Biography

Published on December 2016 | Categories: Documents | Downloads: 85 | Comments: 0 | Views: 747
of 6
Download PDF   Embed   Report

Comments

Content


Ranbir Kapoor (pronounced [r?'?bi?r k?'pu?r]; born 28 September 1982) is an Indi
an film actor. Through his successful career in Hindi (Bollywood) films, he has
become one of the highest-paid actors and one of the most high-profile celebriti
es in India. He is the recipient of several awards and nominations including fiv
e Filmfare Awards.
Kapoor is the son of actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, and the grandson of ac
tor-director Raj Kapoor. He completed his pre-university education in Mumbai, af
ter which he moved to New York City to pursue film-making and method acting at t
he School of Visual Arts and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, respe
ctively. Kapoor began his career in Bollywood as an assistant director on Sanjay
Leela Bhansali's 2005 film Black.
Kapoor's first acting role was as the protagonist of Bhansali's 2007 tragic roma
nce Saawariya, a box office flop for which he received his first Filmfare AwardBe
st Male Debut. His first commercial success was the 2008 romantic comedy Bachna
Ae Haseeno, and he was awarded the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor for his
performances in three films of 2009the coming-of-age film Wake Up Sid, the comed
y Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, and the drama Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year.
Kapoor won two consecutive Best Actor awards at Filmfare for portraying a troubl
ed musician in the 2011 drama Rockstar and a deaf-mute man in the 2012 comedy-dr
ama Barfi!. The 2013 romantic comedy Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani proved to be one of
the highest-grossing Bollywood films of all time and established him as a leadi
ng actor of contemporary Hindi cinema.
In addition to acting in films, Kapoor supports numerous charities and causes, i
s vocal about issues faced by women and is the goodwill ambassador of Shabana Az
mi's Mijwan Welfare Society. His off-screen life is the subject of fervent tablo
id reporting in India.
Contents [hide]
1 Early life and background
2 Career
2.1 Debut and success (200710)
2.2 Rockstar and beyond (2011present)
3 Personal life
4 In the media
5 Filmography
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
Early life and background[edit]
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 Pr
ithviraj Kapoor and the grandson of actor-director Raj Kapoor.[2] His elder sist
er, Riddhima Kapoor (born 1980) is an interiors and fashion designer.[3][4] His
paternal cousins Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor are both actresses.[5]
Kapoor was schooled 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 intereste
d in studies and would always get punished by my teachers".[6] Reflecting on his
school life, Kapoor added, "I was never a bright student, potentially never goo
d at dramatics, I was sometimes given one-line roles that I was happy to do so t
hat I could bunk classes. My mother used to cry three times a year and that is w
hen my report card used to come. I always passed but was always in the bottom fi
ve and got marks in 50s." He was, however, interested in mathematics and literat
ure, and was particularly fond of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.[
7]
Ranbir Kapoor is posing with his father and mother
Kapoor with his parents Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh at a promotional event for
Besharam, 2013
The troubled marriage between his parents deeply affected him as a child. In an
interview with Mumbai Mirror he recollected the fights between his parents: "Som
etimes the fights would get really bad. I would be sitting on the steps, my head
between my knees, till five or six in the morning, waiting for them to stop". H
e added that due to these experiences there was a "reservoir of emotions buildin
g up inside [him]", which compelled him to look for an outlet in films.[8] Kapoo
r said that, while growing up, he was "petrified" of his father and "never had a
friendly relationship [with him] because he used to stay very busy", but admitt
ed to sharing a much closer relationship with his mother.[7][9]
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 dur
ing the film's shooting schedule that he developed a closer bond with him.[9] He
subsequently enrolled at Mumbai's H.R. College of Commerce and Economics to com
plete his pre-university education.[7] Upon graduating from high school, Kapoor
moved to New York City to learn film-making at the School of Visual Arts and lat
er pursued method acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.[10][11
] He said that living alone in New York on a "shoe-string budget" taught him "th
e value of family and money".[8][12]
In New York City, Kapoor directed and starred in two short films (entitled Passi
on to Love and India 1964), and spent most of his time watching world cinema.[10
][13] He professed that the experience of learning about movies at a film school
was "almost useless" and preferred being on an actual film set.[8] He, thus, wo
