Ranbir Kapoor broke into Bollywood by tearing up the rulebook and doing things his way. e+ reveals the 10 golden rules he followed
1. Roll with the punches
His illustrious genetic pool (he's grandson of the legendary Raj Kapoor and son of Rishi and Neetu Kapoor) might have given Ranbir easy access into Bollywood, helping him landa role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya, but his surname didn't quite prepare him for the fact that it was both a box-office and critical disaster. Sanjay's much-hyped film left blue-blooded Ranbir with nothing more than a ‘towel dance' to his merit. But the star remained undeterred, following up with Bachna Ae Haseeno - in which he rehashed his dad's famous movie song, and romanced not one but three women. Againthe film failed to impress.Then 2009 proved to be the game changer with three back-to-back hits - Wake Up Sid and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Rocket Singh - which accelerated his star status and resulted in directors queuing up to offer him work. And even though 2010 was a critically unstable year, with one hit (Raajneeti) and one flop (Anjaana Anjaani), he's hoping for another go at the title later this year, with Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar and Anurag Basu's Barfee.
2. Work with up-and-coming directors
Ranbir has shown himself willing to work with any director, as long as they come up witha great script and a challenging role. And sticking to the new crop of up-and-coming directors has paid off, as it was newcomer (and now best bud) Ayan Mukerjee who gave him his first hit flick with Wake Up Sid. And although his contemporary, Imran Khan, is banking heavily on his famed uncle Aamir Khan winning him plum projects, Ranbir has refused to let his parents do that, insisting, "Many times I've said ‘no' to films, not directors."
3. Constantly reinvent yourself
He may only be seven movies old in B-town, but Ranbir's body of work speaks volumes about his determination to break away from stereotyped roles, showing a confidence that eluded even the mighty Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan when they first started out. With a strategy of attempting a new genre or character in every film, Ranbir's played the mushy romantic hero in Saawariya, an unapologetic Casanova in Bachna Ae Haseeno, a soul-searching boy in Wake Up Sid, a wacky comic lead in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, a not-too-smart salesman in Rocket Singh, a stoic politician in Raajneeti and a depressed guy in Anjaana Anjaani. This strategy ensured neither he, nor his fans, get bored. And that's not all, he's even striking out into unchartered territory with his item jig in Vikas Bahl's Chillar Party.
4. Skip ‘hero' projects for ensemble flicks
Often the preserve of industry strugglers, ensemble flicks are seen as a step down; a place for those who don't have the clout to land a lead role in the big-budget blockbusters. Ranbir, however, has shown he's not precious when it comes to the roles he picks, testing the waters by teaming up with industry stalwarts in Prakash Jha's Raajneeti. And the gamble worked, winning him accolades and critical acclaim along the way. With his controlled, impressive performance winning hima Best Actor nomination at the 2010 Filmfare Awards, the young star is quick to point out, "Aslong as the script is good, I'm cool doing an ensemble film. When Raajneeti was offeredto me, I didn't know who else was in the film. An ensemble cast doesn't scare me, I'm talented and I know I'll give it my best shot, just like I do in my solo roles."
5. Stay silent on your exes
After Deepika Padukone spilled the beans about his wild ways on celeb talk show Koffee With Karan, her unflattering revelations were said to have shocked Ranbir and led his parents to takea dig at Sonam Kapoor and Dips: "It just shows their (Dips' and Sonam's) class. They are on the show because they are their father's daughters and not because of their work!" raged dad, Rishi.
Leaving it to his parents to fight it out, Ranbir avoided mud-slinging.
The star also remained mum on his alleged fling with Kat on the set of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, because she was dating Salman Khan at the time, and he knew enough not to burn thoseB-wood bridges!
6. Wear your heart on your sleeve
While his make-up artist, Dorris Godambe, hooked him up with Dips, love actually blossomed much later, on the set of his second film, Bachna Ae Haseeno. And after loved-up Dips got his initials tattooed on the nape of her neck, Ranbir played theB-town love game, gushing about his girl at every opportunity. "The best part is that there is no negativity in her," he spilled before their split over cheat allegations. "When I'm with her I'm surrounded by goodness. It makes me good in some way."
7. Cultivate a cool Casanova persona
Having inherited a combination of gorgeous looks, talent, intelligence, mischief and class, Ranbir wields his charms ina good old-fashioned Casanova style. From his grandfather, Raj, to his flamboyant grand- uncles, Shammi and Sashi and charismatic dad Rishi, the men of the family are used to attracting female attention - a talent Ranbir chooses to be cunningly casual and cool-headed about. "I'm 28 years old. I work hard, and I'm attracted to women," he says.
