Set against the backdrop of 1960s Prohibition era Bombay, the Anurag Kashyap-directed movie juxtaposes a man's ambition to grow at all costs with that of a city.
"It is my most angry role, it is very intense. I have never even slapped in my earlier movies. The intensity is there because of the place that Johnny comes from. His aggression is about survival. It is not out of choice," Ranbir told PTI here.
"Anurag has that intensity. The world of films like 'Barfi' and 'Bombay Velvet' is not familiar to me. The credit should go to the directors. I am just an instrument."
Ranbir learnt the cage fighting style besides mastering the 'tapori' language of that era for which his reference point was Johnny Walker from the Guru Dutt-Madhubala starrer 1955 film "Mr & Mrs 55".
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"He spoke the tapori language of that era but since I have an urban image, I had to ensure that it does not turn out to be a caricature," he said.
Ranbir, however, found it more challenging to map the emotional motivation of his character and said that's what drew him to the part.
"I have a very urban image. I don't get offered scripts like 'Bombay Velvet' and this did not come directly to me. I approached Anurag for the role because I found it very engaging."
Talking about his co-star Anushka with whom he will team up again in Karan Johar's "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil", Ranbir said her fearlessness helped him better his craft.