You can't go to the next level unless you take risks, says actor Ranbir Kapoor, who describes his upcoming project Brahmastra: Part One Shiva as a film difficult to slot into any one genre.

Directed by Ayan Mukerji and also starring Amitabh Bachchan and Alia Bhatt, is perhaps the actor's most ambitious project yet in which he is playing a modern-day divine hero.

“This is not like a Marvel film. In its genre, it is very original. We can't compare Brahmastra to any film that is made around the world. I am a big movie watcher and I have seen every film that is out there. There is no reference to this film,” Ranbir told PTI ahead of the trailer launch of the much-hyped project.

The 39-year-old actor added, “Very early when we started this film, we, unfortunately, got the tag of it being a superhero film. It is not a superhero film, it is a fantasy adventure and I play a character who has a divine power with it,”

Superhero movies could be a possibility in the future, Ranbir said regarding the first of the upcoming trilogy.

Ranbir and Mukerji, who worked together in previous hits Wake Up Sid and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, could have easily made a lot of money with another love story, but they chose the difficult way, according to Ranbir.

“Making movies is not easy. Ayan could have made a lot of money with a love story after Yeh Jawaani, I could have had another superhit film in my career. But he took the risk and unless you take the risk you can't go to another level,” the actor said in an interview at his home Vastu in Bandra.

“Our dreams are bigger than I can express. They're limitless, we don't know where we can reach, him as a director and me as an actor.” he added.

Following the release of Sanju in 2018, Brahmastra will be Ranbir's first film. Yeh Jawaaani Hai Deewani was Mukerji's last film, released in 2013.

“I don't think I am that talented that I can just jump from one film to another. It takes time. As you get older, you want to do quality films, you don't want to do quantity. That's the way you want to live your life, you want to be part of good films and good films take time,” Ranbir said.

The actor is well aware that a lot is riding on the success of Brahmastra, a big-budget fantasy adventure that has never been tried in Bollywood before on this scale, means a lot to him. However, he claims he is unconcerned by the amount of time it took to release the film.

The film also stars Mouni Roy and south superstar Nagarjuna. While working on the film, Ranbir stated he was able to fulfil "every desire, whether it was working with superstars like Amitabh Bachchan and Nagarjuna or collaborating with his wife Alia.

He said, “Working with Amitabh Bachchan is truly an honour and a privilege for an actor. He is the best and the greatest Indian actor. To work with an actor like Alia... when I had seen her second film Highway, I said that she is the next Amitabh Bachchan while I was at Ayan's house with him and Karan (Johar) before Alia became the Alia Bhatt. I am proud that my prediction is coming true. She is that impactful as an actor, she is unlimited, she is immense."

Ranbir's collaboration with Mukerji, in his opinion, goes beyond the traditional actor-director coupling. Both enjoy the process of building something from the ground up, which is why he has been a part of Brahmastra's journey since its inception a decade ago. Since then, the film has undergone numerous alterations.

“We are so close that he always discusses his ideas when he is excited. And he just doesn't discuss the idea on the surface level but also goes deeper. Maybe he thinks I can understand his ideas. Initially, when he wrote the film, it was a little different, it was about two guys. He wanted to write a story about friendship, fire and water and that evolved into Brahmastra,” the actor said.

Ranbir added, “The way he merged the new age life with ancient Indian history was quite marvelous. Just to be a spectator and collaborating with him was quite a privilege,”

In the film, he plays Shiva, a DJ with an unusual connection to fire. Lord Shiva inspired the imagery and his attributes in the film, according to Ranbir.

The Sanju actor said, “This is not a character that you can understand easily or go and act. You need the help of imagination, help of a lot of people and things to pull through. And on the sets, the fantasy world is not what you see, it's all created. Lord Shiva is not just the lord of destruction and dance, there are so many different factors to it. In every scene and moment, there is something that you could relate to Lord Shiva's life.”

Producer Karan Johar officially announced the film in 2017 and it will be released worldwide on September 9.

Ranbir shared his delight while also expressing his concern for Mukerji, who he claims has dedicated his entire life to this project.

The actor said, “This is the biggest project that I will have in my life. As an actor, we have other projects. But for him it is only this, it is do or die for him in some way. I believe in it and when you believe in something your faith can never go wrong.”

Brahmastra Part One: Shiva will release theatrically in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. It is a joint production of Star Studios, Dharma Productions, Prime Focus and Starlight Pictures. The first trailer of the much-anticipated film will release on June 15.