rked as an assistant director to Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the 2005 film Black. H
e described the experience: "I was getting beaten up, abused, doing everything f
rom cleaning the floor to fixing the lights from 7 am to 4 am, but I was learnin
g every day."[10] In an interview with CNN-IBN, Kapoor confessed that his main m
otive for assisting on the film was to ensure that Bhansali liked him enough to
cast him as an actor for his next project.[9]
Career[edit]
Debut and success (200710)[edit]
Following the release of Black, Bhansali cast Kapoor as the protagonist of his 2
007 tragic romance Saawariya alongside Sonam Kapoor and Rani Mukerji. The film t
ells the story of a tramp, Ranbir Raj, who falls obsessively in love with a woma
n awaiting the return of her lover. In an interview with the news and entertainm
ent portal Rediff.com, Kapoor stated that his character in the film was written
to pay a "conscious tribute" to his grandfather Raj Kapoor.[14] Saawariya was th
e first Indian film to be produced by a Hollywood studio (Sony Pictures Entertai
nment), and was a highly anticipated release.[15] Film critics were disappointed
with the picture; BBC's Jaspreet Pandohar called the film a "misfire on a massi
ve scale"[16] and CNN-IBN's Rajeev Masand considered it "contrived and fake". Ma
sand, however, was impressed by Kapoor's "affable charm" and added that "hes got
that star quality to him which is so rare to find."[17] At the box office, Saawa
riya failed to earn profits.[18] However, at the annual Filmfare Awards ceremony
, Kapoor was awarded with a Best Male Debut trophy.[19]
Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif are standing beside each other
Kapoor with Katrina Kaif at a promotional event for Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani i
n 2009
Despite the commercial failure of Saawariya, Kapoor was contracted by Yash Raj F
ilms (a leading Bollywood studio) for a primary role in the Siddharth Anand-dire
cted romantic comedy Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008).[20] The film was his first commer
cial success, in which his role was that of Raj Sharma, a womaniser who is roman
tically involved with three women (played by Bipasha Basu, Minissha Lamba, and D
eepika Padukone) at different stages of his life.[21]
In 2009 Kapoor featured in three filmsWake Up Sid, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, an
d 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.[22] In Dharma Productions's Wake Up Sid, a co
ming of age film from director Ayan Mukerji, Kapoor portrayed Siddharth "Sid" Ma
lhotra, a rich, lazy teenager whose life undergoes a series of changes after int
eracting with an ambitious journalist (played by Konkana Sen Sharma). When Muker
ji narrated the then-untitled script of the film to him, Kapoor came up with the
title himself.[23] Media reports described the film as an "unconventional roman
ce" between a younger man and an older woman, and expressed doubt on its financi
al prospects.[24] It eventually emerged as a sleeper hit and received acclaim fr
om the critics.[25] Both Kapoor and Sen Sharma's performances were praised; Tara
n Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama labelled Kapoor's performance "award-worthy" and w
rote that "in Wake Up Sid he proves that he's amongst the best in the business t
oday."[26]
Kapoor's next appearance was opposite Katrina Kaif in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani
, a comedy from director Rajkumar Santoshi . The film was generally well receive
d by the critics, and emerged as the fourth highest-grossing film of 2009.[27] K
apoor described his next release, the Shimit Amin-directed drama Rocket Singh: S
alesman of the Year, to be an "underdog story" and added that his character (a s
ardar) was that of a "middle-class guy, who wants to be a salesman". For the rol
e, he grew a beard to "get into the skin of the character".[28] Film critic Maya
nk Shekhar found his performance in the film to be "astonishingly sincere" and T
he New York Times commended him for "turning in a skilfully understated performa
nce".[29][30] In an 2010 interview with Bollywood Hungama, Kapoor said that Rock
et Singh was a movie that he "truly believed in", and professed to being highly
disappointed by its commercial failure.[31]
Prakash Jha's big-budget ensemble political thriller Raajneeti was Kapoor's firs
t release of 2010. The film, which starred Nana Patekar, Ajay Devgn, Arjun Rampa
l, Manoj Bajpayee, Katrina Kaif and Sarah Thompson in prominent roles, was inspi
red by the Indian epic The Mahabharata and Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather
.[32] 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.[19] In an interview with the Press T
rust of India, Kapoor described the character of Pratap to be a departure from t
he "lover boy roles" that he had established a reputation of portraying.[28] Nik
hat Kazmi of The Times of India reviewed, "The film finally belongs to Ranbir Ka
poor who perfects the art of minimalism and literally grows before your eyes as
the simmering volcano that cannot be held back, once it erupts."[33] Robert Abel
