I would have played Khilji differently: Shahid Kapoor

Shahid Kapoor, who has essayed Rawal Ratan Singh in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's latest epic drama Padmaavat, says he would have done the role of  Alauddin Khilji differently than Ranveer Singh in the film.

Did he wish to play Khilji?

"Of course. Which actor would not wish to play a character like Khilji in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film? You know, once on Koffee with Karan (a television show), Ranveer said he would have done my role in Kaminey (2009) better than me... I would have done Khilji differently," Kapoor replied.

When asked how different his approach would have been if he played Khilji, Kapoor said, "Firstly, I do not want to get into those details. Always remember, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is the hero of all his films and we actors come second. So whether it is the loud and larger than life character of Khilji or the subtleness of Ratan Singh, everything was governed by Sanjay Sir. So, this is his vision. What I just said about performing differently, is because we are two different actors and our style of acting is different."

How was the interaction between Singh and Kapoor on the sets of Padmaavat?

"I was Rawal Ratan Singh, who doesn't react much, so I underplayed on the set as well. I was in my zone, listening to music, in between the scenes."

However, according to Kapoor, working with a talented actor like Singh made him put his best foot forward.

"The dynamics of two characters — Khilji and Rawal Ratan Singh — was quite interesting for an actor to play. I would say that the scenes between me and Ranveer were some of the best in the film. So, I got that an adrenaline rush to up my game to get all the scenes right. It improves our performance."

The IMAX 3D version of the film released on 24 January in select theatres and the 2D version released on 25 January.