Rajkumar Hirani reveals Ranbir Kapoor used to come on set at 3 am during 'Sanju'
Mumbai, July 1
At a time when several actors are advocating for an 8-hour work shift, filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani revealed that Ranbir Kapoor used to come on set at 3 am during the shoot of their 2018 release 'Sanju'.
Speaking exclusively to IANS, Hirani shared that his makeup used to take around 4 to 5 hours, and hence Ranbir used to be on the set at 3 am for a 7 am call time.
He was asked, "The senior actors, they are willing to work for 24 hours, 36 hours, and as long as, you know, a filmmaker needs them to be on the set because there is so much expense attached to it. Whereas, there is another school of actors who say that we only want to work for limited hours, does that hamper filmmaking, or does that affect the finances?"
"I don't think any actor from today's generation says that we will work only for these many hours. They understand the importance of, at least the ones I have worked with, they understand the importance. Toh karna hai toh khatam karna hai. They will finish it."
Recalling his time working with Ranbir during 'Sanju', the director shared, "I remember Ranbir, he used to have a beard in the movie, so it used to take him 4-5 hours for makeup. So if we had a 7 AM shift, he would come at 3 AM and sit in the film city at night alone. I used to arrive at 6 AM, and there used to be a van outside, a lamp hanging outside, and inside, his makeup used to be underway. And then we would shoot with him for 12 whole hours. He never complained about it. Never, to anyone. I have never seen anybody complaining otherwise as well."
Led by Ranbir, 'Sanju' chronicles the life of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt. The movie sheds light on his drug addiction and his arrest for his suspected association with the 1993 Bombay bombings.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While I appreciate Ranbir's dedication, we need to normalize healthy working hours in Bollywood too. Artists aren't machines. 3 am call times for 4-5 hours of makeup sounds exhausting. Hirani sir should consider better planning to avoid such extreme schedules.
Ranbir is a true artist! Sitting in a van at Film City alone at 3 am, getting makeup done - that's passion. But honestly, this also shows how much pressure actors face. Hope the industry finds a balance between great cinema and humane working conditions.
This is admirable but also concerning. As someone from the West, I'm surprised such early call times are normalized. In Hollywood, there are strict union rules about turnaround times. Maybe Bollywood could benefit from similar protections while still allowing creative excellence.
Hirani always gets the best out of his actors! Ranbir's transformation into Sanjay Dutt was incredible. But yaar, 3 am? That's not just dedication, that's a bit extreme. Hope they didn't compromise on sleep for long periods. Mental health matters too. 😊
Hats off to Ranbir's professionalism! Even with all that makeup discomfort, he never complained. This is why he's one of the finest actors of our generation. But I also think Hirani should have acknowledged the makeup team's efforts - they were also there since 3 am doing their work silently.
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