The Next Big Thing

Suave, charming, with a killer smile, extremely gentle, passionate about cinema… You could go on and on describing Ranbir Kapoor without pausing for breath. And if one could summarise Ranbir Kapoor joining the industry in a song, Eagles’ New Kid In Town would be it. ‘There’s talk on the street, it sounds so familiar. Great expectations everybody’s watching you…’ All eyes were set on the youngest and ‘newbie-st’ scion of the first family of Bollywood – from the house of Kapoors…

“I hope I was okay. I suck at interviews,” confesses Ranbir after tete a tete is done with. He talks about his dates, crushes, his greatest passion – films – as easily as he says something profound and endearing, “A smile from an unknown person is quite reassuring.”

Cosmo: Bollywood’s first family heir. Successful debutant. A star in the making. Or a simple boy? Will the real Ranbir Kapoor please stand up?
Ranbir Kapoor: I’m just a shy 25 year old boy consumed by the desire for a brighter future. Cinema is my greatest passion and once the camera is on, I’m not that shy any more. I don’t know what comes into me.

Cosmo: What was your parents’ reaction to Saawariya? Bouquets or brickbats?
RK: Mum, like all mums would have, loved me in the film even if I were the worst thing alive…But I waited for my father’s reaction as I knew that of all people, he would be completely honest about my performance in the movie. Thankfully, bouquets from him also and no brickbats.

Cosmo: What is your own ‘review’ about your performance? Many feel you are lucky to get an author-backed role from Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
RK: I always wanted to debut with Mr Bhansali, for which I started assisting him in the first place. So, I’m glad I did get to debut with him and I’m proud to be a part of Saawariya and play Saawariya. Yes, it was an author-backed role, so that made things much easier for me. But after that there was no such thing as luck that was going to help me. It depended on my hard work and I did work really, really hard on this film and love it to death. Out of 10, I think I’ll give myself 6 ½.

Cosmo: And did you really ‘drop the towel’ in the movie? Were you comfortable doing that?
RK: Yes, I dropped it. Not once but 12 times. It took 12 takes to okay that shot…But, yeah, I was extremely comfortable. As I mentioned before, though, I’m an introvert, yet I really don’t know what comes over me when the camera is switched on…And I had Mr Bhansali shooting a beautiful song with a really nice and sweet concept of a young boy’s private moment at home after he has fallen in love for the first time.

Cosmo: What was it like – growing up in a family as illustrious as the Kapoors? And yet you managed not to be spoilt at all!
RK: I think for me it was like any other normal family. I grew up around films and love it passionately like my entire family. So, for me cinema is a religion. As for not being spoilt, I think my mother is the grounding factor in my life…She can solve any problem or issue of mine, about anything in life, just like solving a Sudoku puzzle.

Cosmo: So who are your favourite actor and actress in your own family?
RK: I like Rishi Kapoor the most as an actor. Raj Kapoor as director and my favourite actress would be Kareena Kapoor.

Cosmo: First lesson the film industry has taught you?
RK: Something somewhere incredible is always waiting to be known. Dream big… it all comes true in the movies!

Cosmo: Debut with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and then a Yash Raj Film right in the beginning of your career. You managed this feat because…
RK: I am lucky. Blessed. Loosely talented. And I have honest good wishes from various people.

Cosmo: Who are your competitors in the industry?
RK: I don’t want to name them as my competitors, as they all have achieved far more than I have. But I want to compete with everybody from Mr Amitabh Bachchan to Darsheel Safary.

Cosmo: What’s a day in your life like when you are not shooting?
RK: Doing absolutely nothing! I lie in bed, stare at the ceiling and think about absolutely nothing… or then a good game of football is something I look forward to. Well, I do have a life apart from films, but sometimes it’s hard to differentiate between real and reel…

Cosmo: At what point would you say that you have finally arrived?
RK: Death! An end! But otherwise I would count success as the day I make R.K.Films the biggest production house in the history of Indian cinema. I won’t rest till then. It’s the only priority I have right now.

Cosmo: You definitely make girls go weak in their knees. So what kind of girls make you all wobbly-kneed?
RK: If you are talking about being in a relationship, it would be goodness and somebody I can totally be myself with.

Cosmo: And apart from relationships? What do you feel about one night stands and flings?
RK: No, I don’t believe in one night stands and flings. I get too attached for that if I’m seeing a girl.

Cosmo: But you must definitely have had your crushes! So who was your first ever crush and who is the latest?
RK: Of course, I’ve had my share of crushes! Well, my first ever crush was when I was about 5 or 6 years old. One of my mom’s friends, who used to come over dressed in really, really short skirts. I was obsessed with her legs. As for my latest crush, it has to be Jessica Alba. Apart from her I think Madhuri Dixit and Jennifer Connely are the hottest women!

Cosmo: And your first ever date? What was it like?
RK: It was a party at my girlfriend’s terrace, where I held her hand for the first time and danced with her. It was quite magical and memorable.

Cosmo: And any catastrophe on a date?
RK: Thankfully none yet!

Cosmo: So if you have to go on a date, what would you wear – something a la mode?
RK: I’m not a label slave, really. I wear anything which fits well and feels comfortable… But I do have my favourites. My favourite labels a Abercrombie and Fitch and I like Arjun Khanna as a designer.

Cosmo: You make sure you are physically fit by…
RK: Playing a lot of soccer, running a lot and working out three to four times a week. No matter what, I make sure I do all of these things.

Cosmo: What’s the craziest thing a girl has told you or done for you?
RK: Well I cannot call it crazy, but I remember once I had this bad tooth ache and couldn’t sleep. So, my girlfriend held my jaw the entire night and slept. I realized in the morning…it was definitely the most romantic thing anybody has ever done for me.

Cosmo: We read that you are seeing Sonam Kapoor. But then apparently you were seeing Deepika Padukone…
RK: Well, it’s part of movie making. Can’t escape it. You read about it, feel crap and then you need to forget about it.

Source: Cosmopolitan Cheers – February 2008