Ranbir Kapoor Shares Insights on Kapoor Legacy, Personal Evolution, and Impact of Family Failures on His Career

Ranbir Kapoor is currently among the most successful actors in Bollywood. The son of the late actor Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor, the Ramayana actor grew up in a family of actors and filmmakers. Despite enjoying huge popularity, Ranbir is known for his calm and humble nature. In a recent interview, Ranbir shared how the failures of many Kapoor family members shaped his attitude.

Ranbir Kapoor on his relationship with father Rishi Kapoor

Rishi Kapoor breathed his last in May 2020 after his battle with cancer. In an interview with Nikhil Kamath, Ranbir spoke about his childhood and said he “loved” his father, but his relationship with him was “distant and not so great.”

“I stopped crying very early on. I didn’t even cry when my father passed away. When I was spending the night at the hospital, the doctor told me, ‘This is his last night, he is going to go anytime soon,’ I remember going up to the room and having a panic attack. I didn’t know how to express myself; there was too much happening to take in. But I don’t think I have grieved, or understood the loss,” Ranbir shared.

Family Failures and Learnings

He mentioned that his family comprises "generations of successful actors and those who have failed," and he realized the reason for their failure too. He stated that he "studied them" and noticed their behaviour from a very young age. To explain his point, he cited the example of his late father, Rishi Kapoor, who, according to Ranbir, used to be rude to fans who approached him for autographs and pictures. Ranbir asserted that he is "not interested" in doing so.

The Animal actor further continued by recalling how he observed fans' disappointment and decided that he "can’t say no to anybody." Ranbir admitted he was scared of his father and never saw the color of his eyes. He also revealed that Rishi Kapoor took away his car when he returned to India to keep him grounded.

“I would see the fan’s face and them looking at my father with so much disdain and disappointment. If somebody wants a picture with me or an autograph, I’m more than happy to oblige,” he said.

“The one year we spent together in New York while his treatment was ongoing, he often spoke about that. I was there for 45 days and one day he came and started crying. He has never shown that kind of weakness to me. It was so awkward for me because I didn’t know if I should hold him or hug him; I really realized the distance. I feel guilty that I didn’t have the grace to let go of the distance between us and hug him, give him some love,” Ranbir reflected.

Ranbir was last seen in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal, one of the biggest films of 2023. He will next be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love and War alongside Vicky Kaushal and Alia Bhatt.

- PTC PUNJABI