Out of sight, out of mind?
With an 18-month hiatus and two unsuccessful films behind him, is Ranbir Kapoor walking the tightrope?
Even though his debut film, Saawariya (2007), did not set the cash registers ringing at the box office, Ranbir Kapoor soon found his ground in B-Town with subsequent hits such as Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008) and Wake Up Sid (2009). However, it was with films like Rockstar (2011), Barfi! (2012) and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) that the actor transformed into a star. But in an industry as competitive as Bollywood, an actor can never rest on his laurels.
In 2013, Ranbir witnessed a downswing in his career with the failure of Besharam. Post that, nothing substantial came forward to give a boost to his career, as in 2014, he was only seen doing cameos in films like PK (2014) and Roy (2014). This year, the 32-year-old will finally be seen in a full-length role in Anurag Kashyap’s next. However, the not-so-encouraging reactions to the first trailer have raised doubts.
“I think this is a make-orbreak situation for Ranbir as he is coming back after Besharam, which was a disaster. Back in the day, when an actor would have three to four releases a year, and if one of them didn’t work, it didn’t affect his career that much. But now, when you are doing just one film at a time, each one better be good,”
says trade analyst
I think this is a make-or-break
situation for Ranbir as he is coming back after Besharam,
which was a disaster. — Atul Mohan, trade analyst
Atul Mohan, adding, “When you are positioned in the manner that he is, a miss here or there, affects your standing.”
Trade expert Amod Mehra echoes Atul’s stance. He is amongst the people who feel that the trailer of the actor’s next is not up to the mark. “When an actor comes after a gap, it does create curiosity, but it also depends on what kind of film he chooses to return with,” he says.
While there might be some scepticism around the actor’s future in the industry at the moment, there have been cases where a single hit has turned the tables for certain actors. A case in point being Ayushmann Khurrana. After starting on a high note with his debut, Vicky Donor (2012), the actor’s fortunes plummeted with three back-to-back flops, before he hit the jackpot with his recent release, Dum Laga Ke Haisha. In a similar vein, a few industry experts feel that a couple of duds can’t shake Ranbir’s position in Bollywood.
“Ranbir is a star who is here to stay,” says trade analyst Amul Mohan. He adds, “Till now we have just seen two-odd minutes of footage of a supposedly three-hour-long film. You never know, the next trailer of the film might become the hottest thing in the industry,” he adds.