to actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh,
Kapoor began his career by assisting director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and later
made his acting debut with the director's 2007 film Saawariya for which he won
the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. Kapoor later earned critical praise for
his performances in Wake Up Sid, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, and Rocket Singh: Salesman
of the Year in 2009. These performances earned him the Filmfare Critics Award
for Best Actor, and he was later recognized for his role as an aspiring
politician in the political thriller Raajneeti (2010). In 2012, Kapoor received
his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his performance in the Imtiaz Ali-directed
drama Rockstar, and his second award for his portrayal of a deaf-mute man in
Barfi! (2012), which emerged as his biggest commercial success till date. According
to Rediff, Kapoor has established himself as one of the leading contemporary
actors of Hindi cinema.
Life and career
1982–2006: Early life
Ranbir's parents are Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor, His
father is a Hindu Punjabi and his mother is a Sikh. His sister is Riddhima
Kapoor Sahni. He is the grandson of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor, grandnephew
of actors and filmmakers Shashi Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor, and nephew of actor
Randhir Kapoor. Kapoor studied at Bombay
Scottish School
in Mahim, Mumbai. He had always been weak in academics and passed his tenth
standard with 53.4%, for which his mother called him up and cried with joy over
the phone for having passed his entire school life without failing a year, as
no one in the Kapoor family had done so until then. He went on to pursue method
acting at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New
York .
Before starting off his career as an actor, Kapoor appeared
in two short films: Passion to Love (2002), which was also directed by him, and
India 1964 (2004).
He later began working as an assistant with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali,
where he was involved in the making of the film Black (2005).
2007–10
Kapoor who initially had plans of becoming an actor was
later cast by Bhansali in his next directional venture, Saawariya opposite
newcomer Sonam Kapoor. The film failed to do well at the box office,[9] though
his performance was largely appreciated and he earned his first Filmfare award
for Best Male Debut. In 2008, Kapoor starred in Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008) alongside
Bipasha Basu, Minissha Lamba and Deepika Padukone. The film was a semi-hit at
the box-office, and earned mixed reviews. Kapoor was praised for his
performance, with Rajeev Masand noting that "Bachna Ae Haseeno is a
showreel for the sheer talent of Ranbir Kapoor who blazes across the screen
like a blinding light. He's got that indescribable star quality, and what's
more he can act. At comedy, in the emotional scenes, and yes of course when
he's dancing -- your eyes are transfixed on the screen when he's up there even
in a passing shot."
In 2009, Kapoor appeared in three movies. His first release
was Ayan Mukerji's Wake Up Sid, in which he portrayed the character of
Siddharth Mehra, a spoiled and self-centered college student from Mumbai. Featured
opposite Konkona Sen Sharma, the film was a critical and commercial success. Shrey
Patnaik wrote, "Ranbir's Sid is a near-perfect portrait of the aimless
young man searching for a direction in life. Ranbir handles the character's
inner life with the effortlessness of a Sitar maestro twiddling with his
instrument's strings to create a music that takes the audience to a world where
the sounds suggest a harmony between art and life. In Wake Up Sid, Ranbir
proves once and for all that he's the future of Hindi cinema." He next
starred alongside Katrina Kaif in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. He portrayed the
role of Prem Shankar Sharma. The film surfaced as one of the biggest hits of
the year. For his performances in these films, Kapoor received his first
nominations for Filmfare Best Actor.
Following this, Kapoor appeared in Shimit Amin's drama
Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year, directed by Shimit Amin and produced by
Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. Kapoor's portrayal of Harpreet
Singh Bedi attracted rave reviews, with one critic writing, "Ranbir brings
to his part a whole lot of earnestness and heart. His natural and utterly
contagious exuberance so much on display in his last two films Wake Up Sid and
Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani is effortlessly curbed here." Upon release, the
film received positive reviews by critics but was declared 'below average'. Kapoor's
performance was critically acclaimed,
In 2010, he featured in Prakash Jha's multi-starrer
political thriller Rajneeti. Made on budget of 60 crore (US$11 million),the
film was released on June 4, 2010 .
It opened to positive reviews and was declared a "blockbuster". Kapoor's
performance was well received, with critic Nikhat Kazmi concluding, "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." In
the same year, Kapoor appeared alongside Priyanka Chopra in Siddharth Anand's
Anjaana Anjaani. The film received mixed reviews from critics, and was a
moderate box office success. Nonetheless, Kapoor was mostly praised for his
performance, with Taran Adarsh commenting "Ranbir is an actor with an
infinite range and his dedication to his work is evident in every film. I have
often stated that he is the finest actor of his generation and the fact comes
alive yet again as you watch him donning a new character in ANJAANA ANJAANI."
