Saawariya

Ranbir Kapoor’s tepid debut with ‘Saawariya’ incited many tongues to wag about his talent and whether he’d be able to make it big in the industry. Given the fact that the Kapoor lad was born into a family as influential as his, Ranbir’s every move was scrutinised to the hilt. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s brainchild, ‘Saawariya’ was based on Fyodor Doestovsky’s short story ‘White Nights’. Ranbir Kapoor’s performance received a lukewarm response both from critics and the audience. However, the film won Ranbir the Filmfare Best Debut (Male) Award.

Bachna Ae Haseeno

Ranbir Kapoor’s second film was declared a hit at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics. Ranbir’s act as the Casanova-ish, promiscuous, heart-breaking, commitment-phobic Raj Sharma was pretty well-received by people. The actor’s performance pulled him out of the stupor that ‘Saawariya’ had sort-of created for him, and people wanted to see more of Ranbir Kapoor.

Wake Up Sid!

The 2009 rom-com saw Ranbir Kapoor as the happy-go-lucky, laid-back Siddharth Mehra (Ranbir Kapoor), who falls in love with Aisha (Konkona Sen Sharma), who teaches him the importance of pursuing a dream. The film was both critically and commercially successful, and managed to pave the road to stardom for Ranbir Kapoor.

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani

‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’ turned out to be a super-hit, and Ranbir’s simple, straightforward, at-times-naive Prem won over innumerable hearts. Paired across Katrina Kaif, Kapoor pulled off a spectacular performance, and was much-appreciated for his role. The at-times-sizzling, at-times-sweet on-screen chemistry between Ranbir and Katrina left many people speechless.

Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year

Despite turning out to be an above-average success at the box office, Ranbir’s ‘Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year’ was another feather in his hat as far as performance is concerned. Ranbir, as the eponymous Rocket Singh, was praised for his skilful portrayal of an understated salesman. ‘Rocket Singh’ helped Ranbir walk a considerable amount of distance on the path to glory. The act won him a Filmfare Critics’ Award for Best Actor.

Rajneeti

The Prakas Jha multistarrer, ‘Rajneeti’, is largely responsible for establishing Ranbir Kapoor as a glowing star in the Hindi film industry. The way in which Samar Pratap, the Ph.D. student pursuing English and one who has a deep love for Romantic poetry, metamorphoses into a scheming, plotting politician who works from behind the lines, was lauded beyond measure by critics. Ranbir’s Samar was a volcano that, beyond its simmering exteriors, housed a store of anger that was only too eager to bleed out once his family turns into the victim of a political coup. The role earned him a nomination for the Filmfare Best Actor Award.

Anjaana Anjaani

Cast opposite Priyanka Chopra, Ranbir played the role of Aakash in ‘Anjaana Anjaani’, a film that revolved around the love-by-chance story of the protagonists. The film received mostly negative reviews and was declared above-average at the box office.

Rockstar

Imtiaz Ali’s musical romantic drama, that hit the theatres in 2011, catapulted Ranbir Kapoor to a league that is envied by many actors in Bollywood. Kapoor’s Janardan/Jordan won him a truckload of awards including that of the Filmfare Best Actor. Ranbir Kapoor was instrumental in sweeping critics and audiences off their feet, and has, with the film, concretised his position in the Hindi film industry.

Barfi!

Ranbir Kapoor, with ‘Barfi!’, managed to woo critics out of their critical stances, and has ended up carving a rock-solid place for himself in the industry. His deaf and mute act in the film has left many groping for words. ‘Barfi!’, apart from receiving rave reviews from critics and audiences, has been selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars next year.

By Ananya Bhattacharya