e of the Los Angeles Times, however, was more critical of his performance which
he considered "stony rather than calculatingespecially jarring compared to the hi
strionic turns around him".[34] Indian trade journalists were apprehensive of Ra
jneeti recovering its INR600 million (US$10 million) investment.[35] The film, h
owever, surpassed trade expectations and proved a major commercial success with
worldwide earnings of over INR1.43 billion (US$24 million).[36]
That same year, Kapoor collaborated with Priyanka Chopra on Anand's Anjaana Anja
ani, a dramedy involving two strangers who vow to commit suicide on New Year's E
ve. The film received little praise from the critics, and was a moderate financi
al success.[37] Rajeev Masand noted that Kapoor "struggles with a badly-defined
role" and NDTV's Anupama Chopra concluded, "Ranbir tries hard to salvage the fil
m, dropping his shirt several times but even his lovingly shot chest cant save th
e film."[38][39]
Rockstar and beyond (2011present)[edit]
Ranbir Kapoor is looking directly at the camera
Kapoor at a promotional event for Barfi!, 2012
Following an item number in the children's film Chillar Party (2011), Kapoor too
k the role of Janardhan "Jordan" Jakhar in Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar, a drama that f
ollows the journey of an aspiring musician (belonging to Pitam Pura, a residenti
al 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
".[40] He additionally learnt to play the guitar and practised extensively at A.
R. Rahman's (the film's music composer) studio.[41] As part of the film's promot
ional activity, Kapoor performed at a live concert at Bhavan's College in Mumbai
.[42] Film critics were polarised on their view of the film, but were unanimous
in their praise for Kapoor; Aniruddha Guha of Daily News and Analysis was partic
ularly impressed with the film and wrote, "Ranbirs portrayal of Jordan may go dow
n as one of Hindi cinemas most accomplished performances by a lead actor."[43] Fo
r 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.[
19] With a gross revenue of INR1.07 billion (US$18 million), Rockstar was one of
the top-grossing Indian films of the year.[44]
The 2012 romantic comedy Barfi! was Kapoor's first release to earn over INR1 bil
lion (US$17 million) at the domestic box office (it had a worldwide revenue of I
NR1.75 billion (US$29 million).[45][46] Directed by Anurag Basu, the film (set i
n the 1970s) tells the story of its titular protagonist (a deaf and mute man, pl
ayed by Kapoor) who falls in love with a woman who is already engaged (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 C
haplin, and his grandfather Raj Kapoor.[47] Barfi! received praise from the crit
ics, 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".[48][49] The film was submitted as Indias official
entry for the 85th Academy Awards, and was screened at the Marrakech and Busan
International Film Festivals.[50][51][52] Kapoor won second consecutive Best Act
or awards at the Filmfare, Screen, and IIFA Award ceremonies.[19]
Kapoor achieved further success when he reunited with director Ayan Mukerji for
the 2013 romantic comedy Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. He played Kabir "Bunny" Thapar
, a commitment-phobic photographer, alongside Deepika Padukone, Kalki Koechlin,
and Aditya Roy Kapoor. In an interview with The Express Tribune, Kapoor describe
d the character as an extension of himself.[53] His pairing with Padukone, after
their highly publicised break-up, led to hype surrounding the film's release.[5
4][55] Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani eventually opened to record-breaking collections,
and emerged as one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of all time with ear
nings of INR3.02 billion (US$50 million); it also proved to be Kapoor's third co
nsecutive commercial success in three years and earned him another Best Actor no
mination at Filmfare.[56][57][58] Film critics found the film to be "riddled wit
h clichés", but praised both Kapoor and Padukone, with Daily News and Analysis' Tu
shar Joshi labelling their on-screen chemistry as "unsurpassable".[59][60] Kapoo
r's second release of the year was the action-comedy film Besharam in which he p
layed Babli, a petty thief, alongside Pallavi Sharda and his parents, Rishi Kapo
or and Neetu Singh.[61] The film met with an overwhelming negative reaction from
the critics and Sudhish Kamath of The Hindu described it as "Kapoor's hall of s
hame".[62][63] Commercially, Besharam proved to be a flop.[64]
As of February 2014, Kapoor has three other films in production. He is filming w
ith Anushka Sharma, Raveena Tandon and Karan Johar for Anurag Kashyap's period f
ilm Bombay Velvet, and has been signed on to appear in a supporting role for Vic
ky Singh's romantic thriller Roy, alongside Arjun Rampal and Jacqueline Fernande
z.[65][66] He will also launch a production company named Picture Shuru Producti
ons in a collaboration with director Anurag Basu; their first productionthe comed
y-mystery film Jagga Jasooswill feature Kapoor (alongside Katrina Kaif) in the ro
le of a 17 year old detective.[67][68]
Personal life[edit]
Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padkuone pose for the camera
Kapoor with Deepika Padukone at a promotional event for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani,
2013
Kapoor had his first serious relationship while in the seventh grade. He said, "
I was really naive then. I didn't understand love. When that relationship ended
I went into depression. I thought I would never fall in love again. Now I think
I've become more realistic about love. Love is a beautiful feeling. It almost eq
uals cinema in my list of passions."[12] Having learnt from his parents' trouble
d marriage, he says that he doesn't believe in a "rose-tinted illusion of love",
and is aware of "how complicated a relationship between a man and woman could b
e."[8]
While filming for Bachna Ae Haseeno in 2008, Kapoor began a romantic relationshi
p with co-star Deepika Padukone.[69] The relationship, which attracted substanti
al media coverage in India, ended the following year.[70] Kapoor has maintained
that his split with Padukone was amicable, and has since refrained from divulgin
g details of his personal life.[71] Tabloid reports have since romantically link
ed him with several women; Kapoor has categorically denied to speak about these
reports (he has termed his "playboy image" as a "gross misrepresentation") but s
aid, "I am not saying that everything is untrue but what is written is exaggerat
ed and glamorized."[8][72] In August 2013, a set of paparazzi photographs were p
ublished by Stardust showing Kapoor and Katrina Kaif at a beach in Spain; the pr
ess interpreted this to be proof of a relationship between Kapoor and Kaif.[73]
Kapoor is vocal about issues faced by women, and supports the empowerment of the
girl child; he is the goodwill ambassador of Shabana Azmi's Mijwan Welfare Soci
ety, an NGO which helps empower women.[74] He supports environmental charities,
and in 2011 donated money to the Community Water Initiative, a charitable organi
sation owned by PepsiCo.[75] In 2012 he appeared (alongside Arjun Rampal and Far
han Akhtar) in a short film by Zoya Akhtar to generate awareness on breast cance
r.[76] He is the campaign ambassador for NDTV's Marks for Sports, a nationwide i
nitiative to promote fitness and health in India.[77]
Kapoor is a football enthusiast, and is the vice-captain of the All Stars Footba
ll Club, a celebrity football club that raises money for charity.[78] In March 2
013 he played the game to raise funds for the Magic Funds Organisation, an NGO f
or underprivileged children.[79] That year he participated in an auction on eBay
, where the highest bidder gets an opportunity to interact with him; the proceed
s were donated to Save the Children, a non-profit organisation that raised funds
for flood affected households in Uttarakhand.[80]
In the media[edit]
Ranbir Kapoor is looking away from the camera
Kapoor at the season finale of Indian Idol 6 in 2012
Born into a family of popular actors, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a yo
ung age; Hindustan Times published that "he was always a star kid from whom ever
yone had great expectations".[81] Despite the failure of his first film (Saawari
ya), IANS reported that he "rose like [a] meteor on film firmament by giving com
pelling performances in films like Raajneeti, Rockstar and [..] Barfi!"[82] Disc
ussing the commercial viability of Kapoor, Apoorva Mehta (the COO of Dharma Prod
uctions) noted, "In a short career span of 10 films, Ranbir Kapoor has achieved
a tremendous jump in the business done by his films. His last releases have show
n a successive growth of 40% over each preceding film, clearly showing the audie
nces appreciation for the power house of talent."[83] Following the major commer
cial success of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, The Economic Times credited him as "the
most bankable actor of his generation", and producer Siddharth Roy Kapur said t
hat "he is no longer on the cusp of super-stardom....he's there!"[83]
Presently, Kapoor is one of the most popular and high-profile celebrities in Ind
ia.[84] In 2012 Forbes featured him on the eleventh spot in India's Celebrity 10
0 list with an estimated annual earning of INR711 million (US$12 million), makin
g him one of the highest paid actors in the country.[85] The following year he r
anked eighth.[86] Kapoor has frequently featured in Rediff.com's anuual listing
of "Bollywood's Best Actors"; he was ranked second in 2009,[87] first in 2011,[8
8] and held the third position in 2012.[89] In 2009 People magazine listed him a
s the "Sexiest Man Alive" in India,[90] and in 2013 he topped Filmfare's poll of
the "Most Stylish Young Actor".[91] That year, he was one of the recipients of
the "People of the Year" award by the Limca Book of Records.[92] Kapoor is the c
elebrity endorser for various brands and services, including Pepsi, Panasonic, T
ata DoCoMo, and the Spanish football club FC Barcelona.[93]

Sponsor Documents

Or use your account on DocShare.tips

Hide

Forgot your password?

Or register your new account on DocShare.tips

Hide

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link to create a new password.

Back to log-in

Close