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Laurel and Hardy Ranvir Shorey and Vinay Pathak (left) in a still from ‘Mithya’

“It is the role of a lifetime, a role for which an actor can give at least his left arm,” quips Ranvir. Ranvir says he is playing Virendra Kumar or VK in the film.

VK is a struggling actor whom many people don’t take seriously. “Now VK gets trapped in the underworld and is asked to play an impostor. Things take an ugly turn and suddenly he finds himself in a whirlpool.”

Ranvir says the script is non-linear. “It works at multiple levels. As Rajat had scripted it eight-nine years back, he has been able to add different nuances to the characters and the storyline. At one level it is an edge-of-the seat thriller, but if you meditate over the storyline you will find it a search for one’s identity.”

Ranvir is aware that success might force him to get repetitive. “I am aware of it. It is not that I have not done central roles before. ‘Mixed Doubles’ is one example. But I am trying to do different things even if the role is small. For instance ‘Aaja Nachle’ and ‘Traffic Signal.’ The thing that probably works in my favour is I have not set out to become a star. I don’t suffer from insecurity and hence won’t get caught in an image trap.”

Ranvir feels it is the industry which limits the growth of the actors.

“You can’t attribute it to the audience or the media. Call it business or safety perspective, it is the producers who make actors repeat themselves. If I can continue to have a decent existence, why would I allow such boredom to set in and get trapped in an image?”

However, his image with Vinay Pathak (he is there in ‘Mithya’ as well) has been stamped. “Yes, some call us Jai and Veeru, others Laurel and Hardy. Thankfully, nobody calls us Shahjehan and Mumtaz Mahal!”

Ranvir shares there could be a role reversal by the end of this year, as Vinay has lost quite a bit of weight. “And I am putting on weight for a role.”

Comedy as a genre is working well at the box office, but Ranvir says as a society we still have to learn to be light-hearted. “The Pakistan joke in ‘Bheja Fry’ was taken without a fuss but a controversy was created over a simple line of a song in ‘Aaja Nachle.’”

Busy this year, his most awaited film is ‘Ugli aur Pagli’ where he is cast opposite Mallika Sherawat.

“She is not only a good actress but also an intelligent woman…albeit deceptively.”

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