Shahid Kapoor hopes audiences understand his character in ‘Padmavati’
Shahid Kapoor is one actor filmmakers have been able to bank on when it comes to creative roles, and his next role is no different. Despite the difficulties of its release, Kapoor hopes that when audiences do finally get a chance to watch they film, they understand his character Rawal Ratan Singh.
“I remember when ‘Gladiator’ (2000)came out and Russell Crowe played Maximus, the character felt too good to be true. But it inspired me so much. That was a strong reference for me because I wondered how you play a character who is so noble and good, and make him connect with people today,” Times of India reports Kapoor expressing.
Playing the role of Rani Padmavati’s husband, the actor went on to add, “Sometimes cinema has the power to make us aspire to be something better. Of course, there’s a lot of value in playing something that’s real; I’m coming from ‘Udta Punjab’ (2016), where I played a coked-out, crazy pop star – not at all the kind of guy you would want to be, not even the kind of guy you would want to be in a room with.”
“With him, I wondered how to get people to understand someone so off-the-hook, this free radical jumping all over the place. But people got him. I hope they get Rawal Ratan Singh as well. He’s extremely powerful, but always steady in all kinds of high-pressure situations,” Kapoor went on to explain.
“I’ve always admired people who can do that. We’re living in a time where we need to be inspired by characters who make us want to be better, because there’s a lot happening in the world,” he added.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is being accused of not making the film factual, to which Kapoor expressed how little is in fact known of that era, especially his own character. “The most difficult part was that he is the least known among the three characters. There are several gaps in our knowledge, and it was up to me to fill them appropriately. It was important to understand what type of king I was playing – we’ve had great kings, we’ve had terrible kings, we’ve had blunderers, kings who’ve become saints.”
Talking about his character, Kapoor explained, “Ratan Singh was a warrior king who falls in love with this exceptionally beautiful woman. They get married and are very happy together when another man (Alauddin Khilji) enters the picture. It’s a story about a husband and wife, but also a king and a queen.”
Despite all the trouble ‘Padmavati’ has had, it seems the film will bring the audiences in to the theatres once a release date is set.
