. I also believe that I have a certain connect with the youth and so I must leverage it to spread awareness about sex.

What made you say yes to the brand?
Well, I think you should ask Durex why they said yes to me! Because, as I mentioned, it was actually my idea! I have been a part of the Hindi film industry for the past three-and-a-half-years and several brands have approached me with very tempting, lucrative endorsement offers. But somehow I didn’t believe in the brands or maybe I felt those products shouldn’t be endorsed. Something or the other was always amiss. So I am very glad that I have started out on the endorsement front on my own terms. While I am aware that it’s an edgy choice, I have never really made any choices in life that took the middle road. With this, I get to use my celebrity status to positively spread awareness about sexual well-being — a topic that people seriously need to get educated about and start talking about more openly — and if my ad is a conversation starter, I think it’s awesome.

Are you involved in the creatives of the ad?
Yes I am, and I thoroughly enjoyed being involved. It was a collaborative effort. They came up with the central idea and then I just built on that! It’s a very unique idea. I hope people enjoy watching it as much as I did working on it! Rapping for the ad was especially fun for me. Do you know, I was a copy writer before I entered the Hindi film industry? I worked with JWT and ONM and I was told I could have quite a career in copy writing!

Why do you feel that you are the best choice for this ad?
I am very comfortable with my sexuality and I am comfortable engaging in conversations and speaking about the subject of sex. I have no qualms and make no bones about it. In our country sex is still a taboo subject. Sexual well-being is a topic that calls for healthy discussion, education and awareness and should not be shunned.

It’s a bold move...
Yes, I guess I can see why this could be perceived as bold. I only wanted to do something unique and something that made sense to me, I wasn’t really thinking about whether it was bold or not.

Do guys always carry condoms in their wallets?
Well, I always do. And if there are guys out there who don’t, then they absolutely should.

Do you remember the first condom you ever saw?
No, I don’t have any memory of this.

If you were allowed to write the tag line for your condom brand, you’d say
I absolutely love the current tag line of Durex (and I am not just saying this because I endorse the brand!). Sex is an expression of love so Love. Sex. Durex — I mean isn’t that exactly what it’s about?

Only sex symbols are approached to do condom ads. Agree?
Why not!

Are you okay to be labelled as a sex symbol?
Yes, absolutely!

Are you aware that condoms are not hundred per cent safe?
No method of contraception can give you 100% protection against pregnancy, HIV or STDs. We all should be aware of it.