Ranbir Kapoor Sheds Chocolate Boy Image, Turns Street Fighter in ‘Bombay Velvet’

Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor will be take on the role of a street fighter in Anurag Kashyap's "Bombay Velvet".

Set against the backdrop of the 60s, Ranbir will appear in a new avatar opposite Anushka Sharma, who will play the role of a jazz singer.

According to reports, Ranbir has been going through intense training sessions to acquire the perfect street fighter body. During one of the sessions, Ranbir even injured his back and has been receiving physiotherapy treatment for speedy recovery.

"I'm on a week-long break. But I have some time as the filming only starts in about two months. I hope my back heals soon, so I can resume my training quickly," Ranbir told Hindustan Times.

The makers of "Bombay Velvet" have reportedly hired Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) expert named Ash, from Kenya to train Ranbir for the movie.

"I haven't worked on my physique for a film so far, but Bombay Velvet demands it. And I have always maintained that I would make the effort for the right film," Ranbir said.

 "It's going to be a very different character (from what I have played so far). My role has shades of grey. I play an extremely ambitious guy, who is also a street fighter."

Ranbir went on to say that he is yet to start his homework on the character that he would play in "Bombay Velvet".  "I have not started working on that yet, but the physical preparation has begun."

Ranbir also spoke of his upcoming projects. The "Barfi" star was reportedly roped in for a Yash Raj Films production, in which he would be cast opposite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

However, Ranbir brushed off the rumours saying, "Even I keep hearing about such projects. I also hear about me doing Zoya Akhtar's next. But these are baseless rumours. The only films I am working on are (Abhinav Kashyap's) Besharam, followed by Bombay Velvet and then Imtiaz Ali's next. Plus, I am also in talks with Anurag Basu for his new film."

Ranbir will soon be seen in Ayan Mukerji's "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani" opposite Deepika Padukone. The film is produced by Karan Johar and is set to hit screens on 31 May.