Ranbir Kapoor is coming back to UK cinemas after a very successful 2022. The actor is kicking-off the new year with Luv Ranjan’s Tu Jhooti Main Makkaar, releasing across the UK from 8th March via Yash Raj Films.
The film marks the first coming-together of director Luv Ranjan and the fresh pairing of Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor. The film is about the madness that ensues when a ‘Player’ in the world of romantic relationships finds a girl who’s a worthy opponent. Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar is a film that believes ‘Love is a battle of wits’.
The film is produced by Luv Films’ Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg, presented by T- Series’ Gulshan Kumar and Bhushan Kumar.
In a special conversation with BollyNewsUK, Ranbir Kapoor opened up about the film, paparazzi while filming, and the genre of rom-com in Indian cinema.
How do you feel just before the release of your next film?
I’m very excited for my new rom-com. I haven’t done the genre in a while. I’m really excited to promote this film after two heavy films (laughs).
Tu Jhooti Main Makkaar – the title was unveiled in December through a guessing game – it wasn’t what I expected but it set the tone for the trailer – what did you think of it?
I had a similar reaction. I think I was one of the few people who knew the title. Luv Ranjan kind of made me swear on everything I love that I won’t disclose it to anyone as he was really afraid that it might leak. It really reflects the tone and feeling of the film. It’s a hilarious love story and the title puts it into perspective. My initial reaction was what?, but eventually I enjoyed it.
It’s your first outing with LUV FILMS – We all know there was supposed to be another film which didn’t work out. What was it about this film that you made sign the dotted line?
I personally messaged Luv Ranjan after I saw Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2. I was really looking forward to collaborating with a director of similar age and I really enjoyed his previous work. When we met, we were supposed to do another film with Ajay Devgn, which was a gangster drama. The dates didn’t work out and in the meantime Luv narrated this story to me. At that point of my life I realised that the rom-com genre could be dead. Indian cinema was making many films including some of mine in the genre which weren’t working. I found this story to be very rooted, unusual, new, and exciting. It was very instinctively where I said to myself, this is the film I’m looking for. A lot of people have this misconception that I’m playing a Casanova in the film, which I’m not. I’m playing an Aashiq (lover). It’s a hilarious love story and just very exciting.
Looking at your filmography, one might say such a role comes to you naturally – does it though? How do you prepare for it especially if you are working with people you’ve never worked on-screen before like Luv Ranjan and Shraddha?
It doesnt come naturally to me. It requires a lot of hardwork. Somewhere you have to reflect your own personality too. Once you have done a few rom-coms, you start looking boring in it because there is only one way you can look at an actress, perform a certain romantic or dramatic line. This is where the new energy from a co-star and director really helps. The surprise element in this genre is really important, so that it seems fresh. When you work with the same people and same actors, it looks monotonous. There are actors who have worked together on multiple films and they still ace it. It requires a lot of hard work though and isn’t easy. A film like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is a coming-of-age story and that is fairly easy but a rom-com is hard.
The UK market for Indian films is growing again especially with Pathaan breaking records. Analaysts and Experts claim that audiences only want to spend money for event films – what’s your take and how do you think can we get audiences back to cinemas?
The tastes of audiences are changing, especially post-pandemic and with the influx of streaming services. It is getting harder to get audiences back to cinemas. You need to give them the X-Factor like a superhero or action film. I still feel that for Indian cinema to flourish you need all kinds of films. The audiences are less forgiving and as filmmakers you cant give them the same story in a new bottle. You have to give them something new and entertaining. It needs to be worth it for them when there are so many mediums for entertainment now. Cinema will never die though. Our films may be consumed on the big screen or on a mobile phone. But as an artist, your job is to give them something new and exciting and constantly reinvent yourself.
Tu Jhooti Main Makkaar is in UK cinemas from 8th March 2023.
BollyNews UK 