The 32-year-old actor, who will be next seen in the role of a street-fighter trying to make it big in Anurag Kashyap's "Bombay Velvet", loved collaborating with the "Dev D" helmer.
"I am as good as the director. I have always been selfish about working with good directors. Anurag has this reputation of being intense and a rebel but he like a teddy bear," Ranbir said during second trailer launch of the movie, hitting screens on May 15.
Ranbir was supposed to do a different film but it did not work out and then he got "Bombay Velvet" script from Phantom's Vikas Bahl.
"Vikash gave me this script and I read it on the plane and called up Anurag and told him that I wanted to do this role. Anurag, on the other hand, felt that I had always done urban characters. He told me he will get back to me in 2-3 days. He called me after a week," Ranbir said.
The actor said the director is so loved by his crew that they felt ignored at times.
"If Anurag sneezed, the entire set was running for him. I have never seen such following. It is not demanded. I think Anurag inspires everybody around him and everyone has love for him."
Ranbir did not have to do a lot of research despite the period setting of the movie as the film had a competent research department.
"There are superficial references. We have Robert DeNiro from 'Raging Bull', Kishore Kumar and Raj Kapoor...," Ranbir said, adding everything was ready for them to transport to that era right from the costumes to the sets.
On his experience about working with Karan, Ranbir said Karan has been a mentor of sorts in real life too.