God knows he wants to break free! This Queen anthem, which he enacted in an Instagram video clip as a tribute to Freddie Mercury recently, sums up Ranveer Singh’s current state of mind. From shattering the status quo of Hindi cinema, where he is unafraid to essay the role of an antagonist to debunking sartorial norms, Ranveer Singh is an “atarangi”, as he mentions it. Remember when the maverick casually flaunted a boho skirt for a movie promotion?
The best bit, though, is that the fashion icon is rewriting gender-based rules, at least as far as fashion is concerned. “As my school friend once put it, I have always been atarangi. I make authentic choices when it comes to my style. I have zero filters and I don’t fear anyone judging me. I don’t make a conscious effort to break stereotype but I don’t hold back either. With anything or anyone, in any situation,” says the 33-year-old actor, who is also the Indian brand ambassador of the equally edgy fashion label, Jack & Jones. The Denmark-based brand are the only ones who can make this versatile dresser wear a sweatshirt! “When I am feeling quiet, I prefer sweatshirts in muted colours. But when I’m energetic and ready for anything (which is most days), I express myself with vibrant colours, printed blazers and ripped denims.”
From cornrows tomohawk
The colourful side of his personality, however, is not limited just to his wardrobe. He has sported everything from mohawk to cornrows, the latter being in the brand’s promotional video, Don’t Hold Back 2.0. “I think it’s just about pulling it off. Anything can look good with the right attitude. I like to experiment with different looks as you already know,” he says with an impish grin.
The game changer
Whether it’s films or fashion, Ranveer is quite the trendsetter. Most often, he sets standards only to break them by himself. In lesser than a decade, the Lootera actor has worked in varied genres including romance, action, history, among others. Although his work as the protagonist is notable, what truly broke all benchmarks was his portrayal of Alauddin Khilji in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat. In numerous interactions, the Mumbai-based performer has spoken about revisiting dark areas and going through a rather emotional journey to bring out the beast that the character demanded. However, post-release, Ranveer rose notches higher as an actor for portraying a negative role so effortlessly on screen. But after playing a character so demanding, how does he take a break? “I love unwinding with my loved ones. I might go off on a short vacation or just chill at home. Other than that, working out is definitely an unwinding process for me. It makes me feel relaxed,” shares the star who’s next release, Gully Boy, has been making headlines for a while now. Known to be a huge fan of hip-hop legends like Dr Dre, Tupac Shakur, Nas and Eminem, we’ve also seen him sport a Notorious B.I.G. T-shirt. It is only a matter of time that he explored this side of his personality! “I do love hip-hop and was very excited to try it for the film. There is a lot of prep that went into the character and I can’t wait for the audience to watch it,” he says, enthusiastically.
Made in potboiler heaven
Apart from Gully Boy, it is his upcoming action film Simmba that’s keeping him busy. It’s
fascinating how he can transform from a lanky rapper to a beefed-up madcap cop within a short span of time. He has always been unabashed about his love for commercial potboilers. And that’s what he found in Rohit Shetty’s Simmba. “I have been looking forward to doing a movie like this ever since I was a kid — a pure masala movie. It is the reason I wanted to be an actor in the first place,” he shares. Now, this is the Ranveer Singh we know — always shattering the glass ceiling!