Ranbir Kapoor (pronounced [rəˈɳbiːr kəˈpuːr]; born 28 September 1982) is an Indian film actor. He is the son of actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, and the grandson of actor-director Raj Kapoor. After completing his pre-university education in Mumbai, he studied method acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York, where he directed and acted in two short films. He began his career in Bollywood as an assistant director on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 2005 film Black. His first acting role was as the protagonist of Bhansali's 2007 romance Saawariya, a box office flop for which he was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut.
Kapoor received commercial success with his next release—the 2008 romantic comedy Bachna Ae Haseeno. The following year, his performances in the films Wake Up Sid, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, and Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year won him the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor. He received critical acclaim and his first Best Actor Award at Filmfare for the role of a troubled musician in the 2011 drama Rockstar.
Kapoor established himself as a leading actor of Hindi cinema with his
portrayal of a deaf-mute man in the hugely successful 2012 romantic
comedy Barfi! (he won a second consecutive Filmfare Award for Best Actor) and a commitment-phobic man in the 2013 coming-of-age film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (the third highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time).
Early life and background
See also: Kapoor family
Ranbir Kapoor was born in Mumbai on 28 September 1982 to Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, both actors of the Hindi film industry.[1] He is the great-grandson of Prithviraj Kapoor and the grandson of actor-director Raj Kapoor.[2] His elder sister, Riddhima Kapoor (born 1980) is an interiors and fashion designer.[3][4] He studied at the Bombay Scottish School in Mahim; in an interview with The Indian Express he said that he was a "naughty kid" who was "least interested in studies and would always get punished by my teachers".[5]
Reflecting on his school life, Kapoor said, "I was never a bright
student, potentially never good at dramatics, I was sometimes given
one-line roles that I was happy to do so that I could bunk classes. My
mother used to cry three times a year and that is when my report card
used to come. I always passed but was always in the bottom five and got
marks in 50s." He was, however, interested in mathematics and
literature, and was particularly fond of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice.[6]
As a child, Kapoor was "petrified" of his father and said that he
"never had a friendly relationship [with him] because he used to stay
very busy", but admitted to sharing a much closer relationship with his
mother.[6][7] After completing his tenth standard examinations, Kapoor travelled to America to assist his father on his directorial debut Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999). It was during the film's shooting schedule that he developed a closer bond with him.[7] He subsequently enrolled at Mumbai's H.R. College of Commerce and Economics to complete his pre-university education.[6] Upon graduating from high school, Kapoor moved to New York to pursue method acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.[8] He said that living alone for the first time taught him "the value of family and money".[9]
In film school, Kapoor directed and starred in two short films: Passion to Love (2002) and India 1964 (2004).[10] He then worked as an assistant director to Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the 2005 film Black. In an interview with CNN-IBN,
Kapoor confessed that his main motive to assist on the film was to make
sure that Bhansali likes him enough to cast him for his next project.[7]
Career
Debut and success (2007–10)
Following the release of Black, Bhansali cast Kapoor (alongside Sonam Kapoor) as the protagonist of his 2007 tragic romance Saawariya. In an interview with the news and entertainment portal Rediff.com,
Kapoor said that his character in the film, Ranbir Raj, was written to
pay a "conscious tribute" to his grandfather Raj Kapoor.[11] Saawariya was the first Indian film to be produced by a Hollywood studio (Sony Pictures Entertainment), and was a hugely anticipated release.[12] Upon release, film critics were disappointed with the picture; BBC's Jaspreet Pandohar called the film a "misfire on a massive scale"[13] and CNN-IBN's Rajeev Masand
mentioned it as "contrived and fake". Masand, however, was impressed by
Kapoor's "affable charm" and added that "he’s got that star quality to
him which is so rare to find."[14] At the box-office, Saawariya failed to find an audience and proved an economic failure.[15] At the annual Filmfare Awards ceremony, Kapoor was awarded with a Best Male Debut trophy.
