It seems like yesterday that I met him for the first time. This shy newcomer, eyes fixed to the ground, a slight smile playing on his lips. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. His movie Saawariya was up for release in 2007 and Sanjay Leela Bhansali had invited us — my editor Jitesh Pillaai and me to meet his protégés. There was a full-on war going on between Sanjay Bhansali and Farah Khan as their respective movies, Saawariya and Om Shanti Om, were releasing on the same day. A lot had been written about the rivalry in the press. But the lead pair of Saawariya was still kept under wraps. So when Bhansali invited us to his home to meet Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor, we were only too happy.
There he sat with his eyes staring at the floor, talking only when spoken to. While Sonam chirped incessantly, he sat still. She was more than happy to take centre-stage, doing a dress trial for the Filmfare cover shoot. She dazzled us with her movie star looks, transforming into a million dollar beauty with just a dash of red lipstick. While she held court, he was happy to watch her from the sidelines. A star is born, we thought, seeing her flounce in Bhansali’s living room. As for him… I knew it in my bones he’d make it big. But I felt he’d go through a tough struggling period before he’d see success, though my editor believed that he was a born star. And I was being kind. Yes, he floored me with his honesty; he was well-spoken, polite, well-mannered… all the trappings of stardom were in place. I pulled his leg about being just too good to be true… and he smiled. Did I miss the mischief in his eyes? Did I overlook the madness? Maybe I did. For I put him down as a straitjacket kind of person. Uni-dimensional. Yesteryear superstars Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh’s son was just too sweet for his own good. How could he survive in this crazy world of showbiz, leave alone thrive?
Little did I know the joke would be on me. Struggle? Did I say he’d have to struggle? What was I thinking? The only time he’s probably struggled is to say no to projects. Ha! So Saawariya released and tanked at the box-office. But Ranbir Kapoor was sheer magic. That he dropped the towel on screen, of course, didn’t hurt either. You had to be really dense not to realise that a star had truly been born. His second and third film, Bachna Ae Haseeno and Wake Up Sid, may have fared average but there was no doubt in anyone’s mind about his talent or that he was headed to the top of the Bollywood ecosystem.
On the personal front, he was being linked to Deepika Padukone. The two were sort of seeing each other even before their debut movies had released. But when the war of words broke out between Bhansali and Farah Khan, the media traded its floodlights on the newcomers. The couple was caught in the crossfire and thought it prudent to back away from each other. Incidentally, it was at the Filmfare Awards that they hitched up once again. Both were our debut award winners, he for Saawariya, she for Om Shanti Om. We were privy to their lil’ romance backstage when the two met for the first time in months. The chemistry was palpable and we were pleasantly surprised when Ranbir said the three words to a blushing Deepika. Discretion stopped us from applauding them.
Thereon, it was a whirlwind romance. Deepika was shooting in Bangkok for Chandni Chowk to China and Ranbir wanted to be with her naturally. So he asked us if we’d like to do a photoshoot with him in Bangkok. We were only too willing. Yes, he’d gone to Bangkok to be with Deepika. But he was as serious about doing the shoot too. So for three days, we had fun shooting him on the streets of Bangkok and Pattaya. Deepika joined us most days and it was one big happy family. Back home, the media reported this with glee. But the lovebirds were beyond caring. We shot extensively with him, 8-10 hours a day. And he never complained once. He changed on the roads, ate at food courts and even travelled back economy class. The travel agency goofed up on Deepika’s return ticket (she was returning with us as she’d finished shooting) and issued her an economy ticket. She was gracious enough to understand the mistake and had no qualms about sitting in Y class. There was no way the knight in shining armour would then sit in Business class. The two sat in economy much to our mortification and the delight of the other passengers.
Source : Film Fare
