“He is not your quintessential star.”
He does not have the looks. He does not pump iron like most macho actors. He has his mom on speed-dial and apparently still continues to take £15 as pocket money from her.
Yet Ranbir Kapoor, all of seven films old, is by far the most versatile Bollywood star in the industry today. Perhaps it’s the genes he possesses, but right from his personality to his emoting, he is a natural in front of the camera.
However, while his performances are talked about, it is his personal life that is keeping him in the headlines. In the past four years his string of affairs with a bevy of beauties has got him more footage than his work in the industry.
Ranbir is young, successful and perhaps following his grandfather’s footsteps, who was known to be a ladies’ man. But RK senior was never vilified as his grandson. When Ranbir’s former girlfriend Deepika and debut co-star Sonam heaped scorn on him for his alleged wild and deceiving ways, it was perhaps the most deplorable thing done on Indian television.
“Ranbir’s dignity was intact as he hardly said a word against the two.”
Ranbir, perhaps, is no saint. But surely the girls who were pointing the finger had a few pointing back. There is a dignified way of dealing with a broken heart despite being provoked by anchor Karan Johar. Since then he has moved on and was allegedly dating Katrina Kaif and, if rumours are to be believed, Nargis Fakhri.
In all this, Ranbir the actor is almost forgotten. You have to see his varied performances, whether it’s the scheming son in Rajneeti, the lost lover boy in Bachna Ae Haseeno, or the lost boy in Wake Up Sid. He is almost the complete package.
His comic timing in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani made just about everyone sit up. No wonder even Shah Rukh Khan is supposed to have called him and told him that he can’t be so good at such an early stage.
You’ll have to look around Bollywood to find good actors. With scenic locations and song-and-dance sequences, somehow acting gets camouflaged. Ranbir is a breath of fresh air in an industry where overacting is a norm.
His next two movies, Rockstar and Barfi, will be a crucial test as he battles allegations in his relationships. The fact is that he is the most outstanding actor the Indian film industry has seen in years. And we should celebrate that.
— Kevin Rego