There was a time when Ranbir Kapoor did not need a massive set, an elaborate action sequence or a larger-than-life character to connect with an audience. He could simply play a young man who was figuring things out, getting his heart broken, making bad decisions or wondering what to do with his life. That version of Ranbir still has a very specific place in the memories of Hindi film audiences.
As he turns 44 today, September 28, his career looks quite different. His last theatrical release was Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal, where he played the volatile Ranvijay Singh. His next big release is Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, in which he plays Lord Ram, followed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War. Both films are being mounted on a much larger scale, with Ramayana releasing in multiple Indian languages.
But before Ranbir became the face of these ambitious projects, there was Sid, Prem, Harpreet, Bunny and Ved.
When Ranbir felt like the boy next door
His breakthrough years came with a run of characters that were very different from one another but shared one thing: they felt close to everyday life. In Wake Up Sid, he was Sid Mehra, a privileged but directionless Mumbai youngster who had no real idea what he wanted from life. The character’s confusion was familiar, particularly to a generation trying to find its feet after college.
The same year brought Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year. Prem was goofy, unemployed and hopelessly romantic. Harpreet Singh Bedi was quieter and more grounded, a young graduate trying to build a career on his own terms. Ranbir had three releases in 2009, and the variety in those performances helped establish him as an actor who could move between comedy, romance and more understated drama.
Then came Bunny in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. He was more ambitious than Sid and more confident than Prem, but the emotional questions were still familiar: friendship, career, love and the fear of choosing one life over another.
Tamasha took that idea somewhere more personal. Ved was successful on the outside but unhappy with the life he had built. It was another Ranbir character caught between what was expected of him and what he actually wanted.
There was also Rockstar, Barfi! and Sanju, films that pushed him away from the straightforward romantic-hero image. His two consecutive Filmfare Best Actor wins for Rockstar and Barfi! marked an important phase in that evolution.
From relatable young man to larger-than-life roles
The change was gradual rather than sudden. Brahmastra put him in a fantasy universe, Sanju required him to transform into another real-life actor, and Animal took him into much darker territory. His box-office trajectory changed too, with Animal becoming his highest-grossing film in India, according to Bollywood Hungama’s current figures.
Now, Ramayana puts him in perhaps his most recognisable role yet. Ranbir is playing Lord Ram opposite Sai Pallavi as Sita, with Yash as Ravana. The film is being planned as a two-part epic, with the first part scheduled for November 6, 2026.
It is a long way from Sid sitting in his Mumbai bedroom wondering what he wanted to do with his life.
And perhaps that is what makes the older Ranbir films worth revisiting on his birthday. Sid, Prem and Bunny were not extraordinary because they were larger than life. They were memorable because, in their own messy ways, they felt like people audiences knew. Ranbir’s career has since moved towards spectacle, scale and characters who carry far greater weight. The boy next door has grown up. The interesting part now is seeing what he does with that new scale.
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