Dima Bilan interview. Bilan revealed his marital status

Singer Dima Bilan made his film debut, playing main role in Yuri Vasiliev's drama "Hero", which will premiere on March 23. The film will be released in Russia on March 31. RIA Novosti correspondent Anna Gorbashova spoke with the debutant actor about new experiences, struggles with oneself and a future film career.

— Weren’t you surprised by director Yuri Vasiliev’s offer to star in a dramatic film about the First World War and the white movement?

“I kept thinking that this was supposed to happen someday, I wanted to act so much that, apparently, I attracted all this to myself. And I’m happy that this comes from a serious statement. I took part in some auditions, in particular in “Gentlemen of Fortune” produced by Timur Bekmambetov, but I didn’t really want to end up in comedy stories at the beginning of my cinematic journey.

— At the presentation of the film at the Moscow film market, your co-star in the film, Marat Basharov, called you “an impudent person who, fortunately, turned out to have dramatic talent.” Wasn’t it scary to be on set with such partners as Alexander Baluev, Svetlana Ivanova, Marat Basharov, Yulia Peresild?

“I couldn’t help but take on this challenge.” I for a long time collected energy in himself in order to realize it at some point. There comes a moment when you understand that life must change in this period of time - you are over 30, and already have a story to tell. As for my character and my reflections on accepting myself as a serious actor, I am constantly in a struggle with myself, my ideals are so high that I can rarely tell myself that I am worthy of something. I’ve already written a lot of music, but I can’t call myself a composer, but this is a completely new experience. On the first and second days of filming, I constantly asked myself the question: “What are you doing here?”

— Did you find the answer to the third one?

— Yes, I called my uncle, and he told me about my great-grandfather Ivan, who served in the hundred of Nicholas II. The Emperor personally presented him with a Bible and other memorabilia for his services. For getting title of nobility he didn’t have enough length of service, but I decided for myself that I had the right to star in this film. And I was released, I was no longer spending 500, but 450 percent.

— When young actors play Russian nobles, it doesn’t turn out very convincingly; there’s something missing in us moderns. What was most important for you when creating the image of a white officer, for whom the words “homeland”, “honor”, ​​“love” are not empty sounds?

- Any condition takes time to get used to. I tried to turn off my past feelings and pull something out of myself, every person has all the moods - the range of human emotions is great. I have always liked and enjoy being in an intelligent environment, where people respect other people’s boundaries and are sensitive to life - for me this is the main thing, although, of course, bearing, a voice in a low register, and the ability to stay in the saddle are also important.

— If your film career takes off, are you ready to give up music and touring for the sake of interesting roles?

— Be afraid of your wishes, sometimes they come true... During the filming process, I canceled a number of concerts and gave up making money. But I did it consciously, for the sake of internal growth, new things are always interesting - life does not stand still, and for me the meaning of life is in movement. But music will always be in my life.

— Returning to music, how do you assess Sergei Lazarev's chances at the upcoming Eurovision?

— Despite the geopolitical sentiments, and they are present, Lazarev may well even win, as they say, in spite of it. There is energy in his song, there is a statement in the first second, which is important to attract attention. I wish him success.

On the weekend . And if Dima Bilan has ended his relationship with the “adult” version of the project, then he will still teach the little artists. Having come to “The Voice” as an enthusiastic and exalted young man, in three and a half years Dima gained experience, settled down and became a serious mentor. His attitude towards himself is also changing - the bouncy and frivolous one in a white T-shirt and jeans on his hips is a thing of the past, ahead is the balanced and thoughtful Bilan in a black suit. Maybe now is the time to break the matrix and start a family? The TV program magazine asked the artist about this.

“I refuse expensive gifts from my parents”

- This is a piece of life that completely absorbs. You go in and you can’t surface for a minute. Issues constantly arise that need to be resolved. The whole colossus! All this does not lie on the surface, but is hidden from the viewer’s eyes. The details are behind the scenes, but they take up 80% of the time. It is impossible to switch off from the process. Parents appear and explain that each child has a unique situation...

