The Cinemawala

One of the most exciting and talented actors of the contemporary Hindi cinema, Ranbir Raj Kapoor is a force to reckon with. Born in the illustrious Kapoor family, Ranbir started his journey in the film industry with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Saawariya’, based on Fyodor Dostoevsky’s ‘White Night’. Though the movie tanked, his performance was noted by everyone. Over the years, his uncanny choice of choosing movies has made him a formidable actor. Unconventional scripts, a keen observation about the portrayal of the character and a methodical approach to acting, Ranbir Kapoor has been denoted as one of the most bankable actors among his contemporaries. We, at The Cinemawala, ranked the top 12 movies of Ranbir Kapoor for you. Read on to see which ones made to the final list.

12.Saawariya (2007) 

Based on Fyodor Dostoevsky’s ‘White Night’, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ’Saawariya’ is a fantasy-themed romantic film. In a mystical land, a kind-hearted singer Raj falls in love with a mysterious girl who he meets on the street. But the girl, who goes by the name Sakina, is waiting for someone else. Despite having lavish production design and extravagant sets, ‘Saawariya’ failed to draw the audience to the theatres. Sonam Kapoor played Sakina yet people remember this film for a shy-looking young lad, dropping his towel to expose his derrière. The film tanked but everyone was sure about one thing – A star was born!

11.Bombay Velvet (2015)

Anurag Kashyap’s magnum opus about the city of Bombay, set in the swinging sixties, the movie is about the rise and rise of Bombay the metropolis with the backdrop of a love story of a wannabe gangster and a jazz songstress.Ranbir Kapoor as the protagonist Johnny Balraj was outstanding. He plays this hot-headed, charming street fighter who wants to be a big shot in his life. Inspired by the protagonist of the Hollywood flick “Roaring Twenties”, he will do anything to become the big shot he aspires to be. Ranbir brought honesty to his performance and you could feel his soul through his eyes. Co-starring Anushka Sharma, Karan Johar, Kay Kay Menon, Manish Choudhury, ‘Bombay Velvet’ is a sepia-toned, colossal letdown.

10.Sanju (2018)

Playing Sanjay Dutt on screen is no mean feat. But Ranbir did it with panache. Portraying different phases of Sanjay Dutt’s life, he brought in his A-game. From playing a young Sanju to the middle-aged Sanjay to the Sanjay Dutt that we know today, Ranbir showed his versatility. The way he picked up the mannerisms and the gait, it became increasingly difficult to imagine that it was not Sanjay Dutt. It is important because there’s a fine line between impersonation and caricature and Ranbir walks on it, with closed eyes and comes out unscathed. The film had its share of controversy as it veered towards a PR exercise for the veteran star but Ranbir was the clear winner as Sanjay Dutt.

9.Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (2009)

Cut from the same cloth as that of ‘Andaz Apna Apna’, this film is Ranbir’s one of the finest acts of comedy. In a small town, Prem is a happy go lucky guy who falls for Jenny, but she’s in love with someone else. So Prem, sacrificing his own love for Jenny’s happiness, helps the lovebirds to get married as their families are against their relationship. But since when plots involving love are so simple? A madcap, zany comedy ensures everything goes alright in the end, involving some superb slapstick humour. Ranbir, as Prem, brings the house down with his antics, along with Katrina Kaif and Darshan Jariwala, who plays Ranbir’s father.

8.Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)

A fresh take on modern relationships and romance, ‘Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani’ is the story of Bunny, Naina, Avi and Aditi. A trip to the mountains takes them through various ups and downs of life, love, heartbreaks and an everlasting friendship. A light-hearted, romantic film, ‘YJHD’ broke several box office records. Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone had to play a major role in it. As the lead protagonists Bunny and Naina, they stole hearts with their effortless performances. Ranbir’s performance as Bunny was appreciated by audience and critics alike. Co-starring Aditya Roy Kapoor and Kalki Koechlin, this movie has become a cult and favourite among millennials.

7.Rajneeti (2010)

Prakash Jha directed this political thriller, which had its roots emerge from the epic ‘Mahabharata’. The tale of two feuding political families ensures a deadly game where blood relatives are after each other’s blood. With shades of Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘The Godfather’ clearly inspiring the plot, ‘Rajneeti’ is a great film. Ranbir Kapoor played the character of Samar, the Micheal Corleone in this epic tale. Cut off from the dirty politics, Samar soon learns the tricks of the trade, as one by one his loved ones perish. Eventually, when the dust settles, we see a shrewd Samar standing tall among the crowd. Co-starring Ajay Devgan, Manoj Bajpayee, Nana Patekar, Katrina Kaif, Arjun Rampal, ‘Rajneeti’ was a huge grosser at the box office.