8. Date the girls all the guys want
Ever since his much-publicised break-up with Dips, Ranbir has been paired off in the tabloids with any single actress or model on the block. "It's come to a point where I dread picking up the newspaper because I don't know who they'd link me up with next," he says. But if the rumour mill is to be believed, Kingfisher calendar models, Nargis Fakhri and Angela Jonsson are his current faves, and the girls are benefiting from it, with Nargis winning an on-screen slot alongside him in Rockstar and Angela pinning her hopes on a part in the prestigious Dhoom series. While Nargis has remained mum about their relationship, Angela has been more forthcoming, saying, "Yes, I've dated Ranbir."
9. Befriend your contemporaries
With B-wood all about the power plays rather than the friendships, Ranbir has shown he's not of a cut-throat mindset, with the actor preferring to make pals with his peers. And his recent birthday bash saw his role rivals - Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor, Kunal Khemu - invited. Although he refuses to comment on rumours about his love life, what Ranbir won't let slide are stories about his supposed feuds, with a recent report of a tiff with Ranveer leading Ranbir to snipe, "Ranveer is a super-talent and from a respectful family. None of this stuff happened. He remains a dear friend whose workI admire and look forward to seeing on screen again."
10. Always stay a mama's boy
A classic family-orientated boy, Ranbir is endearingly attached to his parents and sister Riddhima, and sweetly admits an admiration for his father's films. "I was a bit shy about my mother being an actress while I was growing up, because I didn't really like to see her romance, but I've been a big fan of my father. I'd say he's my favourite actor," he says. And during the early days of his fame mum Neetu accompanied Ranbir to his interviews, ensuring he kept his feet on the ground. And it's clear where Ranbir gets his unfazable, relaxed persona from, as the wise matriarch's reaction to the Dips post-split mudslinging was philosophical - "If their relationship was perfect, they wouldn't have broken up," she reasoned. "Ranbir was probably not himself in the relationship."
The Ranbir report ...
His illustrious genetic pool (he's grandson of the legendary Raj Kapoor and son of Rishi and Neetu Kapoor) might have given Ranbir easy access into Bollywood, helping him landa role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya, but his surname didn't quite prepare him for the fact that it was both a box-office and critical disaster. Sanjay's much-hyped film left blue-blooded Ranbir with nothing more than a ‘towel dance' to his merit. But the star remained undeterred, following up with Bachna Ae Haseeno - in which he rehashed his dad's famous movie song, and romanced not one but three women. Againthe film failed to impress.Then 2009 proved to be the game changer with three back-to-back hits - Wake Up Sid and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Rocket Singh - which accelerated his star status and resulted in directors queuing up to offer him work. And even though 2010 was a critically unstable year, with one hit (Raajneeti) and one flop (Anjaana Anjaani), he's hoping for another go at the title later this year, with Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar and Anurag Basu's Barfee.
2. Work with up-and-coming directors
Ranbir has shown himself willing to work with any director, as long as they come up witha great script and a challenging role. And sticking to the new crop of up-and-coming directors has paid off, as it was newcomer (and now best bud) Ayan Mukerjee who gave him his first hit flick with Wake Up Sid. And although his contemporary, Imran Khan, is banking heavily on his famed uncle Aamir Khan winning him plum projects, Ranbir has refused to let his parents do that, insisting, "Many times I've said ‘no' to films, not directors."
3. Constantly reinvent yourself
He may only be seven movies old in B-town, but Ranbir's body of work speaks volumes about his determination to break away from stereotyped roles, showing a confidence that eluded even the mighty Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan when they first started out. With a strategy of attempting a new genre or character in every film, Ranbir's played the mushy romantic hero in Saawariya, an unapologetic Casanova in Bachna Ae Haseeno, a soul-searching boy in Wake Up Sid, a wacky comic lead in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, a not-too-smart salesman in Rocket Singh, a stoic politician in Raajneeti and a depressed guy in Anjaana Anjaani. This strategy ensured neither he, nor his fans, get bored. And that's not all, he's even striking out into unchartered territory with his item jig in Vikas Bahl's Chillar Party.