And I, as a compassionate person, try to make contact and take into account all the remarks. But at the same time, you must be able to ignore insults. After all, if children don’t get into the project, it’s me who is to blame. It is I who bear the responsibility for decisions. We have to tell young artists who is going home, who is staying, who is better, and who did not succeed.

— What is more difficult: voicing the verdict or seeing the children’s eyes later?

— It’s hard to draw a person’s attention to his shortcomings. Especially little man. I can imagine how I would react to such comments! Therefore, you always have to carefully select your words, and this is a waste of mental strength. Being kind, and not appearing, is much more difficult than portraying a strict and merciless mentor who says head-on: “This is bad.”

— Have there been cases when parents, out of love for their child, crossed the line and offered you gifts, fell to their knees, and cut off the phone?

— Real judges do not have the right to discuss the case with the parties before the start of the hearing. This may indirectly affect the process. Likewise, on “The Voice,” they try to intelligently move us away from the participants and parents. True, I rush into the breach myself, contact my parents, which I later regret (smiles). Of course I will general meeting for everyone before the start of the broadcasts, I explain how it will happen and how it will end. Before the broadcasts started, everyone was good, calm and adequate people. As soon as the competition starts, parents go crazy! Previously they tried to give me expensive gifts, but I didn’t accept them. I know the value of gifts and I think it’s wrong.

— How expensive? Car, watch, gold ring?

- Let's skip the details. I can say that these are not cheap gifts or souvenirs. Dear good thing. I just don't want it to weigh on me, even if the gift is friendly.

“There is a desire to shed the ballast of shortcuts”

— The unexpected news was that you are in historical drama about the First World War "Hero". How did cinema appear in your life?

“This is not the first time I’m trying to work in cinema. Some time ago I was offered to star as myself. We recorded short film sketches, 7-8 minutes each, it was a scene in an elevator with supposedly a fan of mine. Then problems with the budget began, and filming was frozen. In general, this is a serious milestone for me. I've been wishing for a long time good role. As for “Hero,” we negotiated for six months. I was hesitant because I don't read scripts every day. If in music business I understand where it’s worth shining and where it’s not, what you need to take on, and what will have a bad effect on your career; I’m new to cinema.

- And what convinced you?

— When making important decisions, you should always listen to yourself, and then at some point a click will sound. And then there will come an understanding - whether it is necessary or not. In the case of “Hero,” my family’s story became such a click. I started studying genealogy, and it turned out that I was actually playing my great-grandfather (in the film, Dima plays the role of Andrei Kulikov, who goes to Paris to visit the grave of his great-grandfather, a lieutenant who died in the First World War. - Author). So there was no manipulation or stretching here. My great-grandfather actually served in the Consolidated Cossack Hundred of Nicholas II and was close to royal family. He taught horse riding to the emperor's family. His chest of relics is kept in one of the museums near Moscow. My uncle wrote all this to me in a letter - and it made a tremendous impression on me. I felt that I had every right to star in this film. I have big number monsters in my head, one of them makes me do everything in life perfectly. So, in “Hero” Dima Bilan did everything in his power.

— Another “monster” is the electronic project Alien24. Lounge, funk, ambient, new disco - what genres and styles are mixed there. Is this, like movies and TV shows, also an attempt to move away from pop music?

- This is an attempt to feel the current times. An attempt to hear myself as a composer. For a long time I could not admit to myself that I was a composer. But it's time to say to the monsters in your head "Adies!" and ask: “If not you, then who?” Andrey Cherny and I started working. It was a way out of the usual way of life. A desire to learn what sounds and rhythms are used today, how music is developing. This is how I get rich and don’t become rustic. Moreover, electronics are only part of the unexplored. Now I think: since I have a classic musical education, maybe find time and spend it on classes, do a concert of romances? Sing it in an operatic position. And this is possible! And I’ve been into electronics for a long time, this does not contradict my main path.

— The lines of one of Alien24’s songs are translated as follows: “I’m not made of iron, I just endure, I also have a heart.” Are you sure that this is just a musical experiment, and not a stage of growing up and qualitative change?

