Raj Kumar Santoshi on Ranbir Kapoor

In his debut ‘Saawariya’, one could easily see a glimpse of Raj Kapoor’s innocence in the character played by Ranbir Kapoor. So, impressed was Raj Kumar Santoshi with Ranbir’s performance in the film, that he zeroed in on him for the character ‘Prem’ in his next flick ‘Azab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’, the moment he saw ‘Saawariya’.

The film will have this Kapoor kid playing a melancholy lover-boy hopelessly carried with the idea of being in love, somewhat similar to what Raj Kapoor played in ‘Mera Naam Joker’ and before him, Charlie Chaplin in ‘City Lights’. So, the film will see Ranbir carry the legacy of these two immortal heroes from the past.

Says Santoshi, “I decided Ranbir was the right actor for my film from the time I saw ‘Saawariya’. He plays Prem an innocent guy with a heart of gold. Yes there will be distinct elements of Charlie Chaplin and Raj Kapoor, though not too much of it. Raj Saab has already done it all in Sri 420 and it would look repetitive. Also, that level of political and sexual innocence would look odd in present times. Let’s say Ranbir plays the Charlie Chaplin and Raj Kapoor of our times.”

In the next two months, there will be a photo session between the two lead actors for the film, Ranbir and Katrina Kaif. The shooting will start only after Ranbir returns from his long foreign schedule of Yashraj films.

Santoshi is all praises for this new heartthrob of Youngistan, “Ranbir takes interest in every aspect of the film. He’s a keen student if cinema. His enthusiasm for cinema goes much beyond his role. I know I’ll enjoy my shooting with him. But beyond that I’m right now enjoying interacting with him.”

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