Ranbir Kapoor lost over 10 kilos for the first phase of the Sanjay Dutt biopic he's currently working on. He will gain more than that for the film's second schedule.
That's the kind of actor he is.
He is known to spend hours on a film set, talking to directors, watching films with them and staying on when a shot is being prepared.
Right from Saawariya, his first film, Ranbir has been called a promising and fine actor. Saawariya was an unmitigated disaster. Imtiaz Alia's Tamasha got rave reviews and was a visceral story. RK's performance was praised. But the film failed to make money. That's how it is. RK's recent films, despite being made by India's most promising filmmakers, have not been commercial successes.
This golden boy of Bollywood was once viewed as heir apparent to the Khans. But now, there is a lot of clucking about so much that could have been'.
His career is a baffling phenomenon. Does being a good actor not ensure a safety net in the Indian film industry? Or is acting irrelevant to stardom in Hindi cinema?
Ranbir's performance is rarely criticized even while the films he acts in get roasted. In an interview with T2Online, director Imtiaz Ali told us, "Ranbir is a very committed actor. He will give a role his best. If he has to appear under confident, he will do it so convincingly that you may end up thinking that he is, indeed, a bad actor who isn't confident about himself".
Ranbir's singular focus on acting seems to have cost him his popularity. He has left behind the safe, romantic hero. Arjun Kapoor, his peer and admirer, says, "He's the kind of actor who chooses Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani and Rocket Singh Salesman of the Year in the same year. And before or after a release, he remains the same guy." Speaking of the inspiration he provides, Arjun adds, "Ranbir has been the reason all of us became actors."
That acting comes first for Ranbir is evident from his student film India 1964. A meaty role is all he wants. While working on Barfi, he would wake up very early to rehearse his scenes and improvise when shooting. This is rare in an industry where actors rarely go beyond the script. Jaideep Sahni, writer of Rocket Singh Salesman of the Year says, "He is a struggler at heart, not a star son." Even now, Rajkumar Hirani, Karan Johar and Anurag Basu still want him as their hero.
But Ranbir is a reluctant star. He doesn't have a publicist, won't counter negative press around him, and will, sometimes, snatch a camera in exasperation. Ironically, he has also India's most tracked star. At every haunt of his, paps are tipped off and people climbing trees outside his family home. While he was dating Katrina Kaif, he was followed even while returning from a funeral. He snatched that camera and kept it for a day.
It's not that he shies away from promotional whirl gigs. He is patient and polite at press conferences and interviews. Speaking to T2 Online before Tamasha, he said, "I have lots of failure around me...We live in a time where stardom has become relative. They (audiences) have so many choices, so many actors or movies to pick from. It's the quality of work you do. And I think because of over exposure & over consumption of material, people get bored faster. So you have to be on your toes, keep reinventing yourself."
Reinvent, he will. But only as an actor. He won't be on Twitter or Instagram beyond the strict needs of a film. He is firm about his privacy.
Hopefully as his relationship blues settle and the paparazzi move on to someone else, things will finally change for him. Someone who has worked with Ranbir closely during Saawariya, Raajniti and Barfi says, "When there's genuine talent like his, the water always finds its own course. The moment he gets a film which works, he will be back."
Ranbir has bet the shirt off his back with Jagga Jasoos, his first home production. It's making has already been a bit of an obstacle race. But in sticking with it, he reminds us of grandfather Raj Kapoor who was stubborn about making Mera Naam Joker. We have our fingers crossed for him.
In this glitz-struck film industry , it's not easy being a star. But it's even more difficult to be an actor.
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