- I wouldn’t say that this change in quality - music or my attitude towards it, impact - makes everything the same. But this is a test of the pen. Or the desire to realize ideas that are incomprehensible to radio stations. Change of mood. I don't know where this will lead...

— Does it happen that songs are erased from your memory? There was a bright thing, but time has passed and you don’t return to it?

- They go away on their own. Due to the irrelevance of the problem that existed at the time the track was written. I visualize the song in my head while performing. No problem - no song. Some things seem too sentimental, some too childish, and they also disappear. It's logical. Now I'm creating new program, in which I also include old tracks. There will be a concert in Crocus City Hall in November, where they will be performed. IN in a certain sense this is a reboot. Now, when I write music for Dima Bilan, this is what happens. I open the laptop, go into the program, work and understand that it comes out simply, unobtrusively. Yeah, I think I should give it to Dima. If I go deeper, start digging and get to the secret, I give it to Alien24.

- That is, two Dima Bilans are fighting inside you - a hard worker in the galleys of the pop industry and subtle artist with two higher education?

— How to say... Every person is dual. And every artist struggles with something. This is why movement begins, ideas arise and creativity occurs. I can say that I do not intend to close the Dima Bilan project. He will live, I hope everything will be fine with him. Dima Bilan continues to work - and not in clubs, but at large venues. It was in the early 2000s that I started with nightclubs and, by the way, was the most creative guest in them! And now there is a desire to rejuvenate, to shed the ballast of labels. This state of freshness, unstained by people's hands - I miss it. And so I continue on the path of renewal.

“Few people can live with such a person”

— How unsettled were you by the house robbery last year?

“I still can’t understand how it hit me.” I lived openly, out of habit from my youth - where there is a street, where friends enter the house without knocking, where a noisy company makes noise in the kitchen. And so the last warm memory of this time was taken and torn apart. Psychologically it was incredibly difficult. In addition, I survived the situation “on my feet” - two days later I was on tour. Of course, I can instruct myself to get ready. But how long can a person give himself these attitudes? How much strength will it last? The “collector” may break.

- Maybe be next to you close person, would it be easier to cope with problems?

- Who said that when I was robbed, no one was around? Literally on the same day, she called me, invited me to come to her office and said: “You need to get by somehow now,” and offered several wads of money. Of course, I was amazed and thanked him. We talked. She helped me with contacts for investigation. But I didn't take the money. And in general, there is different people- Some people like to live for show, some don’t. Now, if I had a family, I would not bring this to public attention. I would keep this island inaccessible. Because I am a person who gives a lot, and I also need recharge. And the “power plant” should be located in a quiet place so that no one connects to it.

— So, we still need a “power station”?

— As a responsible person, I cannot make hasty decisions. I need to see my sister (Anna studies in the USA. - Author). And this is not lyrics! I still hear from my mother: “You are responsible for the decision you made.” That is, I am responsible for the life of my 20-year-old sister. There is also a godson Sasha (the son of Evgeni Plushenko and Yana Rudkovskaya. - Author). I often think: family, children, warm life - so great! We often discuss this topic with friends. But so far I don’t see how I can integrate myself into family life. Because of my work, I often have to think about myself. After all, people of an artistic bent sit within themselves, looking deep into themselves. Artists are the same machine that constantly works, each of them always analyzes himself. The world seems to dislike us, as it seems to us. Few people can live with such a person.

— (Long pause.) More like it. But for now this is enough for me. I can't take on so much responsibility.

- What about hooligan passion?

- IN Lately I listen to myself more and more. I try to communicate with people who are trying to give something and not take away. Cleaning up my contacts. I'm changing my phone number. In January I had a great time in Moscow: I hardly talked to anyone. Literally: didn't say. I tried to miss speaking. Sometimes you realize that there are words that are used a hundred times, and it makes you feel sick. I want to be silent, not hear anyone and not speak. These are the consequences of the last four years of compressed life. Chill out? This also happens: you can set something on fire or break it (laughs). You can have a drink. Remembering to work the next day.

“My sister will understand herself whether she wants to stay or return”

— Why, after the show “The Phantom of the Opera,” do you not appear on TV anywhere except “The Voice”?

