It’s been 15 years since Ranbir Kapoor first appeared on screen in his 2007 debut Sawaariya. Although Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film didn’t find many admirers, Kapoor made everyone turn their heads for a closer look as he danced in white towel on Jab Se Tere Naina. His easy screen presence and chocolate boy image have been his biggest assets, on which Kapoor has carved a definitive mark as a leading man in the mainstream Hindi film industry. Now, 15 years and 30 roles later, Kapoor stands tall as the standout actor of his generation.
2022 alone saw him in two major releases, both of which met with very contrasting responses. The fate of these two films can also be seen as a reminder of how Kapoor continues to leave a distinct mark as a leading man. Karan Malhotra’s Shamshera saw Ranbir Kapoor return to the silver screen after four years. It was also his first role in a period action film in which he played a double role. Made on a Baahubali-level grand scale, Shamshera was peppered with all the trappings of a mass entertainer – a big villain, a progressive caste angle and a revenge story at its core. However, the half-baked story wasn’t imaginative enough to hold anyone’s attention and Shamshera failed to find fans and bombed at the box office.
His next release was undoubtedly the biggest of his career, Ayan Mukherji’s Brahmāstra: Part 1. As the first installment of the Astraverse, the reception of this film was important not only for Kapoor but also for the Hindi film industry, which was going through a rough patch. Brahmastra opened to a tremendous opening on Day 1 of its release and grossed over 37 crores, adding to its lifetime collection of around 400 crores worldwide. In Brahmāstra, Kapoor’s role was not far removed from his previous roles – a poor man who lives in a shack, takes care of orphans and works as a DJ. He plays the same carefree kind of men who are not worldly wise and need intervention to realize their potential.
Ranbir Kapoor in Brahmastra:
Think Wake Up Sid (2009), his first collaboration with Ayan Mukherji, where he played a lazy, careless teenager who hates college and everything that requires him to act like an adult. Or Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), for which he reunited with Mukherjee, playing a grown-up version of Sid as Bunny, a commitment-phobic wanderer who only cared about his own interests. Both Sid and Bunny are spoiled yet cute and what both these man-children need is Aisha or Naina to bring them back on track. Kapoor excels in these roles, bringing a lot of warmth and poise to these headstrong, emotionally distant men.
In Sid or Bunny Kapoor, he instantly creates a relatability with his audience where he fails time and time again and rarely consciously thinks before his actions. There is always a kinship in his projection of contemporary masculinity carelessly carried around the world. Always there for your friends, never for your own needs. This is a far cry from the ‘angry young man’ image of the Bollywood hero who is motivated by revenge. Kapoor owns the form of a boy yet to transform into a man whose very idea of life exists in water colors.
To say that Kapoor has created a safe space in this picture is false. Unlike his contemporaries, he took chances, albeit with mixed results. In Raajneeti (2010), where he teamed up with Prakash Jha, Samar played Pratap’s deceitful and cold-blooded successor to advance her family’s political position. This is the most Kapoor has come to play an outsider in his own clan, a negative character with an uncertain moral compass, and he does it with quiet greatness. In Shimit Amin’s Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009), Kapoor played Harpreet Singh Bedi, someone completely eccentric in his mundanity.
Here, Kapoor never for a moment asserts his austere status as a character who wants to break free from the trappings of society and start his own company. Although it was a commercial failure, Kapoor’s performance and courage to take on a role so far removed from the scope of a Hindi film actor so early in his career is remarkable. His notable relationships with Anurag Basu and Imtiaz Ali were also not smooth sailing. For the awesome Rockstar (2011) there is the flawed Tamasha (2015). For the living Barfi! (2012) failed in Jagga Jasoos (2017).
Ranbir Kapoor in Barfi! :
It is interesting to note how Ranbir Kapoor has stayed away from all forms of social media in an age where his contemporary actors are using the same train. Although Alia Bhatt revealed on Koffee with Karan that the actor does in fact have an account on the social networking site, she keeps it a secret. This also means that Kapoor intends to maintain his point of contact with the audience strictly through his appearances and promotions related to the film. He has long been portrayed on screen as an extension of his commitment-phobic characters, with his off-screen relationships with actresses Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif coming under heavy media scrutiny, but Kapoor has never once bothered to quash that perception.
Not venturing into social media in a largely digital age of consumerism has allowed the actor to maintain a surprise factor just for his on-screen appearance. Kapoor has always been a compelling actor who is not afraid to take risks in his roles. Even after 15 years as an actor, Kapoor has created a staggering range in the mainstream Hindi film industry, an actor who can both surprise and entertain effectively. Despite the liberties that determine the fate of his films, he proved to be the outstanding actor of his generation.
Read Now :<strong>Kerala government will no longer serve as chancellor of state universities</strong>
