In 2008, Ranbir Kapoor acted with then-girlfriend Deepika Padukone in Siddharth Anand’s Bachna Ae Haseeno. It was a classic Bollywood romance; even Ranbir’s character was the archetypical Raj. Since then, he has played an angst-y musician, a deaf-mute guy and a politician, among others. But he has mostly stayed away from typical romances. His next – Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (YJHD) – will see him revisit the genre. And his co-star, once again, is now-ex-girlfriend, Deepika.  The casting, understandably, got people talking. But Ranbir is unperturbed. “I don’t take such talk seriously. We don’t come as a package. Deepika and I have moved on as individuals and as actors,” says Ranbir, who, along with the movie’s crew, will launch the first trailer of Ayan Mukerji’s new film on March 19. 

 

The 30-year-old is full of praise for Deepika. “She is passionate and ambitious. When you come across someone who is as motivated as you are, the experience of working together is terrific. I share a deep comfort level with her,” he adds. “Not at all. That would be unfair to the film. We are all professionals,” says Ranbir. He is also back to working with Ayan after four years (after Wake Up Sid; 2009). He rules any comparison with their previous film, saying, “In that film, my character was a slacker, but in YJHD, I’ve found myself. It deals with the relationship, heartbreak and ambition of four people.”  Ranbir argues that this isn’t his comeback to romantic cinema. “All my films have had a strong romantic tale underneath. This is the story of a guy who grows up from a 21-year-old boy to a 30-year-old man. It’s an urban film with characters that are closer to today’s youth,” Ranbir says.