Ranbir Kapoor is, undoubtedly, my favourite B-Town “Nepo Baby”. As Ranbir Kapoor bags the Filmfare Award for the Best Actor In A Leading Role (Male) for the film Animal at the 69th Hyundai Filmfare Awards (2024), my heart once again swells with pride! This year, I am really happy with the decision of the Filmfare Jury, and I agree with the Jury that Ranbir Kapoor deserves the “Black Lady” for his top-notch and perfect acting performance in Animal.
Ranbir Kapoor VS Nepotism: An Unending Rant In B-Town
Nepotism is omnipresent. Nepotism and favouritism exist in every sphere of life. Nepotism in the Bollywood industry is specifically very prominent. It has been a topic of debate and discussion for several years. It is not an alien concept that Bollywood actors often use their power and influence to launch their offspring in the film industry.
Whenever we talk about nepotism in Bollywood, the first family that pops up is the mighty “Kapoor family”. The Kapoor family has been dominating the Hindi film industry for more than 93 years now, with more than four generations in the business.
Prithviraj Kapoor had six children, one of whom was Raj Kapoor. Raj Kapoor had children among whom Rishi Kapoor was the most famous. Rishi Kapoor too had children, and his son, Ranbir Kapoor, emerged as one of the most bankable Bollywood stars in the year 2023, second only to Shah Rukh Khan.
“Their struggle begins where our dreams are fulfilled” is what Siddhant Chaturvedi, an “outsider” in the Bollywood film industry, once said on a talk-show regarding the concept of nepotism in the Hindi film industry. Though I believe that nepotism in Bollywood has done more harm than good, I consider Ranbir Kapoor as the greatest exception. Kapoor stole everyone’s hearts in 2007 itself when he dropped the towel in his debut film, Saawariya.
Ranbir Kapoor, a fourth-generation actor hailing from the filmy Kapoor parivar, is often trolled for being a product of nepotism in Bollywood, but his acting skills prove otherwise. Ranbir Kapoor and his wife, Alia Bhatt, are always the first ones to find themselves under the scanner when debates on nepotism in Bollywood arise.
Stereotyped as a “Casanova” or as a “Chocolate Hero” or as a “Nepo Kid”, Ranbir Kapoor is the most phenomenal and versatile actor in the Bollywood industry today. Those who disagree can argue with the wall. Ranbir Kapoor is outrageously upright and never denies the privileges he has because he is born of rich parents who hail from the film industry.
Kapoor has seen both peaks and valleys in his acting career, and his wheel of fortune has not always been consistent. Despite facing major fluctuations in his career, he has managed to survive in the film industry; and that’s something which every nepo kid can’t do. Only talent and calibre, coupled with hard work and dedication, can save an actor in an industry that’s ever-evolving.
My 5 Favourite Performances Of Ranbir Kapoor, Ranked
Though I have always been fond of Ranbir Kapoor and his films since childhood, I became his fan only in 2022, when I started re-watching a few of his older films. And now, I’m one of his proud and loyal fans. Though he outdoes himself in every film, I have curated a list of 5 performances of Ranbir Kapoor over the years in this blog post, which I think are his very best!
1. Sanju (2018)
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Actors: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Boman Irani, Anushka Sharma
Release date: 29th June 2018
Where to watch: Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar
A mediocre and prejudiced biographical film with a top-notch central performance; yes, I’m talking about Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju which features Ranbir Kapoor as the controversial Bollywood actor, Sanjay Dutt. Though Sanju is less of a biography and more of a hagiography that blames everyone except the protagonist himself for his own questionable actions, Ranbir Kapoor delivers his career’s best performance in the film!
No one, I repeat, no one could have portrayed the character of Sanjay Dutt on the screen the way Ranbir Kapoor has done in Sanju. Ranbir Kapoor is so phenomenally effortless that it is safe to say he is more like Sanjay Dutt than Sanjay Dutt himself is, in Sanju.
Ranbir Kapoor seamlessly adopts and adapts to Sanjay Dutt’s body language, mannerisms, style of speaking, and intonations. He does not try to mimic or duplicate Dutt; all he tries to do is assume Sanjay Dutt’s style in his own way. And he flawlessly excels in that. Is that enough praise for Kapoor’s performance in Sanju? I guess it is as “Baba bolta hain abhi bass ho gaya”!
2. Barfi! (2012)
Director: Anurag Basu
Actors: Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ileana D’Cruz
Release date: 14th September 2012 (India)
Where to watch: Netflix
After singing his lungs out in Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar in 2011, Ranbir Kapoor turned deaf and mute in Anurag Basu’s Barfi! in 2012. In Barfi!, Ranbir Kapoor plays the role of a guy who is deaf and mute, and thus views the world and the ways of the world as a fairytale.
One may wonder if an actor’s job becomes easier when he does not have any dialogues to deliver in a particular film, but no; it only gets harder and more challenging. Barfi! is perhaps Ranbir Kapoor’s most challenging and most courageous role till date, and boy, he has aced it! As Murphy “Barfi” Johnson, Ranbir Kapoor’s portrayal of his character in the film is touching and heartwarming.