“I’m ready for any reality.” Sometimes we don't expect the changes that can happen to us. But I am always ready for something new and strive to be a pioneer. Therefore, on the one hand, I don’t mind participating in different shows - I had a guest appearance in the project “” (the artist reincarnated as Luciano Pavarotti. - Author). This is the hardest work. But on the other hand, there is almost no time for filming, and that’s good. Otherwise, I would have discredited myself long ago (laughs). To be honest, I don’t see a direct challenge to myself in any TV project yet. Something that would change me. And I'm only interested in this.

— In your opinion, why didn’t any of our artists shine overseas? Although many have tried.

— I won’t use any prohibited techniques — opera and ballet. But a huge number of Russian people work in the USA creative professions: operators, directors, artists. If we talk about pop music, then, probably, there is no longer the concept of “made a career in the West”, there is the concept of “world show business”. What goes viral on the Internet lives on. America feeds on fresh trends. My sister lives in Los Angeles and is studying directing at the film academy. So she told how they were taught. Teaching today! Advanced technologies: how to make a video watchable, what movies are rated, how to look at the creation of a picture - as an observer or as a hero inside it. Not theory, not history, not the basics of filmmaking, but modern approach. The USA is a country with an easy approach to life. They are taught that everything is not forever. This allows you to develop faster. We devote a lot to understanding the depth, the soul, the idea. In this sense, I am an entirely Russian person. You need to extol your reality, then it will be pleasant to be in it. Therefore, if we understand that this is our land, our winter, we must, if possible, find magic, uniqueness and exclusivity in it.

— Does your sister like it there?

- Yes. I don't know if she will stay. Probably in 5-7 years there will come a key moment when Anya understands what she wants - to stay or return. Let him decide, he’s an adult after all.

— Imagine a situation: you meet school friend, who doesn't know what you're doing. How would you answer his question: “How are you? What have you been doing for the last 18 years?”

- I wouldn't tell him anything.

« »
Saturday/21.30, First

Private bussiness

Dima Bilan (born Victor Belan) was born on December 24, 1981 in the village of Moskovsky (Karachay-Cherkessia). Graduated music school accordion class. In 2003 he graduated from Gnessinsky School of Music, in 2005 - GITIS. IN student years began working with producer Yuri Aizenshpis. In 2006, he represented Russia at Eurovision in Athens with the song Never Let You Go and took second place. After the death of Aizenshpis, he began working with producer Yana Rudkovskaya. In 2008 he won Eurovision in Belgrade with the song Believe. Multiple Winner music awards and competitions. He participated in the TV shows “Live with Bilan”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, and also as a judge in the projects “STS Lights Up a Superstar”, “The Voice”, “The Voice. Children". Single.

Your film debut. Tell us about how you got involved in this project and what new things you learned from it.

Dima: I passed screen tests, photo tests, talked with actors whom I met in the Mosfilm pavilions. You know, there is such a thing as a “comfort zone,” so for this period I stepped out of my comfort zone and was on par with everyone else. No concessions. As for something new... I was at the casting again, like once upon a time, and suddenly I realized: it is important to be re-evaluated from the outside. Very useful for understanding, feeling and working on yourself all the time.

SNC: Did any difficulties arise during the filming process?

Dima: There are always difficulties, and they are always surmountable. If, of course, you are used to doing your job so that sparks fly. If we talk about this project, it was difficult for me to get used to the normalized day. Morning, lunch, evening. Morning. Dinner. Evening. And so on for several weeks. I will skip the filming in the heat in a harness, it, of course, was also hell, but it was beautiful. (Smiles.)

SNC: Do you find any similarities with your hero, Lieutenant Andrei Dolmatov?

Dima: I can definitely say that there are similarities, otherwise I simply would not have gotten into this project. Even during the selection process, the film’s producer looked through many of my interviews on the Internet and decided that of all the actors vying for this role, I had the best combination with the image. Somewhere they saw in me some kind of nobility (Smiles), somewhere a discussion on the topic of eternity. This doesn't contradict me at all.

SNC: By the way, have you ever had a desire to become an actor?

