Did you know that Ranbir Kapoor has already completed more than a decade in Bollywood? Touted as one of the most talented actors of his generation, his choice of films shows the risks taken as an actor but unfortunately, he has not strongly consolidated his position at the box office. Translating risks into numbers is not an easy game. He made the mistake of not having a good equilibrium in his choice of films and he failed to build a loyal family audience. Younger actors like Ranveer Singh and Varun Dhawan surpassed him.
Why has Ranbir Kapoor been lucky?
The actor has worked with the best filmmakers in Bollywood like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Karan Johar, Prakash Jha, Rajkumar Santoshi, Anurag Basu, Anurag Kashyap and Imtiaz Ali. In this industry, when fresh talents collaborate with good film directors, eventually an actor becomes more mature. Ranbir Kapoor has inclined towards tragedy roles and his recent films attest that. He is playing different challenging characters but most of them are emotionally sad and vulnerable. It may deeply satisfy him as an actor but the audience feels vindicated, who value entertainment more than anything else.
His father Rishi Kapoor showed more consistency in his heydays and was a heartthrob of the younger generation. He was never criticized for any of his acting performances in his films.
Is it fair to compare him to Sanjay Dutt?
Sanjay Dutt has seen lot of highs and lows in his life. He and Salman Khan were considered the two bad boys of Bollywood. Ranbir Kapoor has to fill big shoes to portray Sanjay Dutt. His performance will be viewed microscopically. Rivals Ranveer Singh and Sushant Singh Rajput were both excellent playing Alauddin Khilji brilliantly in ‘Padmavaat’ and in ‘M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story’ respectively. The comparisons are bound to happen.
What is really expected from Ranbir Kapoor?
Ranbir Kapoor has got lot of appreciation after the trailer’s release. He has given his best but to match Sanjay Dutt to perfection is a big challenge. The perfection is missing and it is around 70%. His bearded looks are not matching Sanjay Dutt well. We will have to see how well he has played the older Sanjay Dutt.
In a recent interview, producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra told Ranveer Singh was his choice to play Sanjay Dutt. We know Ranveer Singh is another brilliant actor and has raised the bar with ‘Bajirao Mastani’ and ‘Padmavaat’.
Why is ‘Sanju’ also a big test for Rajkumar Hirani?
‘Sanju’ is not only a risk which Ranbir Kapoor has taken but it is also for ace director Rajkumar Hirani. Known to be proficient with fictional stories such as ‘Munna Bhai M.B.B.S’, ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’, ‘3 Idiots’ and ‘P.K.’, the editor-who-turned-director is considered as one of the best filmmakers in India. His films entertain but also tinkers your mind in the right way. He has a knack of directing films, which please both the critics and audience alike, while ringing the cash registers. His treatment of films also triggered interesting debates on the medical system, Gandhigiri, the education system and religion. Everyone is eager to see how close he has made the movie to reality or he is trying to getting empathy for Sanjay Dutt with his film. The audience would like to know more on the TADA Case and his addiction of drugs.
What is the aftermath if ‘Sanju’ bombs?
At first glance, ‘Sanju’ does not look so safe because Ranbir Kapoor’s recent films have not fared well at the box office. In terms of box office figures, even the trade pundits do not have definite numbers for this one. It is also to be mentioned that Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘Saala Khadoos’ where he was a producer, did not do well in the Hindi belt.
It has also been reported that director Hirani has completely overdone the publicity of ‘Sanju’ with a plethora of posters. He does not seem confident enough of the product. His task to tell a dark story in a simplistic manner is the crux of ‘Sanju’. Despite being an excellent storyteller, it would be interesting to see how he handles this one.
At the moment, Hirani is the real star of ‘Sanju’, followed by the story. Ranbir Kapoor will have to prove himself again and it can be a game-changer for him.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