Despite the commercial failure of Saawariya, Kapoor was contracted by Yash Raj Films (a leading Bollywood studio) for a primary role in the Siddharth Anand-directed romantic comedy Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008).[16] The role was that of Raj Sharma, a playboy who is romantically involved with three women (played by Bipasha Basu, Minissha Lamba, and Deepika Padukone) at different stages of his life. The film was Kapoor's first commercial success.[17]
In 2009 Kapoor featured in three films—Wake Up Sid, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, and Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year. He won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor for his performances in these films, and received Best Actor nominations at the ceremony for the first two. In Dharma Productions's Wake Up Sid, a coming of age film from director Ayan Mukerji,
Kapoor portrayed Siddharth "Sid" Malhotra, a rich, lazy teenager whose
life undergoes a series of changes after interacting with an ambitious
journalist (played by Konkana Sen Sharma). The film and the performances of both Kapoor and Sharma were critically acclaimed; Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama labelled Kapoor's performance "award-worthy" and wrote that "in Wake Up Sid he proves that he's amongst the best in the business today."[18] Commercially, the film emerged as a sleeper hit.[19]
Kapoor's next release was the comedy Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani in which he co-starred with Katrina Kaif. The film was generally well received by the critics, and emerged as the third highest-grossing film of the year.[20] Kapoor described his next release, the Shimit Amin-directed drama Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year,
to be an "underdog story" and added that his character was that of a
"middle-class guy, who wants to be a salesman". In order to look the
part of a sardar, he grew a beard which helped him "get into the skin of the character".[21] Film critic Mayank Shekhar found his performance in the film to be "astonishingly sincere" and the New York Times commended him for "turning in a skilfully understated performance".[22][23] Despite receiving praise from critics, the film failed to recover its investment.[24]
Prakash Jha's big-budget ensemble political thriller Raajneeti was Kapoor's first release of 2010. The film, which starred Nana Patekar, Ajay Devgn, Arjun Rampal, Manoj Bajpayee, Katrina Kaif, and Shruti Seth in leading roles, was inspired by the Indian epic The Mahabharata and Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather; Kapoor's role was that of Samar Pratap (based on the characters of Arjuna and Michael Corleone),
the youngest heir of an Indian political dynasty, who is reluctantly
drawn to politics after the assassination of his father. He received a
third Best Actor nomination at Filmfare. Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India
reviewed, "The film finally belongs to Ranbir Kapoor who perfects the
art of minimalism – and literally grows before your eyes – as the
simmering volcano that cannot be held back, once it erupts. He's as grey
and soot-filled, as volcanoes go."[25] Indian trade journalists were apprehensive of Rajneeti recovering its 
600 million (US$10 million) investment.[26] The film, however, surpassed trade expectations and proved a major commercial success with worldwide earnings of over 1.43 billion (US$24 million).[27]
600 million (US$10 million) investment.[26] The film, however, surpassed trade expectations and proved a major commercial success with worldwide earnings of over 1.43 billion (US$24 million).[27]
That same year, Kapoor collaborated with Priyanka Chopra for Anand's Anjaana Anjaani, a dramedy involving two strangers who vow to commit suicide on New Year's Eve. The film received little praise from the critics, and underperformed at the box-office.[28] NDTV's Anupama Chopra
concluded, "Ranbir tries hard to salvage the film, dropping his shirt
several times but even his lovingly shot chest can’t save the film."[29]
Rockstar and beyond (2011–present)
Following an item number in the children's film Chillar Party (2011), Kapoor starred as Janardhan "Jordan" Jakhar in Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar, a drama that follows the journey of an aspiring musician (belonging to Pitam Pura, a residential neighbourhood in New Delhi)
to international stardom. In preparation for the role, Kapoor lived
with a Jat family in Pitam Pura and "studied their mannerisms".[30] He additionally learnt to play the guitar and practised extensively at A.R. Rahman's (the film's music composer) studio.[31] Film critics were polarised on their view of the film itself, but were unanimous in their praise for Kapoor; Aniruddha Guha of Daily News and Analysis
was particularly impressed with the film and Kapoor's performance, and
wrote, "Ranbir’s portrayal of Jordan may go down as one of Hindi
cinema’s most accomplished performances by a lead actor."[32] For the role, he won both the Best Actor and Best Actor (Critics) trophies at the 57th Filmfare Awards ceremony, along with Best Actor awards at Screen and IIFA. With a gross revenue of 1.07 billion (US$18 million), Rockstar was one of the top-grossing Indian films of the year.[33]
1.07 billion (US$18 million), Rockstar was one of the top-grossing Indian films of the year.[33]
The 2012 romantic comedy Barfi! was Kapoor's first release to earn over 1 billion (US$17 million) at the domestic box-office (it had a worldwide revenue of 1.75 billion (US$30 million)).[34][35] Directed by Anurag Basu,
the film (set in the 1970's) tells the story of it's titular
protagonist (a deaf and mute man, played by Kapoor) who falls in love
with a married woman (played by Ileana D'Cruz) and later, an autistic girl (played by Priyanka Chopra). For his portrayal, Kapoor was inspired by the work of actors Roberto Benigni, Charlie Chaplin, and his grandfather Raj Kapoor.[36] Barfi! received praise from the critics, and the performances of the three lead actors were acclaimed. Variety noted that "Kapoor, like his famous actor/director grandfather Raj Kapoor before him, channels Chaplin in tone and affect" and Raja Sen of Rediff.com credited him as a "truly special leading man".[37][38] The film was submitted as India’s official entry for the 85th Academy Awards, and was screened at the Marrakech and Busan International Film Festivals.[39][40][41] Kapoor won second consecutive Best Actor awards at the Filmfare, Screen, and IIFA Award ceremonies.