Dima: Before “Hero,” I passed several auditions, one of which, by the way, was with Timur Bekmambetov. But in those films they were talking about modernity, about today, and they offered me to be Dima Bilan - only on the screen. I wasn't very happy with this. I wanted development, I wanted to see something new inside myself, to gain new experience. And now I have this opportunity.

SNC: Having realized this new experience, do you want to continue?

Dima: In cinema, as in our world, everything is not very clear. Now it’s difficult for me to guess, but the fact that I am “infected” with this process is for sure. I think I'll be looking for new opportunities.

SNC: Recently you had another important filming that took place in the USA...

Dima: Yes, we shot a video for the song “Indivisible”. The filming took place at the very height of the Hero promotional campaign, and I barely made it to Los Angeles, and miraculously managed to juggle my busy schedule. Emily is very relevant, interesting and hot girl. In just one day of intensive filming with a team of Hollywood professionals, we filmed this story - the production turned out to be the most signature, but the song is Russian-language, light and gentle, with wonderful poems by the poet Mikhail Gutseriev and music by my regular author Denis Kovalsky. We will soon see and evaluate together what came out of this combination!

SNC: In general, your life is in full swing. Peak after peak simply. What motivates such a successful person?

Dima: I'm running out of boredom. I just feel with all my gut that developing and trying something new is life itself. And it's not easy beautiful words, but what I experienced myself. For me, motivation is to not be bored.

SNC: With such a frantic pace, do you have enough time for your main activities? Do you tour a lot?

Dima: A lot. I just don’t write about it on Instagram. Believe me, if I posted all the tour promos, my feed would consist only of them.

SNC: What does your typical visit to a touring city look like? Are you a strict rider?

Dima: Let's just say that my rider is adequate, adapted to the country in which we live. You won’t find any soybean oil, soy milk or any other fancy things that you can use to check whether the rider has read. There are only certain juices, fruits... And also, so that the windows in the room do not face the sunny side! On the first day of a tour in one city I have a maximum of 2 solo concerts, which go one after another, and the next day is usually a day off.

SNC: You are very familiar with the issue of charity. Why do you think celebrities do things today? good deeds? After all, like the schedule of their tours, they often post them on Instagram, which suggests self-PR.

Dima: I think that any mention of charity is already good. The main thing is that there is no double standards. It’s another matter when fundraising is organized by people who have nothing to do with charity. You've probably heard something like this a lot lately. These are, excuse me, individuals who discredit the very concept of charity.

SNC: Last year in this regard, it was eventful for you. At the end of 2015, you put up an exclusive lot for Elena Perminova’s online auction and paid a lot of attention to the problem of autism, supporting Natalia Vodianova’s foundation not only with words, but also with a video for the song “Don’t be silent.” Where does this desire to help come from?

Dima: I always tried to help as much as possible: charity concerts, trips to orphanages, and not just trips, but communication, gifts. It is important to understand that people who need help do exist. This is reality, not a picture from the Internet.

SNC: Unfortunately, it is impossible to help everyone, and you probably receive a lot of letters. How do you distribute your opportunities? Are there any priorities here?

Dima: There really are a lot of requests, but don’t get me wrong: rushing to fulfill every one is also not entirely correct. It's better to take bright, big steps. Music and creativity, by the way, greatly contribute to this. And my task, as a musician, is to participate in such events whenever possible. This, I believe, has much higher value than one-time cash support.

SNC: What (or who) do you consider your inspiration?

Dima: This is where you took me by surprise. There are a lot of sources of inspiration, and they are regularly updated once a week. Most likely, these are people who make even their most incredible dreams come true, Richard Branson for example. And recently I listened to a lecture by Monica Lewinsky, and it shocked me. This opportunity to be frank, to be understood, to reformat the public’s attitude towards oneself and courage - such things simply cannot but inspire.

SNC: Dima, very interesting: what do your loved ones call you – Dima or Vitya?

Dima: I took my middle name – Dima – in honor of my grandfather on my mother’s side and have been living with him for quite a long time. So the people who appeared in my life from my first performances call me Dima. But for my mother and everyone who was there from the very beginning, I am Vitya. And sometimes Vittorio. (Laughs.)

