Gulf News has revealed the 10 golden rules Ranbir Kapoor followed to make it big in Bollywood.
1. Roll with the punches: Ranbir’s surname didn't quite prepare him for the fact that his first film ‘Saawariya’ was both a box-office and critical disaster. But the star remained undeterred, following up with ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ - in which he rehashed his dad's famous movie song, and romanced not one but three women. Again the film failed to impress. Then 2009 proved to be the game changer with three back-to-back hits – ‘Wake Up Sid’ and ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’ and ‘Rocket Singh’ - which accelerated his star status.
2. Work with up-and-coming directors: Ranbir has shown himself willing to work with any director, as long as they come up witha great script and a challenging role.
3. Constantly reinvent yourself: Ranbir played the mushy romantic hero in ‘Saawariya’, an unapologetic Casanova in ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’, a soul-searching boy in ‘Wake Up Sid’, a wacky comic lead in ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’, a not-too-smart salesman in ‘Rocket Singh’, a stoic politician in ‘Raajneeti’ and a depressed guy in ‘Anjaana Anjaani’. This strategy ensured neither he, nor his fans, get bored.
4. Skip ‘hero' projects for ensemble flicks: “As long as the script is good, I'm cool doing an ensemble film. When Raajneeti was offered to me, I didn't know who else was in the film. An ensemble cast doesn't scare me, I'm talented and I know I'll give it my best shot, just like I do in my solo roles,” he once said.
5. Stay silent on your exes: Ranbir avoided mud-slinging even after Deepika Padukone spilled the beans about his wild ways on celeb talk show ‘Koffee With Karan’. The star also remained mum on his alleged fling with Kat on the set of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, because she was dating Salman Khan at the time, and he knew enough not to burn thoseB-wood bridges!
6. Wear your heart on your sleeve: When Ranbir hooked up with Dips, he didn’t shy away from playing the B-town love game, gushing about his girl at every opportunity.
7. Cultivate a cool Casanova persona: Having inherited a combination of gorgeous looks, talent, intelligence, mischief and class, Ranbir wields his charms in a good old-fashioned Casanova style.
8. Date the girls all the guys want: Ever since his much-publicised break-up with Dips, Ranbir has been paired off in the tabloids with any single actress or model on the block. While Nargis Fakhri has remained mum about their relationship, Angela Jonsson has been more forthcoming, saying, "Yes, I've dated Ranbir."
9. Befriend your contemporaries: With B-wood all about the power plays rather than the friendships, Ranbir has shown he's not of a cut-throat mindset, with the actor preferring to make pals with his peers.
10. Always stay a mama's boy: A classic family-orientated boy, Ranbir is endearingly attached to his parents and sister Riddhima, and sweetly admits an admiration for his father's films.
