The Importance Of Being Ranbir

The Kapoor scion with a Supreme addiction on the value of solitude, being selfish – and growing up

- Shikha Sethi

Whatever you think of Ranbir Kapoor, there’s little doubt that he’s the finest actor of his generation in Bollywood. This hasn’t always translated into box office success (Bombay Velvet, Jagga Jasoos), or memorable cinema (Bombay Velvet! Jagga Jasoos!). Ten years after his debut, and 14 films later, he’ll be the first to tell you, “I’m not as successful as I was a few years ago. Sometimes when you’re doing well, you just expect the sun to keep on shining on you, but it doesn’t.”

He’s no longer the only leading man on the horizon either; his contemporaries have all cultivated brands around their personas that are far more palatable to a millennial audience. Meanwhile, Kapoor’s off all social media, and would prefer to focus on the next phase of this career, which he says will be about entertaining audiences rather than proving his acting chops.

When I meet him on GQ India’s Wes Anderson-themed set, there’s a languid ease about the actor, an unhurried air that’s rare for a celebrity. Especially one who comes from Bollywood’s First Family. He’s present, and engaged, despite his promise to give me “the most boring answers for the next hour” because “I thought no one reads the text anyway.”

Later, in his vanity van, decked out with film poster artwork – Drive, Melancholia, Black Swan, Four Rooms – Kapoor chats about why he’s married to the movies, and his semi-charmed life.

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