At the end of 2016, Dima Bilan celebrated his anniversary - the artist turned 35 years old. In honor of the anniversary, the singer arranged two grandiose concerts, crowned resounding success. Popular artist didn't stop there. At the beginning of 2017, Dima presented a video for new song.

ON THIS TOPIC

In a recent interview, Bilan admitted that he considers himself a “tired creature” off stage. However, now the singer, as he admits, is trying to alternate between greater activity and passivity. “Of course, in some years there are imbalances: you take on many projects, as a result of which you completely fall out of ordinary life. One shooting is layered on top of another, you fly from one city to another... But these processes can also be controlled,” Bilan is sure.

In 2017, Dima will try to devote more time to creativity, “to be inspired more, to live more, to breathe more.”

For several years, the artist has been a permanent mentor on the “Voice” show. Dima is sure domestic show business open to new faces, the main thing is to stand out. “Now is the time to shoot out and be independent. I can say that there is a certain fragmentation among genre music and the artists themselves - everyone has scattered into “interest circles.” In this regard, I don’t see any special obstacles in finding one’s own niches for the artists of “The Voice,” the singer noted.

The luxurious hotel is located deep in a huge park near the Black Sea coast. Dima meets us on the hotel porch and escorts us to his apartment.

- Today I went to bed at five in the morning, but I wrote a new song, you will be the first to listen! - says the singer, opening his laptop. — Working at night is much more interesting, because there is a feeling that the whole planet belongs only to you. You have the air, the moon, and the sea. Here in Sochi, I fell in love with watching the sunrise while sitting at the keyboard.

- Well, that's not a problem, there's a phone. Although I prefer to write rather than call. SMS or audio messages are convenient: you don’t have to wait for the person to finish and pretend that you are listening to him. After all, sometimes conveying your information is more important than listening to someone else’s. Well, if I want to call someone in the middle of the night, there is a moment that I can take advantage of: I am! I can dial a friend for an hour at three in the morning and ask: “Are you probably sleeping?” And a sleepy voice answers into the phone: “No, no! Of course not". (Laughs.)

— When did you realize that you wanted to be alone?

“A year ago I couldn’t even imagine this.” I felt cheerful, I had great mood, those around me perceived me as an energetic, funny guy. This is all true... But in fact, the internal resources of our body are not endless, they need to be saved. In my case, obviously, the colossal fatigue of the previous year took its toll: working in the “Voice” project, filming films, solo concerts.

— Today I went to bed at five in the morning, but I wrote a new song. Photo: Yulia Khanina

— Previously, I didn’t like loneliness, I tried to surround myself with people. And now I’m thinking, writing. I think this is the right way in order to get to know yourself better. Photo: Yulia Khanina

- You are 33 years old - a landmark age for a man. Do you feel any serious changes in your worldview?

“I no longer accept certain things.” Previously, I regularly made contacts with the press only because “it’s the right thing to do.” Just “being present in the information field” doesn’t suit me. I need to understand why this is needed, what such media activity will give me as creative personality. Therefore, I refuse most offers. But there is a colossal desire to try a lot of new things: to act in a big serious movie, travel the world, take part in innovative progressive stories, perhaps even risky ones! Previously, I did not like loneliness, I tried to surround myself with people. And now I like to be a solitary person. I think this is the right way to get to know yourself better.

— Your family recently moved to the Moscow region, and now your parents live not far from you. How is your communication going? As you age, you value your loved ones more...

— I have a strong connection with my family. My parents and I have always been friends. But no matter how much a person loves his loved ones, he is still alone in life. For example, I never call my mom and dad if I'm going through a difficult period. I take care of them. They only hear good news from me, the rest from the press. Fortunately, parents gradually understood what television was, what yellow media, rumors and gossip were. It was only when my house was robbed that I called them. Firstly, so that they learn the truth from me, and secondly, so that they don’t worry: everything is fine with me. I found the strength to laugh at the situation and lifted their spirits at a time when I was not in any mood at all. I don't like it when people feel sorry for me.