6.Wake Up Sid (2009)

Siddharth aka Sid is a man-child, basically clueless about what he really wants to do in his life. After a fight with his father, he leaves the house and gets into the house of Aisha, his friend and someone who’s also trying hard to make the best out of her life and career. These two opposites, their struggle in the city of dreams and the bylanes of Mumbai – ‘Wake Up Sid’, directed by Ayan Mukherji, is a coming of age film and is pure love. Ranbir as Sid gives a masterclass in acting along with Konkana Sen Sharma as Aisha, as they both portray the GenNext, trying to deal with the problems in life, in their own way. 

5.Rockstar (2011)

‘Rockstar’ is the story of a singer, who goes through an upheaval of life and pain to bring out the true artist inside him. Janardan Jakhad is an aspiring singer in a small town and dreams of being a rockstar like Jim Morrison. He’s told that behind every great artist, there is a story of a heartbreak. In order to have his heart broken in love, he meets Heer, a popular girl in his college. Over time, JJ as he’s known to his friends and Heer develop a deep bond. As Heer gets married to someone else and JJ is thrown out of his house, both of their lives go topsy-turvy. Broken, bitter in love, JJ becomes a popular yet temperamental musician – Jordan. Ranbir channelises his inner madness to bring the various aspects of a man, who becomes the mercurial rockstar, from being a bumbling simpleton.

4.Rocket Singh – Salesman Of The Year (2009)

In one of the most underrated films of his career, Ranbir shines as the salesman Harpreet Singh Bedi. A simple young man joins AWS, a personal computer sales company and just as he starts dreaming to be the top sales person, he’s quickly brought down by his peers, courtesy his inability to ignore the rampant ongoing corruption and malicious methods of increasing the sales. Determined to make his mark, Harpreet along with few of his peers, secretly form a company Rocket Sales of their own that soon start giving serious competition to AWS. Ranbir, as Harpreet aka Rocket Singh effortlessly turns into the common man that yesteryears’ directors Basu Chatterji, Hrishikesh Mukherjee had championed, through their films. An average grosser on the box office, this film has become a cult over the years.

3.Jagga Jasoos (2017)

In what will be known as the most audacious effort to make a mainstream Bollywood musical film, ‘Jagga Jasoos’ is the story of a boy detective Jagga, in the search of his missing father. Jagga, who stammers a lot, finds it easy to sing instead of talking, to pass on messages. Ranbir, who played Jagga, also produced this film which is a nothing short of grand adventure on screen. Spanning continents, as Jagga travels various places looking for his father, this movie is a masterpiece, unable to find its takers when it released. Directed by Anurag Basu and co-starring Katrina Kaif and Saswata Chatterjee and featuring some greatest of melodies, ‘Jagga Jasoos’ is pure love.

2.Tamasha (2016)

Ladies and Gentlemen, ‘Tamasha’ is one of the finest stories that Imtiaz Ali has etched on the celluloid and believe me, sometimes you have to go beyond the fun, the glitz and the razzmatazz of movies to tell a story that touches the inner core of your heart. This is Imtiaz Ali’s biographical and he has put his soul into it. There are some stories which you can relate to. Certain stories, which you fall in love with because those are your own. Tamasha is one of those stories. It’s an out-n-out Ranbir Kapoor show. He is the scene stealer as the protagonist Ved. He charms your pants off, dances, hams, thunders and gets immersed into Ved’s character. He portrays the character with such nuance that he ends up owning it. There are multiple layers to this character and he does justice to each of them. Deepika Padukone as Ved’s love interest Tara and one of the main catalysts behind his change is in equally fine form.

1.Barfi (2012)

Some films come only once in a lifetime and leave an indelible mark on the audience. Anurag Basu’s ‘Barfi’ is a similar film. In one the most challenging roles of his life, Ranbir leaves the audience stunned as the deaf and mute Murphy, aka Barfi. Along with Priyanka Chopra playing an autistic character Jhilmil and Ileana De Cruz as Barfi’s love interest Shruti, Ranbir ensured that ‘Barfi’ will be remembered as a cinematic brilliance, a masterpiece. The scene where Barfi tries to explain Shruti about his love in sign language is pure brilliance and makes the heart bleed. Along with the soulful melodies by Pritam, ‘Barfi’ is a film to remember and the reason is – Ranbir Kapoor.