1 billion (US$17 million) at the domestic box-office (it had a worldwide revenue of 1.75 billion (US$30 million)).[34][35] Directed by Anurag Basu,
the film (set in the 1970's) tells the story of it's titular
protagonist (a deaf and mute man, played by Kapoor) who falls in love
with a married woman (played by Ileana D'Cruz) and later, an autistic girl (played by Priyanka Chopra). For his portrayal, Kapoor was inspired by the work of actors Roberto Benigni, Charlie Chaplin, and his grandfather Raj Kapoor.[36] Barfi! received praise from the critics, and the performances of the three lead actors were acclaimed. Variety noted that "Kapoor, like his famous actor/director grandfather Raj Kapoor before him, channels Chaplin in tone and affect" and Raja Sen of Rediff.com credited him as a "truly special leading man".[37][38] The film was submitted as India’s official entry for the 85th Academy Awards, and was screened at the Marrakech and Busan International Film Festivals.[39][40][41] Kapoor won second consecutive Best Actor awards at the Filmfare, Screen, and IIFA Award ceremonies.
After the success of Barfi!, Kapoor collaborated for the second time with Ayan Mukerji (after Wake Up Sid) for the 2013 romantic comedy Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. He was cast as Bunny, a commitment-phobic photographer, alongside ex-girlfriend Deepika Padukone, Kalki Koechlin, and Aditya Roy Kapoor.
The pairing of Kapoor and Padukone after their highly-publicised
break-up, led to a strong buzz surrounding the film's release.[42][43] Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani opened to record-breaking collections, and eventually emerged as the third highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time; it also proved Kapoor's third consecutive commercial success in three years.[44][45]
Critical response to the film was mixed, but Padukone and Kapoor's
"chemistry" was singled out for praise with critic Tushar Joshi
labelling it "unsurpassable".[46][47]
Furthermore, Kapoor's performance was generally praised, with Rajeev
Masand noting that Kapoor is "pitch-perfect as the devil-may-care
wanderer and flirt, and yet chokes you up in the more vulnerable,
sensitive flashes."[48]
As of July 2013, Kapoor is filming for Abhinav Kashyap's comedy film Besharam.[49] He has two other films in production for a 2014 release—Vicky Singh's romantic thriller Roy, co-starring Jacqueline Fernandez and Arjun Rampal, and Anurag Kashyap's period film Bombay Velvet alongside Anushka Sharma.[50][51]
In the media
In 2008, Kapoor co-hosted the 54th Filmfare Awards alongside Imran Khan. He was later chosen to co-host the 56th and 57th edition of the award ceremony alongside Imran Khan and Shah Rukh Khan respectively. Kapoor co-hosted the TOIFA awards with Anushka Sharma which was held in Vancouver, BC, 2013.
Personal life
Kapoor currently lives with his parents in Pali Hill in Mumbai, Maharashtra.[52]
In March 2008, Kapoor began dating Deepika Padukone after meeting on the sets of their film Bachna Ae Haseeno.[53] After their high profile break up in November 2009, Kapoor has decided to keep his personal life away from media attention.[54]
Filmography
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Ranbir Kapoor
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Saawariya | Ranbir Raj | Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut |
| 2008 | Bachna Ae Haseeno | Raj Sharma | |
| 2009 | Luck by Chance | Himself | |
| 2009 | Wake Up Sid | Siddharth "Sid" Mehra | Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor (also for Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani & Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year) Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor |
| 2009 | Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani | Prem Shankar Sharma | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor |
| 2009 | Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year | Harpreet Singh Bedi | |
| 2010 | Raajneeti | Samar Pratap | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor |
| 2010 | Anjaana Anjaani | Akash | |
| 2011 | Chillar Party | Himself | Special appearance in song "Tai Tai Phish" |
| 2011 | Rockstar | Janardan "Jordan" Jhakhar (JJ) | Filmfare Award for Best Actor Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor |
| 2012 | Barfi! | Murphy "Barfi" Johnson | Filmfare Award for Best Actor |
| 2013 | Bombay Talkies | Himself | Special appearance in song "Apna Bombay Talkies" |
| 2013 | Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani | Kabir "Bunny" Thapar | |
| 2013 | Besharam | Babli | Filming |
| 2014 | Roy | Pre-production | |
| 2014 | Bombay Velvet | Pre-production |
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