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The Range Rovers
The Range Rovers: Who was box-office favourite in 2013?
Suhani Singh January 3, 2014 | UPDATED 12:46 IST
Of the ten highest-grossing films of 2013, the top three positions were occupied by Krrish 3, Chennai Express and Dhoom: 3. All three hit the Rs.200-crore mark. All were big-budget films with bankable stars-Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. Two of them were instalments of successful action franchises and one a film by a director renowned for his formulaic action entertainers. But the real surprise of 2013 was the films occupying slots four and five: Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Goliyon Ki Rasleela... Ram-leela. The former had Bollywood's rising star Ranbir Kapoor, who until then had only one Rs.100-crore film to his credit (Barfi!). The romantic comedy had no car crashes or bloodied faces but it still raked in Rs.190 crore. In Goliyon Ki Rasleela... Ram-leela, Ranveer Singh was a rambunctious, po*n-parlour running Romeo who falls for a feisty Leela. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's take on a Shakespeare classic saw Ranveer score his biggest box-office hit and enter the Rs.100-crore club. With these films, Ranbir and Ranveer proved they are ready to take the baton from the three Khans and their older counterparts.
There is little common between the two. Ranbir, 31, is a member of Hindi cinema's most renowned family. Ranveer, 28, is the outsider. The son of a Sindhi businessman, he grew up dancing to songs of Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda. Their personalities are also poles apart. Ranbir is reserved, while Ranveer is boisterous. Both actors have shown they are not averse to taking risks. Ranveer gambled on Lootera, a period romance, which may not have set the cash register ringing, but demonstrated his range as an actor. "I'd rather do a Lootera that people love, than a film that is s*** but does Rs.150 crore (business)," says Ranveer. Ranbir turned into a potty- mouthed ruffian in Besharam. But the response was tepid when he tried to play the masala hero. The message seems to have been-don't follow the pack, do your own thing.
From Left: Ranbir Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh
Not bothered about the box-office returns, the duo choose to build their stardom on the films they do. They find themselves in a promising period in Bollywood when audiences are accepting of films in which the content takes precedence. They have ensured that they are not pigeonholed as romantic, action or comic heroes, but stand out as versatile.
In 2014, both have two releases that give a peek into their ambitions. Ranveer starts off with Gunday, reminiscent of 1970s films with two heroes with lots of action, drama and romance. Next is Kill Dill, directed by his mentor Shaad Ali. Both are produced by Yash Raj Films, which gave him his first break. Meanwhile, Ranbir is in no mood to play it safe. He collaborates with two Anurags. First up is Basu, with whom he co-produces Jagga Jasoos, a detective film. Then there's Kashyap, whose Bombay Velvet stars Ranbir as a street fighter in 1960s Mumbai.
Spicing up the race is Sushant Singh Rajput, 27, who makes a strong case as a leading man with two big-banner films by reputed directors. There's Rajkumar Hirani's P.K., with Aamir Khan and Anushka Sharma, and Dibakar Banerjee's Detective Byomkesh Bakshi.
Among actresses, Deepika Padukone will hope to ride high on the laurels of 2013, of which there were many-Race 2, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Chennai Express and Goliyon Ki Rasleela... Ram-leela-all four of which struck Rs.100-crore plus at the box office. She even outshone Shah Rukh in Chennai Express with an endearing comic act and displayed intensity as the devoted Juliet in Bhansali's opus.
More self-assured, Deepika, 28, signals that she seeks substantial parts as she shares the stage with male stars. This year, she collaborates with Farah Khan, who introduced her to Bollywood. As the leading lady of Happy New Year, she will play a dancer. Then there's Finding Fanny Fernandes, which sees her work with director Homi Adajania. At her recent success bash in Mumbai, Deepika said she hopes to work with three top stars-Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan. One of them may be a reality soon as talks of her signing Sooraj Barjatya's new film with Salman become stronger. She may not be seen on screens as much, but Deepika will have a busy 2014, beginning shooting for Imtiaz Ali's next with Ranbir.
Keeping Deepika on her toes is Parineeti Chopra, 25, who has put out some fine acts, with last year's Shuddh Desi Romance a highlight. In 2014, she has three films-Hasee Toh Phasee, Daawat-e-Ishq and Kill Dill. "I don't want any image for me," she says. "I want me to be a variety." Parineeti doesn't conform to preconceived notions of a Bollywood heroine-thin, tall, sexy and glamorous-and regales audiences with the dynamism last seen in actresses such as Kajol and Rani Mukerji. "It's easier as they are more open to new faces," says Parineeti, but "we have to prove ourselves as we are not stars (yet)."
Together, actors like Ranbir, Ranveer, Parineeti and Deepika are bringing much-needed vigour and charisma to the screen. They are willing to step out of their comfort zone. And this is yielding results. "I thought unless there's a big star, I'd not get a film," says Parineeti. "But my first four are with new guys." It's this novelty that Bollywood is banking on in 2014.
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