actually...ranbir said that he is single in an interview...
The Prince Of Filmdom Come
Ranbir Kapoor is not your quintessential good-looker. The strength of his father's and uncles' features passed him over in favour of his cousin, Kareena, and there is a pronounced feminine slant to his face. His eyes are closely set almost to the point of a squint, his jawline is hardly the stuff of wet dreams, his nose is spread around at the tip and his chin is rather weak.
But try telling the girls that.
For Ranbir has that something that makes it near-impossible not to like him. It is the special ingredient that builds a winning Bollywood career—sheer star presence. Talent can be honed, but this is something one has to be born with. Right from his debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya, Ranbir's potential for superstardom was spotted and lauded by industry and critics alike. "He seems to be a thinking actor," says Imtiaz Ali, director.
Ranbir followed it up with a contemporary badmaash-lover act in Bachna Ae Haseeno. Ayaan Mukherjee's Wake Up Sid saw him acting out the eternal coming-of-age tale of the lazy boy who finds his life's direction. Rajkumar Santoshi's Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani had him doing the riot act with Katrina Kaif.
The predominant image he has created has been that of the youthful lover-boy. Within three days of his first release, the industry, hungry for a fresh male superstar, hailed him as the next king of the box office. In three years, his schedule has become the stuff of madness that most aspiring actors can only dream of. "His genuine love for films and his craft make him a fantastic collaborator in the filmmaking process," says Jaideep Sahni, writer of Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year. "He not only makes your job easier but makes it look better, because, behind everything he thinks and does, there is this deep, almost strange, love for films and everything to do with them."
It took a month-long chase before this butterfly was finally in the net. Ranbir responds to a text message after reaching Mumbai from Bangkok, where he has been shooting with Priyanka Chopra for Sajid Nadiadwala's Anjaana Anjaani. He sounds far from tired; rather, his voice is alert and moves at the same rapid pace as his career.
"I'm not trying to change the industry," he says about his choice of films. "When I sign a project, I'm not taking a very calculated decision. It has a lot to do with the kind of cinema that I have grown up on—Prakash Mehra, Guru Dutt, Mehboob and the like. It is important for me to strike a balance to garner critical appeal as well as mass popularity. Ultimately, it boils down to whether I like the script and the director's vibe."
He does seem ready to test deeper waters. Prakash Jha's Rajneeti is a political thriller with Ranbir playing what he describes as a "role with shades of grey. I am absolutely ready to play the anti-hero," he says. "My character in Rajneeti has no songs, no scenes in slow motion and no glamorous heroine on his arm… He is the first anti-hero of my career."
Perhaps, it is because he comes from such an illustrious film family that Ranbir waited till age 24 before making his debut. His first brush with a film set was at age 14 when he was the clapper boy for Prem Granth, one of the last leading roles for his father, Rishi. Later, he went on to assist directors, one of the most memorable stints of which was Bhansali's Black.
"I have studied filmmaking and acting for over four years, but nothing can match up to that priceless experience!" he says. "I watched Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee exercise their craft, I learnt what goes on in a director's mind when he is envisioning a scene, and I know what it takes to get a set ready, rebuild it, and the passion filmmaking demands!"
So it must have been a bit of a shock when his debut not only flopped, but was also ripped apart by critics. The film, inspired by the Russian short story White Nights, was a symphony in blue that flew over most people's heads. While Ranbir admits it was a blow, he takes refuge in the thought that perhaps reality checks are best when they come early on. "I still believe in the film, but at that point my family saw me through," he says. "It was a lesson in not taking anything for granted."
By the 90s, the Kapoors' standing as the first family of Bollywood had all but faded. It took the determination of a Karisma to revive it, and Kareena's unadulterated passion to carry it to greater heights. But in a chauvinistic industry, it is the arrival of the male heir that sends everyone into a tizzy.
"There is a buzz around him, yes, but one may have said it was about the name at the beginning, not now," says Taran Adarsh, trade analyst. "The audiences don't care what an actor's last name is and he has given three back-to-back hits! His talent cannot be denied."
The compliment is mild, compared to what else is being said of him. While reviewing Ajab Prem…, critic Omar Qureishi stated that "all he now needs is a film that does justice to his talent". That film might be coming his way if Mani Ratnam's purported interest in him holds more sustenance than the airiness of idle speculation. For others, that film might come from the RK stable itself, a banner that Ranbir is all set to revive.
"I absolutely want to direct! And I don't want to do it when my acting career is drying up," he says. "I want to do it within the next two years." When asked what his subject is likely to be, he is tight-lipped. "I have a few ideas, but I need a good writer," he reveals. "I am not a writer. At the moment my acting projects keep me busy, but directing is high on my list of priorities."
For a while, the industry was rife with rumours of him setting up a production house with friend Imran Khan, but he gently rubbishes them. Even as he clarifies that none of the films offered jointly to them has excited them individually, he states that it is important to steer clear of yes-men. "I have friends who don't belong to the industry; they don't chadao [eulogise] me and I consciously keep the yes-sir types away," he says. "Most people are excited about me only because of my last name. Which makes it all the more urgent for me to make my own name, create my own space and establish my own individuality that stands apart from my family's."
The conversation veers briefly to personal matters. The direct question—is he single—perhaps takes him aback, judging by the significant pause that precedes the answer, "Yes, I am." Both he and Deepika Padukone had just stepped into the film industry when they became involved with each other. The duo scandalised and delighted with their public displays of affection and each went to town about the other.
Comparisons were drawn between them and Ranbir's parents, Rishi and Neetu, who were quite the star couple in their heyday. But times are different now, when the media is slowly morphing into paparazzi. "On one hand, public attention gets you respect and adulation, and on the other hand it creates a lot of pressure," he says, his voice slowing down. "I don't believe in hiding my relationships but perhaps I spoke about it too much. Then others start to talk, gossip flies about… things got out of hand. It created a lot of turbulence and doubt and that got to the relationship. But you have to learn from your mistakes and, honestly, you can't complain about media attention."
The grapevine goes that the Kapoor charm got too hot for Padukone to handle; they both decided they couldn't have her flying to his sets continuously to check on him. Meanwhile, all his heroines except Konkona Sen Sharma have been linked to him. There was even a whiff of socialite and fashion designer Nandita Mahtani, more popularly known as Dino Morea's on-and-off squeeze.
Now, however, time might not be kind enough for another relationship. Directors have to be chosen with greater care than a girlfriend. Dates have to be juggled, and not of the candle-light variety. Gossip has to be averted to save friendships and an immense potential has to be harnessed intelligently to justify the praise.
In the midst of this, Rishi and Neetu are his anchors. "Oh, my father is extremely critical!" he says. "Very constructive, but delivered so effectively that I cannot ignore it, and not just because he is my father." And mum? "Ahhh, mum loves everything I do," he says, a smile breaking through in his voice for the first time.
(im new here so i cant post links...but this was an interview with "The Week" magazine..)
😳 😊
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
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