Murphy “Barfi” shares an unusual relationship with an autistic girl called Jhilmil, played by Priyanka Chopra. The film Barfi! beautifully depicts the relationship that two differently abled persons share as platonic care and love. I also particularly love the way Ranbir Kapoor acts like Mr. Bean or like Charlie Chaplin in so many scenes throughout the film to bring out the essence of his character.
Kapoor effortlessly blends into the world of the differently abled against the ableist world, and manages to stand out at the same time, while acting socially awkward. The way Kapoor articulates his character in the film Barfi!, without even speaking a word, proves why he is the most versatile actor of this generation.
3. Rockstar (2011)
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Actors: Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Kumud Mishra, Shammi Kapoor
Release date: 11th November 2011 (India)
Where to watch: Eros Now, JioCinema
Art and heartache are interconnected. All artists have gone through some kind of a heartbreak in their lives. Yes, I’m talking about Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar, which features music composed by A. R. Rahman. In Rockstar, Ranbir Kapoor plays the role of a literal rockstar; a musician called Janardhan aka “Jordan”. Jordan wants to become the world’s greatest rockstar, but he first has to get his heart broken to bring out the “rockstar” within him.
He eventually turns into a reckless musician, so wrecked by love that he cannot heal. Love infects him, love destroys him, love exhausts him; but love inspires him. When you watch Ranbir Kapoor playing the guitar in the film Rockstar, or performing on the stage in front of a huge crowd in the film, you can hardly tell that he isn’t a musician in real life!
Ranbir Kapoor established himself as a great actor with Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar in 2011. Many say that Rockstar is his best performance till date, and I can’t disagree. I don’t know if it is Imtiaz Ali’s directorial prowess, or Ranbir Kapoor’s acting prowess, or A. R. Rahman’s musical prowess, that makes Rockstar such a great film. All I know is that Rockstar is one of the most poignant and poetic films there is!
4. Animal (2023)
Director: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Actors: Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol, Triptii Dimri
Release date: 1st December 2023
Where to watch: Netflix
Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s highly controversial, misogynistic, sociopathic, gory, and mercurial revenge-cum-action entertainer, Animal, is Ranbir Kapoor’s latest release. Though the film is problematic, Ranbir Kapoor’s performance in the film is equally unproblematic and perfect. His on-screen portrayal of an unhinged son who adopts violent ways to prove his love for his father and seek validation is impeccable!
Ranbir Kapoor’s character in Animal is a highly volatile one. Needless to say, Kapoor single-handedly owns Ranvijay’s character in the film. When I say that I enjoyed watching Animal in the cinema, I say it only because of Kapoor’s flawless acting. He does not adopt any particular style of acting in Animal because of the unpredictable nature of his character. He faultlessly steps into the shoes of Ranvijay’s chauvinist character, and portrays his madness with utmost elan.
Animal proves that you can give Kapoor any role of any kind, and he will simply take the shape of his character, just like a liquid that quickly takes the shape of the container into which it is poured. When there’s a film which stars Ranbir Kapoor, Kapoor makes sure that he steals the show and owns the film! You can read my thoughts on the most polarising Hindi film of 2023, Animal, here.
5. Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year (2009)
Director: Shimit Amin
Actors: Ranbir Kapoor, Gauahar Khan, Shazahan Padamsee, Prem Chopra
Release date: 11th December 2009 (India)
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
In Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year, Ranbir Kapoor plays the role of a B.Com. graduate named Harpreet Singh Bedi who becomes a salesman and works in the corporate world. Directed by Shimit Amin, Rocket Singh is a film in which the protagonist, after being ridiculed, starts a parallel computer-service company to shirk his responsibilities in the corporate world.
In this slice-of-life film, Ranbir Kapoor delivers a delightful performance in the role of an unconventional character. Bedi is a funny and jovial salesman who combats and shuns the dishonesty that exists in the corporate world by parallelly starting a business venture of his own. Many people remark that this film is Ranbir Kapoor’s Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (a 1994-film of Shah Rukh Khan).
Ranbir Kapoor plays the role of a common man in this film. He’s a man who struggles to survive every day, but finds joy within the daily problems of a regular life led by an ordinary guy. I believe that Kapoor’s choice of such a character and such a film was a bold step in the third year of his acting career. His choice made people forget the “starkid” status and the famous “filmy” family name that are automatically attached with his name.
Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year is underrated and underappreciated. According to me, Rocket Singh is Ranbir Kapoor’s most underrated film. In fact, I watched the film only in 2021 when my mother recommended the film to me. The underdog principle works here as elsewhere since I tend to have a soft corner for underappreciated artworks and artists!
Wrapping Up
If Raj Kapoor were alive today, he would have definitely been tremendously proud of his grandson. After the most recent release of Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal which was a colossal success that created a tsunami at the global box-office, I can’t wait to watch more of him on the big screen!
Since there is no official announcement of a Ranbir Kapoor-starrer’s release in 2024 until now, I’m afraid that his fans will have to wait until 2025. It is official that he will be seen alongside Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s epic saga titled “Love & War”. The film is slated to release in the last week of December, in 2025.
I’ll conclude this blog post with Ranbir Kapoor’s signature statement – “I’ll see you at the movies”! And with some popcorn too!
(Featured Images Courtesy: X)