Birthday Special: 30 Reasons Why We Love Ranbir Kapoor
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Barely five years old in Bollywood, Ranbir Kapoor is already viewed as the best in the business. And, fortunately, it's not an overstatement.
He always had the advantage of an illustrious lineage -- great grandfather Prithviraj Kapoor, grandfather Raj Kapoor, father Rishi Kapoor, mom Neetu Singh, granduncles -- Shammi and Shashi Kapoor, cousins Karisma and Kareena but it's never been about his name.
His talent spoke for him right from that disastrous first film Saawariya to his latest Barfi! despite its controversial submission into the Oscars race.
So far he's attracted the right kind of projects and chosen wisely treating his viewers to consecutive fine efforts and a promise of equally enticing future projects.
The Kapoor scion turns 30 today. Here's celebrating the on-the-brink superstar and his well-deserved success with a list of 30 things we love about him.
1. He's undeniably good looking. Being the offspring of two very good looking people – Rishi & Neetu -- helps. So naturally, he's got some pretty genes working in his favour.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor
Photographs: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for DIFF
2. The talented Kapoor
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Being a Kapoor is always a good thing in Bollywood. It's not just beauty but Ranbir's also inherited the talent of his enormously gifted family.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor in Barfi!
3. The self-effacing, modest star
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Even more so when the world is going gaga over him and he makes self-effacing comments like, 'There is nothing sexy about me. I have a long nose, big cheeks, long face, broad forehead and my legs are too thin. So I am anything but sexy.'
Image: Ranbir Kapoor on a GQ cover
4. The Aamir Khan of his generation
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He's not the new Aamir Khan without reason.
While it took the Lagaan star some really bad films to embrace his one-film-a-time policy, Ranbir has understood the value of playing choosy and picking the right roles quite early on in his career.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor
Photographs: Manav Manglani/Reuters
5. Sense of humour
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You can have all the charisma in the world but it's no good if you're humourless.
Luckily, Ranbir is not. From mocking himself (and others) on award shows to wisecracking about his lousy percentage in school, RK is a lot of fun.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor
Photographs: Stringer India/Reuters
6. The (leading) ladies' man
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The Bachna Ae Haseeno star is linked with every single co-star he works with, from Sonam Kapoor to Katrina Kaif to Nargis Fakhri.
Image: Movie poster of Bachna Ae Haseeno
7. Mamma's boy
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Brushing all the female attention aside, it's sweet how he reserves all the adoration for the first woman in his life -- his mom.
Often dubbed a 'Mamma's boy,' Ranbir is that rare guy who's actually proud to be one.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor with mum Neetu Kapoor
Photographs: Pradeep Bandekar
8. Dedicated actor
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What a dedicated actor.
To get the nuances of a role right, Ranbir doesn't merely rely on his instincts but prefers to put in 100 percent commitment, be it by growing a beard to play an authentic Sikh boy in Rocket Singh: Salesmen of the Year or learning guitar to look convincing in and as Rockstar.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor in Rocket Singh: Salesmen of the Year
9. Staying classy
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I've always maintained that she is a beautiful person. Apart from being physically attractive, she is beautiful from within.'
Image: Ranbir Kapoor with Deepiak Padukone in Bachna Ae Haseeno
10. His royal hotness
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Right from the moment he dropped his towel on big screen to baring his torso for movies and photo spreads, RK's lean, mean physique has made him every teenage girl's favourite poster boy.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor on a magazine cover
11. Onscreen romance king
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Nothing better than romancing Ranbir on reel it seems.
While his Wake Up Sid co-star Konkona Sen Sharma says he's 'chivalrous and a delight to work with' his love interest in Barfi! -- Ileana D'Cruz finds him 'extremely charming on and off screen.'
Image: Ronabir Kapoor with Ileana D'Cruz in Barfi!
12. Aging gracefully
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Image: Ranbir Kapoor in the Docomo ad
13. Consistently great on-screen kisser
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Bottom-line: consistently great on-screen kisser. (Sorry Hashmi!)
Image: Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri in Rockstar
14. Dancing god
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Can he dance, you ask?
Just watch him groove like fantastic elastic in Chillar Party's Tai Tai Phish to know how well.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor in Chillar Party
15. Being secure
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It's always refreshing to see a secure face in this wobbly, backbiting industry.
Whether he's openly bonding with Imran Khan to refute any suggestions of a friction or praising his seniors to the skies, this is one self-assured celebrity.
Image: Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor
16. Ambitions galore
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For all his calm, composed ways, the man's super ambitious.
Here's his wish-list, 'I see Aamir Khan on the TIME magazine cover and I say, 'I want that'.
I see A.R Rahman on the Oscar stage and I say, 'I too want to be on that stage'. I dream about these things. I see the craze for Salman Khan, the respect for Amitabh Bachchan, the love for Shah Rukh Khan.
'I just don't want what one actor has. I want what every actor has.'
Image: Ranbir Kapoor on a magazine cover
17. Prince Charming
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Ranbir is no different.
Whether he's winning over the Bigg Boss inmates by telling them just how big a fan his mom is of the reality show or promoting his movie through affection interactions with thrilled youngsters of a college, RK Jr sure knows how to make a good impression.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor
18. The realist
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Unlike other actors who develop airs after a single hit, Ranbir steers clear from the delusion-syndrome.
He's willing to call a flop a flop and openly admits he's yet to get where the Khans are in terms of box-office stature.
Here's hoping he always stays this grounded.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor
19. The clotheshorse
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His boyish looks and chiselled physique makes him any designer's dream.
From grungy to sophisticated, ethnic to urban casuals, is there any look one of Bollywood's best-dressed actors can't carry in style?
Image: Ranbir Kapoor
Photographs: Rajesh Karkera
20. Impressive resume
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There's no hint of compromise or desperation.
Ranbir has worked on 10 films in five years and each one distinctly different from another. Clearly, this is an art not business.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor in Anjaana Anjaani
21. Candid shots
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But Ranbir presented a refreshingly candid side to him in an interview to GQ magazine in 2009 when he admitted losing his virginity at 15.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor on a magazine cover
22. Pacifist hottie
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The man's a pacifist.
No wonder we've yet to see him in an all out action movie.
He once said that he's never hit anyone nor been hit. Such a welcome from our fiery current numero unos of Bollywood, right?
Image: Ranbir Kapoor
Photographs: PRadeep Bandekar
23. His age-defying looks
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And Ranbir hardly looks 30. Just three years ago he played a rather believable college kid in Karan Johar's coming-of-age drama, Wake Up Sid.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor in Wake Up Sid
24. Directors' dream
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His gift to understand a script from a filmmaker's point of view and develop a special chemistry with everyone he works under -- Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Basu, Ayan Mukerji, Rajkumar Santoshi has turned him into one of the most sought-after names.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor in Rockstar
25. Birthday boy
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Image: Lata Mangeshkar, Bridgette Bardot and Naomi Watts
26. The minimalist
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But Ranbir is pure gold when silent too.
He doesn't utter a single word in Barfi! (if you discount a lone Brrrfeee) and still his performance is no less brilliant.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor in Barfi!
27. Hit with the Khandaan
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While his family and relatives naturally praise him to the skies, even his previously estranged cousin sisters -- Karisma and Kareena Kapoor have nothing but kind things to say about their kid brother.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor, cousins Karisma and Kareena
28. Memorable tributes
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Tributes are not everyone's cup of tea.
But Ranbir pays them in style. His homage to Raj Kapoor in Saawariya and Charlie Chaplin in Barfi! are a case in point.
Image: Ranbir Kapoor in Saawariya































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