BizAsia special: Marking six years of Ranbir-Sonam-Deepika

2007 was the year and the box office clash was between Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Saawariya’ and Farah Khan’s ‘Om Shanti Om’ at Diwali on 9th November. What was extra-special about the day was that three actors were marking their debut among the two films; Ranbir Kapoor (the grandson of the legendary Raj Kapoor), Sonam Kapoor (daughter of the much-loved Anil Kapoor) and, last but not the least, Deepika Padukone (daughter of Prakash Padukone, noted badminton player).

Who would have known that a mere six years after their debut, this trio would be living the dream having carved their own niche in a competitive industry. In a turn for the books, each of the three have marked 100 crores this year in their respective movies, Padukone being in her most successful year in the industry to date. BizAsia take a brief look at the three actors as they celebrate the years they have spent in the glamorous industry.

Deepika Padukone

Padukone, it can be argued, was an actress that had a dream debut. To work with Shah Rukh Khan as her very first hero can only be a dream for any aspiring actress but to be a part of a film which saw the kind of success enjoyed by ‘Om Shanti Om’ helped the actress cement her rightful place in Bollywood. Since her debut, Padukone has seen her films and her talent criticised but now she is the one having the last laugh with three hugely successful movies this year – ‘Race 2’, ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’, ‘Chennai Express’ – and awaiting the release of her fourth, ‘Ram-Leela’ coming from a big banner. This year, there was much news about Padukone being selected for the female lead role in the next instalment of Hollywood’s ‘Fast and Furious’ which she apparently had to turn down due to date issues. Padukone also launched her own fashion line a few months ago.

On the personal front, Padukone hasn’t had to try too hard to remain in the news. Her most noted involvement which was publicly known was with Ranbir Kapoor and the two were immensely comfortable interacting together whilst promoting ‘Bachna As Haseeno’ in 2008. Their romantic relationship was talk of the town until their split a year later. Other names Padukone has been associated with include cricketer Yuvraj Singh, Siddharth Mallya and, most recently, Ranveer Singh. Padukone, admittedly, seems to have been a little cautious post her relationship with Ranbir about being so public about her relationships and hasn’t gone on record to confirm any of her link-ups since.

Padukone, as it stands, is a particularly stand-out part of Bollywood. Her beauty coupled with her star power and her ability to fit in well with the older hero such as King Khan with the same ease that she can share chemistry with actors around her own age make her one of the most sought-after female stars. She will be seen next in ‘Ram-Leela’ which is sure to showcase her versatility once more as a violent lover and, that too, opposite Ranveer Singh.

Ranbir Kapoor

Ranbir Kapoor, out of all of his contemporaries, has been given the ‘superstar’ tag a very many times in his career, especially in the last three years. His effortless style is often celebrated with every film. In contrast to Padukone, Ranbir’s debut was less than satisfactory with ‘Saawariya’ bombing at the box office and not being appreciated by audiences or critics. In fact, it was just Ranbir’s and Sonam’s acting that was praised in most reviews.

Since his debut, Ranbir has worked hard and achieved so much in the six years that he is undoubtedly the most promising actor of the new generation. Taking on innovative roles seems to be what he does best and he manages to do justice to them which very much sets him apart. He has bagged awards for two years running for ‘Rockstar’ (2011) and ‘Barfi!’ (2012), rightfully so. This year, Ranbir has faced a mixed bag in terms of appreciation. ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ saw him come together with ex-flame Deepika and the film was huge in terms of box office success and overall love received from the audiences. At the time of release, the movie broke all records to date. Since, ‘Chennai Express’ has gone on to better it. However, his most recent release ‘Besharam’ which saw him on screen with his parents flunked at the box office. Although it has been reported that Ranbir needs to redeem himself, it is clear that he will be back with a bang with forthcoming projects with his immense talent.

Personally, Deepika was his one-time girlfriend and the duo were seen on many a magazine cover and reality TV show very much together. However, of late, the actor has been linked with Katrina Kaif. The two have been spotted together on many occasions and earlier this year were even pictured on holiday together but there has been no confirmation of their relationship status.

Ranbir is currently busy shooting for the forthcoming ‘Bombay Velvet’ but he will also be seen in ‘Roy’ as a pivotal character. He is also venturing into co-production with ‘Jagga Jasoos’ along with Anurag Basu.

Sonam Kapoor

Having been slated much by the fashion critics for her dressing style during her debut time, the beautiful Sonam Kapoor has gone on to slam those very words and emerged as a true fashion icon. She debuted in ‘Saawariya’ with Ranbir but had to struggle somewhat to achieve what she has this year.

Sonam has been a part of ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ and ‘Raanjhanaa’ this year; both of which have been listed in this years movies to reach the coveted 100 crores. However, it can be said that her sister’s home production ‘Aisha’ (2010) was a film she was most appreciated in – more so because of the chick-flick aspect which is almost a true reflection of what Sonam has become known for. Her pairings with Abhay Deol and Abhishek Bachchan seem to be her most loved but no doubt the actress will go on to work with other actors and be appreciated too.

As mentioned, today, Sonam is most known for her unique and international-standard fashion sense and she has graced the Cannes red carpet in all her Indian contemporary best. She is going to be seen in ‘Bewakoofian’ next opposite Ayushmann Khurrana and then the ‘Khubsoorat’ (1980) remake will see her in a very different light.

Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor have proven to be Bollywood’s game-changers and today, as they mark six years since they entered the Indian film industry, BizAsia is thankful that they are still a part of Indian cinema. May their game-changing continue to bring India and its passion for films to the forefront.