Arjun and Jacqueline talk chemistry, Roy – and Ranbir Kapoor

Ranbir Kapoor, who plays an elusive thief in new film Roy, was not to be seen during a recent promo event in Dubai, but Arjun Rampal and Jacqueline Fernandez did an admirable job of holding the fort.

Arjun Rampal and Jacqueline Fernandez say Roy is a mixture of romance, action and drama. Pawan Singh / The National

Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor was conspicuously absent at a promotional event in Dubai this week for his new film Roy, but co-stars Jacqueline Fernandez and Arjun Rampal more than made up for it.

The romantic thriller, which features Kapoor in the title role as an elusive thief and Rampal as an enterprising filmmaker who churns out box-office hits based on Roy’s exploits, is Vikramjit Singh’s directorial debut and has Fernandez in a double role, a first for the Sri Lankan actress.

After the press conference, which was organised by Dream Advertising and Ministry of Events, Rampal and Fernandez sat down with The National to chat about how the film is different from the usual crop of Bollywood thrillers – and what it was like working with Kapoor, who was last seen on the silver screen – not counting his enjoyable PK cameo last year – in Besharam in 2013.

The buzz is that Roy is ‘different’. But they say that about every film. What do you think sets Roy apart?

Fernandez: Well, for one, when we are in interviews and are asked to define the genre, we never can. I would say it's a drama.

Rampal: It's also a romance, though. And there's some action. The concept of Roy is very, very different.

Fernandez: It was so refreshing even to read the script. Most of the time, when you attend a narration or read a script, your mind goes off and you start thinking that it reminds you of this or that, or that it sounds like a certain something. That didn't happen with this script. It was totally new.

Jaqueline, you play a double role in this film. Did you find that to be a challenge?

Fernandez: I didn't find it very difficult, and I feel very obnoxious saying this, but it's so true. I know that double roles come with a lot of challenges, but it's so strange how I didn't feel any of that while working on Roy. Even when we would be shooting, the kind of energy there was on set, and the people I was working with, I just slipped into both of my characters so easily. As actors, we are trained to slip into different roles anyway. So whether it's one or two doesn't really make that much of a difference.

Rampal: Jacqueline has worked immensely hard on doing justice to both the characters she has played in Roy. Her preparation was excellent. Both of the characters are so well defined in terms of their personalities, the way they look, the way they speak. It's like when you're sitting at home wearing shorts, as opposed to wearing a tuxedo. You're still the same person, but you look – and feel – so different. Your body language will automatically be different in each situation.

Tell us about the music. Is it going to be a bonus for the movie? The song Chittiyan Kalaiyan is already a hit.

Rampal: The thing with Indian films is that we are very, very dependant on promotions, and most of our promotions are through music. Whether it is the TV channels that play the music, or the radio stations … it is through the music that the audience gets to know about the film. Indians are musically inclined people. The more we try to move away from it, the more you see the business change for the film. And the success of Chittiyan Kalaiyan gives you an idea of the kind of musical package Roy has to offer.

How has the chemistry been off screen for the three of you?

Fernandez: Arjun and I are inseparable. Ranbir and I actually did not have that much time to bond with each other. I know he is a wonderful person, though! Professionally, I was kind of able to gauge that about him, too.

Rampal: The characters you play in a film kind of dictate how your chemistry will work off-screen. When your on-screen characters are friendly, it's a given that you will most likely also be friendly. During filming a movie, there is a lot of discovering each other as an actor and a person. The characters Jacqueline and I played allowed us to have great fun off-screen too. She is a wonderful person and has great energy. As for Ranbir, we have always worked well together both on- and off-screen.