Ranbir Kapoor may have gained heartthrob status with his "lover boy" roles but the actor is excited about his upcoming film 'Rajneeti', where in his own words, he plays "a mature man" for the first time.

"I have usually acted in coming-of-age dramas or done lover boy roles in my films so far but 'Rajneeti' is my first mature role. It is a dark political thriller and also my first character with grey shades," Ranbir said in an interview.

The film, which is inspired by 'Mahabharata', is a satire on the Indian political system and has a formidable ensemble cast in Ajay Devgn, Nana Patekar, Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif, Vivek Oberoi and Manoj Bajpai.

The actor, who recently wrapped up the shoot in Bhopal, is "thrilled" to be a part of Jha's ambitious project.

"It was really great to work with Prakash Jha. He is one of the great directors in the industry and has contributed a lot to Indian cinema. The film has a great ensemble cast. We just finished the shooting," the actor says about the film, which is based on the Madhya Pradesh politics.

After 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani', Ranbir teams up with Katrina Kaif again in 'Ranjneeti' and the actor describes the Bollywood beauty as "phenomenal".

"Katrina is phenomenal. She has this undying energy on the set. She is so successful but never takes it for granted. From not knowing the language to becoming one of the biggest star, she has achieved a lot. I have tremendous respect for her as an artiste," Ranbir gushes about his co-star.

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