Half a year has passed by since the gruelling Padmaavat row had us all captivated, with its wanted and unwanted updates. Sanjay Leela Bhansali returned to deliver yet another magnum opus, Padmaavat, with his favourite duo Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh for the third time. (After Ram-Leela and Bajirao Mastani) However, this time the lovebirds weren't meant to romance each other. They had hatred and disgust for one another on the big screen. While it was titled after the poetic queen 'Padmavati', Ranveer who played the cruel villain Alauddin Khilji took away all the brownie points.
Ranveer is loved, adored and looked up to - not only for his brilliant acting chops but for the true, grounded and entertaining person that he is. At the peak of his career playing Khijli, dark, dirty and filled with hostility, was a choice he could have very well avoided for his own good. But that wasn't the case, and he's glad he decided against the advice constantly given to him.
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Ranveer, in an interview to a leading daily, said, "I had faith in the audience, and I believe that they have evolved. They can see a performance for what it is and separate the actor from that. I also know that our audience is emotional, so when they love a character that you have played, they will shower love upon you. I was apprehensive… ki aise ulta nahin ho jaaye… that if they hate the character, then they end up hating me. But I convinced myself with the belief that today’s audience can recognize a performance for what it is,"
Tales of him getting into the skin of the character are still loud and clear. From isolating himself to forgetting his true self, the actor went far and beyond in and as Khilji. But as they, everything that happens, happens for a reason. Ranveer added, "I can say that playing Alauddin Khilji has given me a lesson in humanity. I felt lighter, kinder, humbler, more sensitive and more respectful of the people around me. All that darkness and kachra that was inside me, I purged it while playing Khilji. I set it on fire and it combusted. The most evil character of my career made me a better human being. There were some demons that I tapped into, but at the same time, there was a lot more than I had to generate within myself to be convinced enough to play such an evil character and do the kind of things he does.."
Playing Allaudin Khilji may have scarred Ranveer and scared the ones near him. But with it, he successfully etched yet another memorable mark for himself in our minds.
