Colour Me Evil

Madness Is His Method.... Suman Sharma Has A Layered Conversation With Ranveer Singh

- Suman Sharma

He’s an outsider, who’s outshone his peers. Audacious and ambitious in his choice of roles, he’s a star, who’s more concerned about his journey as an actor. If he’s the paparazzi’s poster boy, he’s also a director’s dream. Right from Band Baaja Baaraat to Gunday, Ram- Leela, Dil Dhadakne Do and Bajirao Mastani, he’s donned several avatars, slipped into unique characters. But his vile act as Alauddin Khilji in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat broke all previous benchmarks. He visited places he never knew existed before. He underwent emotion hitherto undeployed in his spectrum. He rose notches higher as an actor, even though it may have left his soul devastated. Yes, Ranveer Singh can never live down Aladin Khilji ever. He attempted to do a take-off on a historical character and created history for himself in the bargain. Despite raucous protests and hostility towards his latest offering, the film managed to release. It garnered around 300 crores at the domestic box-office and generous crores abroad. From the eclipse of ennui, Ranveer emerged as a shining star. And what’s noteworthy is that he wasn't portraying a heroic character. Rather he played the barbaric Khilji, the second ruler of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the 13th century. The film, reportedly was based on the 16th century epic poem, Padmavat, written by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi two centuries after Khilji's death.