Whose idea was it to shoot the much-talked about pictures? Ranveer Singh’s or yours?
It’s a collaboration between Ranveer and I. Paper was talking to him for quite some time. It didn’t happen for a while, but finally it did. It was a demanding shoot as he needed to be in a certain physicality and I wanted him to be showcased in certain postures.
How long did it take to complete the shoot?
About 3 hours.
Where was it shot?
Mehboob Studios in Bandra, Mumbai.
How did Ranveer get into the physicality that was required?
I don’t think it needed a major physical transformation from his side as he’s quite in shape almost always (pauses).
Go on…
Paper Magazine did the famous Kim Kardashian picture, if you remember. They got me on board. I have worked with them in the past, too. But for Ranveer, this was my first meeting with him.
It must not have been easy to get comfortable in the first meeting. Was Ranveer shy or conscious?
We were very much comfortable right from the time we met. No, Ranveer was not shy or conscious. He performed very well. There was big and healthy mutual respect for each other. I think he also knew my body of work. Honestly, I don’t prefer to shoot a celebrity unless and until we are both sure of each other.
Did you need permission from Yash Raj’s talent wing before you began the shoot?
I wasn’t involved in that process. The dynamics, I mean, like what Ranveer wanted on the set etc. That was all between Yash Raj and Paper. I was given a brief that the picture has to be an ode to Burt Reynolds.
There’s a lot of noise about the pictures…
We can make an issue out of everything. Ranveer was very comfortable with his body. It was great that such a versatile actor like Ranveer was allowing me to shoot in tandem with my vision. Often, it’s all about the celebrity when it comes to celebrities. There’s a certain way that you have to be when you are around them. But that wasn’t the case when I was with Ranveer. We really had great conversations around the films that he has done and the directors he has worked with. The noise is rather unwarranted.
Did Ranveer want to see the pictures before you wrapped up the shoot?
No. I shoot on a film camera. So, he didn’t even see the pictures then and there.
Back to the noise that is brewing…
It has been all done in good taste. But there will always be a section of people who won’t like it. Isn’t that how Twitter and Instagram survive? We are all born that way, aren’t we?
It’s said there is a very thin line between aestheticism and voyeurism…
Absolutely. And, I just went with the flow of the moment and the process. I photographed what I felt honest to me in that moment, what felt right to us and the team involved.
Ram Gopal Varma has said that if women can do such shoots, why can’t men?
So, he’s supporting the picture (laughs).
Yes, in fact, a lot of celebrities have come out in support- Alia Bhatt, Swara Bhasker, Arjun Kapoor, to name a few…
Yes, even I am getting a lot of positive feedback. People who have an understanding of photography and painting will like the picture. I am not sure if any other actor would have been able to pull it off. It just suits Ranveer this way. He has a certain personality. He brings that on board. It could have ended up looking gimmicky if I had done this with some other actor; it has to do something with the man himself.
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