Ranveer Singh is a fascinating character; the louder he is off-screen, the quieter (and in some cases, better) he is on-screen.
Think about it! The man who dons neon-coloured suits at events, speaks a mile a minute, and dominates every room he walks into, and yet, somehow, when he is able to turn everything off and dial it down, his performances are at their most powerful. Strange, huh? It’s part of what makes his filmography so fascinating to look at.
Consider Murad from Gully Boy. This character has no flamboyance about him, nor does he exude larger-than-life energy; rather, he is a young man with rage bottled up inside him, with impossible hopes for the future, and with a voice that has not yet been given the opportunity to speak.
Rather than simply playing Murad, he really becomes Murad. The lingering elements of silence, hesitation, and vulnerability are the most tangible evidence of that transformation. Being able to disappear into a character is one of the common threads that run through some of Singh’s most prized pieces of work throughout his career.
Take Bajirao Mastani as just one example. In this movie, he has traded in his normal bravado for a more serious and reserved portrayal of Bajirao, embodying the character with such conviction and intensity that he feels as regal as he does raw.
His outrageous portrayal of Alauddin Khilji in Padmaavat is another example; he has flawlessly transformed himself into the character of Khilji as if he were a completely different actor from the guy who was on-screen in the previous scene. The transformation is so complete that it is nearly impossible for the audience to look away.
You could see the moments where Ranveer Singh committed early on in his career. For example, in Lootera, he took away his natural energy while playing a brooding, internal character, which was a sharp contrast from his charming debut in Band Baaja Baaraat. Both characters worked, but one character stayed in mind after watching the movie.
Another pattern that’s interesting is how he leans into characters that are extensions of himself, like with the characters in Ladies vs Ricky Bahl and Befikre – he is fun, engaging, and charming. This same concept applies to the movie Dil Dhadakne Do, where his relaxed vibe fits perfectly with the tone of the film. While they are all great performances on his part, they haven’t left an imprint on pop culture because those characters were too recognizable.
And now, with his performance in Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge, it appears that Ranveer has truly recaptured his strength as an actor.
One thing is clear- when Ranveer is recognisable, the magic is limited. When he’s unrecognisable, that’s when it hits.
The same holds true in the film Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, which allows for a middle ground between the two. As Rocky Randhawa, he has still brought his natural flamboyance, but has layered emotional depth into the character that allows him to be more than just loud, funny, and lovable. The film did extremely well with the audience because it showed again that Ranveer can bring an emotional heart to a film, even when he is playing a character who is larger than life.
The contrast between Ranveer Singh’s onscreen persona versus his real-world celebrity persona is both fascinating and interesting.
Ranveer Singh, the celebrity, is everywhere; loud, humorous, boisterous, and hard to ignore. However, Ranveer Singh, the actor, appears to excel in restraint, as if he saves his loudest notes for life, and his most nuanced ones for cinema; therefore, his intense roles resonate more deeply. And hence, with such roles, the audiences aren’t just watching a star – they’re discovering a character. There’s novelty, unpredictability, and a certain respect for the craft that shines through.
It’s not that his high-energy and being himself, performances don’t work – they absolutely do; however, the ones that we watch to re-watch or make it an unforgettable character – they are the darker ones, the quieter ones, the ones where Ranveer Singh isn’t really there at all.
Because that’s his real superpower.
Not being seen.
