Ranvir feels ‘sidelined’ by mainstream Bollywood
Rishabh Suri
The less than handful of films I got was because I was a fresh face, and I had done some good work in independent films. I got picked up for mainstream films. RANVIR SHOREY ACTOR
Actor Ranvir Shorey, seen in the Manoj Bajpayeestarrer Gali Guleiyan, is happy with the kind of work coming his way. There’s not a lot for him in mainstream Bollywood, but he says that he enjoys the independent space.
“I’m lucky that I’ve been getting to work outside the comedy space for some time now. What’s common between the earlier and present times is that I’m still doing independent films. I enjoy working in them, because I find their writing better. Their projects are made with love and passion, if not as much money,” says Ranvir.
In his 16-year career, he has been seen in only a handful of commercial films: Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and Singh is Kinng (2008) being the biggest among them in terms of box-office takings. Has it been a conscious decision to focus less on such films? Ranvir reveals that this isn’t entirely by choice; he feels “sidelined” by the mainstream.
“I’m a little careful about the scripts I say yes to, but by and large, I feel mainstream cinema has very deliberately sidelined me. I don’t know the reason for this, but this is how I feel,” he says. “The less than handful of films I got was because I was a fresh face, and I had done some good work in independent films. I got picked up for mainstream films,” adds Ranvir, who started his film career with Ek Choti Si Love Story (2002) and, before that, was a very popular video jockey. He has worked in films such as Khosla Ka Ghosla, Pyaar Ke Side-Effects (both 2006), Ugly Aur Pagli (2008), and A Death in the Gunj (2016).
In a cut-throat industry like Bollywood, has he been able to make any friends? “Yes,” says Ranvir. “Some of my best friends are from this business. It’s like any other job; you don’t become friends with everybody you work with. An older [film] production manager once told me, ‘Iss industry mein shaitaan bhi milenge, aur farishte bhi.’”
The actor adds, “The one thing I’d advise my younger self would be to be extremely patient. Also, I don’t think I’ve tried to go out and get work.” Finally, he feels, “The one thing that works in the mainstream [industry] is your last name.”