Animal has become the fifth blockbuster of 2023 and the second blockbuster for Ranbir Kapoor after Sanju (2018). The actor is in a unique position – he has delivered 6 flops and a few underperforming films. But he has compensated for it with big hits.
Since his debut film Saawariya (2007), Ranbir has made a place in the hearts of the audience. His charming looks and acting talent made him a performer to watch out for. Off-screen, he has an adorable-yet-badass image, which connected well with the audience. He’s absent from social media and keeps away from media when he doesn’t have a film to promote. But when he appears at events and interviews, he’ll make sure he becomes the talking point before disappearing into his cocoon or work. In today’s times, when actors are all over the place, it’s amazing how Ranbir Kapoor has managed to keep the intrigue alive.
All these factors would not have worked if he wasn’t a talented actor. As trade veteran Taran Adarsh rightly said a few weeks ago in an article for Bollywood Hungama, “You can find fault in his films. But you cannot find fault in Ranbir Kapoor’s performance.”
Ranbir Kapoor has dabbled in various genres and has always come out with flying colours. One can see that he has worked hard to get the character alive. Yet, it looks natural and this balance is hard to achieve. In Animal, he plays a ferocious character, making one forget about his acts in light-hearted films like Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (2009), Wake Up Sid (2009), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) etc. With this film, his stardom has got a boost and it’s clear that he’s now a bona fide superstar. The usage of the prefix ‘Superstar Ranbir Kapoor’ in the posters of Animal did raise some eyebrows. But all these cynics had to eat their words once Animal became a typhoon at the ticket window.
Animal is the second film of Ranbir Kapoor to cross the Rs. 300 crores mark and it’ll be Ranbir’s first film to cross the Rs. 500 crores mark, if all goes well. Besides Shah Rukh Khan and Sunny Deol, he’ll be the third actor to enter the coveted club. Even Overseas, he has a loyal audience. Animal, in fact, was the number one film last weekend, surpassing Hollywood biggies like Napoleon and The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes with a worldwide gross of USD 42.17 million [Rs. 351.38 cr.]. If that’s not all, a viral story in Bollywood Hungama revealed that Ranbir Kapoor has collected Rs. 2018.02 crores from his 21 releases (and counting). He’ll soon surpass Aamir Khan’s cumulative figure of Rs. 2146.94 crores from 30 releases.
The newer lot of actors, interestingly, are far behind Ranbir Kapoor in terms of popularity and box-office record. Hence, is it fair to say that Ranbir Kapoor is leaps and bounds ahead of his contemporaries?
We asked trade experts to comment. Vishek Chauhan, owner of Roopbani Cinema in Purnia, Bihar said, “Ranbir Kapoor is a special talent. The world knew it from his debut film, Saawariya. He was inconsistent in his choice of films. In my opinion, he tasted superstardom with Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. That film was released on a non-holiday and managed to collect close to Rs. 180 crores. It speaks volumes about an actor to achieve this feat in his sixth year as an actor. His next film, Besharam (2013), also opened at Rs. 20-21 crores. Hence, he was already a star then.”
Vishek Chauhan added, “A lot of people might not agree but Barfi (2012) spoiled things for him. It took him on a different tangent. Had he stayed on the commercial tangent, he would have tasted this kind of success much earlier. He deserves every bit of it. He should be doing more of such films. Post-Covid, his choice of films has become more universal. They have become palatable to the common man. Even with Shamshera (2022), the intent was to make a commercially pleasing flick. He wants to play larger-than-life characters, which is very endearing be it Shamshera or Brahmastra or Animal. Even with Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar (2023), he carried the film on his shoulders.” The exhibitor said that he didn’t quite enjoy the film and added, “Had it starred Ranveer Singh instead of Ranbir, the film would not have even collected Rs. 50 crores.”
Trade guru Komal Nahta said, “100% he’s ahead by leaps and bounds because he has now got mass patronage. Earlier, youngsters loved him. Now, the masses have embraced him with open arms and they’ll not let go of him. He has got a new fan following of unimaginable proportions because of Animal.”
Raj Bansal, the owner of Entertainment Paradise in Jaipur, stated, “He’s the next superstar of Indian cinema. I always used to feel that agar Ranbir ko lambi race ka ghoda banna hai, then he should do action films. He was never convinced about it. He did action for the first time and look at the result.”
He continued, “I put him at par with Hrithik Roshan. But he has gone ahead of Hrithik. Hrithik has done 5-6 action films. Animal is perhaps Ranbir’s first action film and this is how it has performed. If he does 5-6 more action films, toh pata nahin yeh kahan se kahan nikal jaayega.”
Vishek Chauhan also stated on the same lines, “For the first time in his life, he has done this kind of action. And look how the masses have lapped it up. It shows that this man can do anything. He was just holding himself back. Isse better action Hindi cinema mein koi kya hi karega!”
Vishek also remarked, “Usually, actors begin their careers with commercial films, make their brand and then do unconventional films. With Ranbir, the process was in reverse. He proved his mettle as an actor and now he’s doing commercial films.”
He excitedly said, “It is so heartwarming to see a young actor rubbing shoulders with the big guns. You can add him to the league of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan.”
Kiritbhai T Vaghasia, who runs The Friday Cinema multiplex in Surat, revealed that Ranbir Kapoor has an insane fan following among the people in his region, “Brahmastra worked big time. Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar was a surprise. I ran that film for many weeks. I was surprised to see the audience turning up in huge numbers even on weekdays in the fifth and sixth weeks though it was not a typical family film. And Animal has also stunned us as it’s ‘A’ rated. Yet, it’s doing blockbuster business. In short, his films always do well here.”
What next?
Trade experts advise Ranbir Kapoor to continue doing massy films. Vishek Chauhan opined, “I hope he doesn’t go back and sign a film with Imtiaz Ali. If his next film also has action and mass appeal, watch out for its opening! He should be careful that his next 2-3 films should appeal to both classes and the masses. If he takes care of this aspect, Ranbir can rewrite history!”
Raj Bansal said, “It’s upto him to take the call. He’ll never stick to doing only action films. He’ll keep experimenting like he’s been doing in the past. And that’s okay. If he does 1 or 2 action films out of 5, it’s fine. He has shown his range. If you get him the right script, he’ll deliver”
Komal Nahta agreed, “He should sign a couple of more such films.” He has high hopes for Animal’s sequel, Animal Park, “I can’t even imagine the earthquake Animal Park will cause. It will be huge.”
More Pages: Animal Box Office Collection , Animal Movie Review
BOLLYWOOD NEWS - LIVE UPDATES
Catch us for latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release , Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & Upcoming Movies 2024 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.
