Rishi Kapoor has been impressed by son Ranbir’s portrayal of Sanjay Dutt.
Mumbai: A lot has been said about the uncanny resemblance between Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt as the former steps into the shoes of the latter for Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘Sanju.’
But call it co-incidence or not, the equation between the two actors goes much beyond their physical similarities.
Ranbir opened up on it in an interview to DNA, “I saw Sanjay sir for the first time in Kashmir. He was shooting for Sahibaan(1993) with Papa (Rishi Kapoor). I recall seeing this tall man with long hair, wearing a earring, dressed in a Pathani; I was quite mesmerised by his aura. I was fascinated with him from the word go. During our growing up years, my sister, Riddhima, had Salman Khan’s poster in her cupboard while I had that of Sanjay sir’s. So, I have always idolised him.”
He continued, “Of course, he’s very close to the family. He treats me like a younger brother and spoils me with many gifts as well as a lot of love. He gave me a Harley Davidson motorcycle for my birthday. He used to pick me up for a drive in his Ferrari late in the night. It seems life has come a full circle with him when I got an opportunity to portray him on screen. Initially, I didn’t have the confidence to play the part. However, when Raju sir shared the script with me, I discovered a human side to Sanjay sir. It’s not the Sanjay Dutt we know. I’ve a lot more admiration and respect for him now.”
What about the Harley Davidson then? “It’s at home. I remember I had to hide it from Papa for a long time as he doesn’t like bikes. When he found out that Sanjay sir had gifted me one, he called him and fired him. He told him, ‘Stop spoiling my son, isko tere jaisa mat bana.’ But now, he’s aware that I have the bike. It is one of my most prized possessions,” he told the daily.
He added, “Actually, Sanjay sir gave it to me after his new building, Imperial Heights, was ready around seven years ago. It was a surprise, I came out of the gym and saw this shiny red Harley Davidson. I was very happy. My parents haven’t gifted me a bike. So, I was really thrilled to have it. I can’t thank Sanjay sir enough.”
The other common factor between the two is the lineage they come from. Raj Kapoor and Nargis Dutt are considered among the most loved couples in Bollywood history.
Did he feel a sense of déjà vu that Raj Kapoor’s grandson would play Nargis Dutt’s son? “Subconsciously, the families have been close, professionally and personally. There has always been a lot of love and warmth between them. Sanjay sir’s sisters always treat me as part of the family. I was too young to make any connections of Nargisji’s and Raj Kapoor’s pairing on screen.”