“Marriage made Ranbir Kapoor more mature,” says Subhash Ghai; calls him “humble and simple”

October 23, 2025 - 10:13 AM IST

Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai recently opened up about actor Ranbir Kapoor’s evolution over the years, crediting his marriage to actress Alia Bhatt for adding depth and maturity to his personality. In a conversation with CNN-News18, Ghai reflected on his long association with the Kapoor family and offered insight into the late Rishi Kapoor’s relationship with his son.

“Marriage made Ranbir Kapoor more mature,” says Subhash Ghai; calls him “humble and simple”

Talking about Ranbir’s growth as an individual, Ghai said, “He is somebody who understands life, and things. And he has become more mature after marriage. Still respects the elders, always touches feet whenever we meet, so he has those values intact. In fact, those who have come just now have more tantrums than Ranbir. He is still a very humble and too simple a guy.”

Ghai also drew parallels between the generational differences shared by Rishi and Ranbir, likening their dynamic to a typical father-son bond marked by affection and disagreement in equal measure. “Rishi Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor are two different personalities. The way a younger generation wants to live is something which is always disliked by the father, and what father wants is something the son opposes. So these two used to fight a lot. Just like a regular father-son dynamic. So there was ample love as well,” he recalled.

The filmmaker further noted that Rishi often worried that Ranbir leaned too much toward western sensibilities. “Rishi always used to feel that Ranbir is leaning towards western cinema, and he always felt that if he needs to be successful, he has to embrace Hindi cinema fully,” Ghai said.

Reflecting on Ranbir’s current stature as one of Bollywood’s most respected actors, Ghai expressed regret that Rishi Kapoor is no longer around to witness his son’s success. “When Ranbir does a role, he gets full into it. He has done a lot of experiments as well, some good, some bad, but he has now proven himself to be a number one star, and also number one actor. These days anybody who gives four hits in a row is labelled a star by the media, but he is a fantastic actor,” Ghai said, adding, “Sometimes I think, remembering Rishi, if he was alive, I would have told him, ‘See where your son has reached.’ I used to tell him, don’t pester him, let him do what he wants. But every father is concerned about their son, and wants him to do better than himself.”

Professionally, Alia Bhatt is gearing up for her action-spy film Alpha under Yash Raj Films and is also part of the much-anticipated Love & War, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, co-starring Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal. The film is slated for a March 2026 release. Meanwhile, Ranbir’s upcoming projects include Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, featuring Sai Pallavi, Yash, Sunny Deol, and Ravi Dubey. The two-part epic is expected to hit theatres around Diwali 2026.

Also Read: Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor twin in Chikankari kurtas for Diwali, celebrate festival with family and friends; see pics