Interview: It was smooth, easy, professional and cordial, says Shahid Kapoor on working with Kangana Ranaut and Saif Ali Khan

Bollywood hunk Shahid Kapoor will be seen in upcoming movie Rangoon on February 24, a day before his birthday. The actor will be seen in a soldier's role named Nawab Malik in Vishal Bhardwaj's movie.

Also read: Check out the advance booking of Shahid Kapoor's Rangoon

Shahid has earlier worked with Vishal in two films (Kaminey and Haider) but is sharing screen space with Kangana Ranaut and Saif Ali Khan for the first time. In an exclusive interview with International Business Times, India, Shahid opened up about the experience he had while shooting Rangoon.

He further spoke about his equation with Kangana and Saif. Also, the Udta Punjab actor spoke about his bond with the director Vishal and how they worked on his character of Nawab Malik.

Here are the edited excerpts of the interview:

International Business Times: Tell us about your character in Rangoon

Kapoor: I think it's the most heroic character I have played till date. I think 1944 was very emotionally charged phase. We were on the verge of independence and everybody in the country was emotionally high. I think Nawab Malik has the intensity of the passion and the emotions, which the country had at that time to achieve independence. What he does in the film is something spectacular.

IBT: How was it working with Kangana Ranaut and Saif Ali Khan for the first time? Who did you get along with more?

Kapoor: I actually get along with most people. With Kangana, it was largely professional and I think she is a good actor. With Saif, I had a very little work, but he seemed like a really chilled out guy. We had some nice scenes together. It was smooth, easy, professional, cordial, all good.

IBT: You have played a guy from armed forces in Mausam and now Rangoon. How are the two different in terms of role and experience?

Kapoor: The roles are completely different. One was an air force officer, one is an army jawaan. One is in the '90s and other in the '40s. Harinder Singh (Shahid's character in Mausam) was a completely different guy from Nawab Malik. There's no similarity whatsoever.

IBT: How did you prepare for the role and what kind of research went into it?

Kapoor: Vishal sir and I do a lot of research, but I think when he writes his films, a lot of it is already in the script. So I have just asked him certain things that we needed to get right about the period. You need to understand the time and how it was for an Indian soldier to be in the British Army. There was a certain sort of training to look like a jawaan, to feel like a jawaan. Other than that, you are eventually playing a new character and you are entering a new world when you are doing a Vishal Bharadwaj film, whether it's Kaminey or Haider. 

Also, my last release Udta Punjab. I have been attempting different roles and kind of trying to rediscover myself. So, Vishal and I spoke a lot and discussed a lot of things and then, we needed to get the look right. There are two looks that Nawab has in the film – one when he is in the forest, thus, has a thick beard as he is in the middle of a war and has not been to his camp for a few months, and other is when he is clean-shaven, has a moustache and short hair.

IBT: Rangoon is your third film with Vishal Bhardwaj. Did you have the same feeling on the first day of shooting that you felt during Kaminey? Or it was easy working with him for the third time?

Kapoor: It's like you are doing your first film, giving your first shot. I feel it's a journey of discovering a new character, so of course, it feels very nice to have somebody with who you have worked with and people have liked that work. So you feel more protected, you feel more secure. But of course, every time you do a new movie, there is a nervous feeling. I was nervous, but I was also very happy that I have Vishal by my side.

IBT: With Rangoon promotions going on and Padmavati shooting in full-swing, how do you juggle your work and personal life so well?

I don't juggle my work, thus, I do one thing at a time. I shot for Padmavati till last month and this month I'll promote Rangoon and then I'll get back to shooting.