Ranbir Kapoor: A Star is Born

Entering into a profession in which your family have already carved their niche brings with it not only huge prospects but also extra pressure to succeed. Personal goals are outdone by the determination to prosper on your own merit. Ranbir Kapoor is all too familiar with these kinds of expectations.

Coming from the prestigious Kapoor clan, he is part of the fourth generation of what is the first family in Bollywood. Named after his grandfather, Ranbir Raj Kapoor, although Ranbir is still to make a real mark within the industry, he somewhat epitomises the youthful, fresh, up-and-coming era of Indian cinema.

Ranbir began his acting career in Saawariya in which his co-star was fellow debutante Sonam Kapoor, the daughter of the forever-young Anil Kapoor. Produced and directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ranbir’s debut was nothing short of a dream launch. Disappointingly, the film bombed at the box office but his performance was well received, winning him a number of awards. In 2008, Ranbir wowed the audiences with Bachna Ae Haseeno, in which his character, Raj, romanced three different heroines (Minisha Lamba, Deepika Padukone and Bipasha Basu). The character was poles apart from that of Saawariya’s Ranbir Raj (his and his grandfather’s namesake) and, almost instantly, placed him in the running for the newest male sex symbol of Bollywood. His fresh performance, contemporary look and lovable character all rolled into one provided him with a pleasing second movie.

Bachna Ae Haseeno also gave the viewers a peak of the real-life chemistry between Ranbir and his significant other, Deepika, and visually they were the best duo in the film. There is an added sparkle to their pairing due to the fact that they have never hidden their special bond from the media, the audiences, or their respective families.

Around a year ago, the People Magazine India gave a feature on the couple with their first and only joint interview to date. Coincidentally, when they first met, they were both dating other people. However, where cupid’s arrow strikes there’s no running away from the inevitable and the duo is still going strong more than a year later. Along with his personal life, Ranbir’s acting career is also set to go from strength to strength in the coming year. He has some big banner movies under his belt as well as a self-identified need to portray his true acting abilities in roles with specific substance which are sure to embrace a love and admiration of a different kind from the audiences.

The next year will see Ranbir in Karan Johar’s Wake Up Sid, in which he will be seen to play a young guy who falls for an older woman (played by Konkona Sen Sharma). Ranbir is also paired opposite every producer’s lucky charm Katrina Kaif in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, a love story produced by Rajkumar Santoshi (a first for him in the genre). Ranbir will also be seen in a political thriller, Rajniti, to be released in 2010. In this film, he will share screen space with the likes of Ajay Devgan, Nana Patekar and Manoj Bajpai.

So what does Ranbir offer the audience which makes him stand out from the other new male Bollywood actors of recent years (such as Neil Nitin Mukesh and Imraan Khan)? Well, although the answer to this is yet to be proved, it’s safe to say that Ranbir is all set to emerge as a solid young actor who will fulfil the ultimate Kapoor dream. The late Raj Kapoor was known to be very fond of all of his grandchildren - in particular Ranbir - so here’s hoping the audiences and fraternity alike continue to show the same warmth and affection for this generation’s Ranbir Raj Kapoor.

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