4. Skip ‘hero' projects for ensemble flicks
Often the preserve of industry strugglers, ensemble flicks are seen as a step down; a place for those who don't have the clout to land a lead role in the big-budget blockbusters. Ranbir, however, has shown he's not precious when it comes to the roles he picks, testing the waters by teaming up with industry stalwarts in Prakash Jha's Raajneeti. And the gamble worked, winning him accolades and critical acclaim along the way. With his controlled, impressive performance winning hima Best Actor nomination at the 2010 Filmfare Awards, the young star is quick to point out, "Aslong as the script is good, I'm cool doing an ensemble film. When Raajneeti was offeredto me, I didn't know who else was in the film. An ensemble cast doesn't scare me, I'm talented and I know I'll give it my best shot, just like I do in my solo roles."
5. Stay silent on your exes
After Deepika Padukone spilled the beans about his wild ways on celeb talk show Koffee With Karan, her unflattering revelations were said to have shocked Ranbir and led his parents to takea dig at Sonam Kapoor and Dips: "It just shows their (Dips' and Sonam's) class. They are on the show because they are their father's daughters and not because of their work!" raged dad, Rishi.
Leaving it to his parents to fight it out, Ranbir avoided mud-slinging.
The star also remained mum on his alleged fling with Kat on the set of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, because she was dating Salman Khan at the time, and he knew enough not to burn thoseB-wood bridges!
6. Wear your heart on your sleeve
While his make-up artist, Dorris Godambe, hooked him up with Dips, love actually blossomed much later, on the set of his second film, Bachna Ae Haseeno. And after loved-up Dips got his initials tattooed on the nape of her neck, Ranbir played theB-town love game, gushing about his girl at every opportunity. "The best part is that there is no negativity in her," he spilled before their split over cheat allegations. "When I'm with her I'm surrounded by goodness. It makes me good in some way."
7. Cultivate a cool Casanova persona
Having inherited a combination of gorgeous looks, talent, intelligence, mischief and class, Ranbir wields his charms ina good old-fashioned Casanova style. From his grandfather, Raj, to his flamboyant grand- uncles, Shammi and Sashi and charismatic dad Rishi, the men of the family are used to attracting female attention - a talent Ranbir chooses to be cunningly casual and cool-headed about. "I'm 28 years old. I work hard, and I'm attracted to women," he says.
8. Date the girls all the guys want
Ever since his much-publicised break-up with Dips, Ranbir has been paired off in the tabloids with any single actress or model on the block. "It's come to a point where I dread picking up the newspaper because I don't know who they'd link me up with next," he says. But if the rumour mill is to be believed, Kingfisher calendar models, Nargis Fakhri and Angela Jonsson are his current faves, and the girls are benefiting from it, with Nargis winning an on-screen slot alongside him in Rockstar and Angela pinning her hopes on a part in the prestigious Dhoom series. While Nargis has remained mum about their relationship, Angela has been more forthcoming, saying, "Yes, I've dated Ranbir."
9. Befriend your contemporaries
With B-wood all about the power plays rather than the friendships, Ranbir has shown he's not of a cut-throat mindset, with the actor preferring to make pals with his peers. And his recent birthday bash saw his role rivals - Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor, Kunal Khemu - invited. Although he refuses to comment on rumours about his love life, what Ranbir won't let slide are stories about his supposed feuds, with a recent report of a tiff with Ranveer leading Ranbir to snipe, "Ranveer is a super-talent and from a respectful family. None of this stuff happened. He remains a dear friend whose workI admire and look forward to seeing on screen again."
10. Always stay a mama's boy
A classic family-orientated boy, Ranbir is endearingly attached to his parents and sister Riddhima, and sweetly admits an admiration for his father's films. "I was a bit shy about my mother being an actress while I was growing up, because I didn't really like to see her romance, but I've been a big fan of my father. I'd say he's my favourite actor," he says. And during the early days of his fame mum Neetu accompanied Ranbir to his interviews, ensuring he kept his feet on the ground. And it's clear where Ranbir gets his unfazable, relaxed persona from, as the wise matriarch's reaction to the Dips post-split mudslinging was philosophical - "If their relationship was perfect, they wouldn't have broken up," she reasoned. "Ranbir was probably not himself in the relationship."
The Ranbir report ...
- Birthday September 28
- Height 6 foot (1.83 metres)
- Background Son of Rishi and Neetu Kapoor; nephew of Randhir and Rajiv Kapoor; grand-nephew of Shashi and Shammi Kapoor, and cousin of Kareena and Karisma Kapoor.
- Did you know? He shares his name with his grandfather, the legendary Raj Kapoor, whose full name was Ranbir Raj Kapoor.
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Ranbir Kapoor