New Delhi: For over two decades, 3 Khans ruled Bollywood, all the way! Salman was the sexy bad boy. Aamir, the adventuring perfectionist. Shah Rukh, the to-die-for stylish romantic. Between them [and their individual image-projection] they had the market covered and youngistan cornered in style. Sure, Ajay, Akshay and Hrithik were there too with their hits and fans but their star-power had neither the charisma nor mass-frenzy that went with the Khan's popular appeal. At home or abroad, their films were eagerly-awaited events and their shows and concerts were marked by hysteria. In short, the Khans were in a different league, a separate stratosphere.
Today, as we hit mid-2013, this total and complete domination has received its first, major jolt sending a solid 'Wake up Khans' message to the trio that their cool n' confident Khan-giri has now a serious challenger in the form and shape of a dazzler named Ranbir Kapoor! Powered by two whopping monster hits - 'Barfi' (Rs.106 crores) and YJHD raking up a cool Rs.175 crores and counting, the 30-year old scion of the fabled Kapoor family has served notice that he is no Johnny-come-lately-flash-in-the-pan but a serious actor, committed, knowledgeable and forever willing to pull out the stops to go the distance. Just ten movies old in six years, his repertoire clearly demonstrates his serious intent to constantly experiment in fearless fashion and go with his instinct. From 'Sawariya' (2007) to 'Bachna...' to 'Rocket Singh', 'Wake up Sid', 'Rajneeti', 'Anjaana-Anjaani', 'Rockstar', 'Barfi' and recently YJHD, the young star has continued to do something few have dared - "consciously opt for the alternative within mainstream" [as Social Scientist Shiv Visvanathan has perceptively pointed out] and come out smelling of roses!
What makes Ranbir Kapoor unique, special and a cut above the rest? Is it his "typification of the new cool among the young - carefree, effortless, intelligent - that is instantly relatable" wonders Director Anurag [Barfi] Basu? Is he really a true-blue "representative and keeper of the Kapoor legacy, old reinvented as new & forever in reinvention mode, possessing both intelligence & mystique" inquires Social Scientist Shiv Visvanathan? With Barfi did he categorically demonstrate - as Basu insists - "that no role is too difficult. No project, too risky"? As his filmography reads, has he really been far more experimental than any other star at such an early age of their career? The answer to all these questions must be a thumping and undisputed 'yes', with an interesting rider: Ranbir Kapoor is blissfully clueless about all this paralysis through analysis!
The young star frankly admits that he snuck into acting largely "because here, at least, I didn't have to study! However, over time, I've realised that an actor needs to be constantly unsure about what he's doing and what's going on around him. The moment he thinks he's nailed it, he's dead." An amazingly insightful take from someone so young and raw, right? However, it is clearly this self-scripted commandment that led him to accept such challengingly diverse [suicidal?] roles and zonk the mickey out of both his fans and dad Rishi Kapoor [who hadn't moved from his Romantic/Lover Boy space in his entire career] prompting the roly-poly veteran to blurt "I challenge any star from my time till now to take the risks this boy has taken" with varying degrees of bafflement and pride! Ranbir - for his turn - [non-starry & zero-posturing] offers his simple, non-cerebral and grounded approach to his roles, films & performances. "What do I know about my character in 'Rockstar', 'Rajneeti' or 'Barfi'? I truly don't even pretend to understand the world outside my bubble. The idea is to use the experience of the people who do know. To be absolutely frank, I could relate to the characters of Sid [Wake up Sid] and Kabir [YJHD] but that's about it. I am fortunate to be working with gifted and generous directors who are willing to show me the light, invest in my education and repose faith and confidence in my ability to deliver the goods."
However, his close friends and associates confess he is not as stoical, detached or indifferent as his mom Neetu Singh, believes. She was recently quoted as saying "He is relaxed when his film doesn't click as when it's a smash hit! Did I give birth to a Yogi?" The Yogi beneath his calm exterior isn't all that saintly and is known to closely monitor the promos of all major new releases, analyzing them, decoding them, studying them to ensure that his film promos are different, more provocative and audience-friendly.
Its precisely this killer combo of youth, charm, nonchalance bindaasgiri, grounded, modest and respectful behaviour, along with a genuine craving for that exciting voyage of discovery, to break new ground to scale new heights, that makes him such a dynamite with brands ande ndorsers too. A recent TAM Media Research Survey indicates that RK is truly the Salesman of the Year! His ad endorsement volume has shot up by over sixty percent in the first quarter of 2013 placing him only second to Aamir Khan. Scooping up a whopping [estimated] Rs.6-8 crores per endorsement, the young dazzler [according to Anirban Das Blah, Managing Partner at Entertainment Marketing and Management company CAA KWAN] today ensures a consumer-connect at par with Salman and SRK. "He seems to have completed a journey of 15 years in 5 years" he adds. Powered with at least 8 major global brands [Lenovo, Panasonic, Pepsico & Blackberry among them] with more following, Bollywood's Virat Kohli, is rocking! His constant and exciting re-invention in his screen roles adds a sexy & energetic edge to his brand image, getting him to attract brands beyond the ones that are only youth-driven. Brand Consultant Harish Bijoor is spot-on when he states that "For an actor the ultimate accolade - in terms of popularity and audience-connect - comes from endorsements. Its not money but the confidence and charisma to remain ubiquitous. Ranbir's constant adventurous reinvention helps in connecting brands across the board with consumers."
Close Ranbir-watchers believe that the lines in YJHD "Main udna chahta hoon. Daudna chahta hoon. Girna bhi chahta hoon, bus rukna nahib chahta" comes closest to describing the guy. An instinctive actor who loves to take-off and does not believe in workshops, but gets into the role by spending tons of time with the director. He has his detractors too and they point out that he appears to play the same role over and over again: Boys who end up men in the last reel, commitment-phobic philanderer, slacker ... the trajectory of this transformation being the film's narrative core. While there is truth in this observation, his fans ask - didn't the same thing happen to SRK when he was on the rise? Perceptive critics too compare his YJHD to the Superstar's transformational DDLJ - "both throw up that rare epochal moment when the audience start believing that the person they are seeing on the screen is not the character, but the actor himself. Raj was SRK & vice-versa. Ranbir and Kabir seem to have struck a similar chord." Is it this mega-clout that emboldened Vikas Bahl of Phantom films to schedule the release of his Ranbir-starrer Bombay Velvet during Christmas 2014, traditionally a space forever reserved for the mighty Khans and Akshay Kumar for the last 7 years? Or the fact that his latest, Abhinay Kashyap's 'Besharam' releases mid-week, something that was only practiced by big stars so far. Yup, Ranbir is the new, hot Khan on the block and baby, he sure has arrived.
Comments
0 comment