Birthday love: The rise and rise of Ranbir Kapoor

Acting for him is in his blood but unlike any other star-son, Ranbir Kapoor has managed to prove how good an actor he is over and over again. Having made a promising debut in a not-so-well-received film, it was evident that he had the magic, flair and talent needed to further extend the love given to previous generations of his family during their reign in Bollywood. BizAsia is taking a look at the award-winning actor’s performances film by film…

‘Saawariya’ (2007)

Kapoor’s debut was over-hyped and much-awaited. Being from a filmi family and the only grandson of legend Raj Kapoor, expectations from the industry and outside couldn’t have been any higher for him. In Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Saawariya’, his character took the name of his grandfather, Ranbir Raj. In what was a beautifully shot movie which struggled to keep one’s attention, Kapoor was an absolute star from start to finish. His natural acting ability was there to see as a bar singer with a happy-go-lucky charm. His scenes with the wonderful Zohra Sehgal who played Lillipop are particularly heart-warming.

‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ (2008)

In a stark contrast to his first film, Kapoor returned in the year after his debut with a film which perhaps firmly put a tick on his career as an actor. Playing a role best described as a heart-breaker in the first half of the film, Kapoor is seen in a more modern and up-to-date light than in ‘Saawariya’. With three ladies in the movie, he was portrayed as quite a casanova but that very guy develops a heart in the second half and goes about mending what he has broken in repent. Kapoor very much fits in well with the different sides the character of��Raj showed throughout the course of the film and acting with his real-life love at the time, Deepika Padukone, only added to the appeal of the movie.

‘Wake Up Sid’ (2009)

In��any actor’s��career, ‘Wake Up Sid’ is the kind of film that doesn’t come along too often. Kapoor was much appreciated in the role of a college student��from a rich background who learns about life and real work the hard way with the aid of his unlikely co-star Konkona Sen Sharma. The film received much critical acclaim and was also liked by the masses. The film’s appeal is very much in its colourful��Mumbai setting which in turn adds various hues to a simple love story with spurts of comedy and drama to help it along its journey.

‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’ (2009)

Kapoor’s out-and-out comedy offering came in the form of this romantic comedy, ‘Ajab��Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’��opposite Katrina Kaif. The film received positive reviews and seemed to be a trip down a memory lane. The familiar feel very much gave a uniquely innovative feel to the movie. Kapoor’s performance as Prem who does everything in his power to impress the girl he falls for was touching to say the least. The chemistry between Kapoor and Kaif was duely noted, as was Kapoor’s near-perfect performance.

‘Rocket Singh: Saleman of the Year’ (2009)

In one of his career’s most innovative films and roles, Kapoor as Harpreet is an absolute pleasure to watch as a computer company employee who believes his ideas will take sales further. He sets out in his own company and achieves much success before being found out by his employer. The film received good reviews and was agreed to be the kind that isn’t the norm for Bollywood. However, appreciation for Kapoor and this kind of cinema was paramount and did well for the actor’s credibility.

‘Raajneeti’ (2010)

In what was a character with negative shades, Kapoor played the role of Samar in 2010’s ‘Raajneeti’, a political drama. Pitted against actors like Manoj Bajpai and Ajay Devgn, Kapoor held his own and added to the overall story on his own merit. In the grand scheme of the movie, Kapoor’s performance remained a focal point as a character who inevitably helped take the story forward. His pairing with Kaif was explored once again very briefly and��his��attempt at��a more serious kind of cinema was a good try.

‘Anjaana Anjaani’ (2010)

‘Anjaana Anjaani’ is undoubtedly the most unsuccessful movie of Kapoor’s career-graph so far. With mainly negative reviews, it was difficult to see why Kapoor would have taken on such a project. The plot surrounded his character, Akash, and Priyanka Chopra’s Kiara wanting to commit suicide due to various personal circumstances. They make a pact to end their lives together but end up falling in love in the process. Although both Kapoor and Chopra had many commendable projects to hand, ‘Anjaana Anjaani’ was very much a waste of them both. Perhaps the only positive thing about the movie was��the soundtrack which included some evergreen tracks��that audiences will never forget.

‘Rockstar’ (2011)

This is very much hyped as Kapoor’s best role til date as an aspiring musician who needed to go through some sort of heartbreak before he could strike an emotional chord with his music and his audiences. His ladylove – Nargis Fakhri -��develops many health problems and, in what is a patchy plot, the two are drawn together in various ways and eventually have to part ways. In that time, Kapoor’s character – Jordan – manages to become a successful rockstar, in line with the name of the film. His songs’ vocals in the film were all by Mohit Chauhan, with music by AR Rahman, both of which proved mighty popular with the masses.

‘Barfi!’ (2012)

If one thought the character of Jordan was Kapoor’s best, he definitely topped that with recent release ‘Barfi!’ in which he plays protagonist. His deaf-mute character, Murphy, falls in love with an engaged Shruti (Ileana D’Cruz) but when circumstances bring him closer to Jhilmil (Priyanka Chopra), it is a special relationship that is formed. His acting in the film is likened to Charlie Chaplin and also Mr Bean but he very much lives up to his grandfather’s legacy both in versatility and appeal. Kapoor will definitely find this one hard to top.

It’s safe to say that Kapoor is very much one of the freshest, most talented and most trusted actors of the current generation. He brings with him a very dependable and comfort-giving style of acting in a way that makes you certain that whatever he tries out is almost always going to be something one should take interest in. He invites the kind of adulation that not many would get in such a short space of time.

BizAsia wish Ranbir Kapoor a very happy 30th birthday and are confident that he will keep impressing the audiences over and over again.