Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Ranveer Singh Ranveer Singh is an Indian actor working in
Bollywood. Following his Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University, Bloomington,
Singh returned to India to pursue his dream of being an actor. In 2010, Singh auditioned
for the lead role in the Yash Raj Films venture called Band Baaja Baaraat, and got selected.
The romantic comedy was set in the world of wedding planning and required Singh to portray
a typical Delhi guy called Bittoo Sharma. After its release, Band Baaja Baaraat became
a critical and commercial success, with Singh's portrayal of Bittoo being lauded by critics.
He went on to win the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut at the 56th Filmfare Awards.
Singh continued experimenting with different roles including a con artist in Ladies vs
Ricky Bahl (2011), a disguised robber in the critically acclaimed Lootera (2013) and a
Gujarati boy in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013), which emerged as Singh's biggest commercial
success to date. Life and career
1985–2007: Early life and beginning Ranveer Singh was born Ranveer Singh Bhavnani
on 6 July 1985, in Mumbai, India, to Jagjit Singh Bhavnani and Anju Bhavnani. He has an
elder sister named Ritika Bhavnani. His cousins are actress Sonam Kapoor and producer Rhea
Kapoor, daughters of actor Anil Kapoor and wife Sunita Kapoor; Singh is their cousin
from Sunita Kapoor's side née Bhavnani. Singh explains that he dropped his original surname
Bhavnani, since he felt that the name would have been "too long, too many syllables",
thus downplaying his brand as a "saleable commodity".
Singh had always wanted to be an actor, and after joining school he started participating
in the school plays and debates. Once when he had gone for a birthday party, his grandmother
asked him to dance and entertain her. Singh remembers that he suddenly jumped in the lawn
and started dancing to the song "Chumma Chumma" from the 1991 Bollywood action film, Hum.
He felt the thrill of performing and was interested in acting and dancing. "I always wanted to
be an actor ever since I was a little kid. I knew that I had to do something related
to performing arts and I enjoyed acting the most as it incorporated so many different
art forms. I must say, I was a very filmy kid. I used to watch a lot of TV and get very
influenced by Bollywood", he recalls. However, after he joined junior college at H.R. College
of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai, Singh realised that getting a break in the film
industry was not at all easy, as it was mostly people with a filmy background who got the
prime opportunities in Bollywood. Feeling that the idea of acting was "too far-fetched",
Singh focussed on his second passion, that of creative writing. He went to the United
States to pursue his Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University, Bloomington.
While there, he decided to pursue acting classes besides studying. On the first day, the instructor
asked him to do an impromptu act. Singh was again convinced that performing arts and acting
was what he wanted to do, and took up theatre as his minor. After completing his studies
and returning to Mumbai in 2007, Singh worked for a few years in advertising as a copywriter,
with agencies like O&M and JWT. Then he started working as an Assistant Director, but left
it to pursue acting seriously. He decided to send his portfolio to directors. "My ambition
was always to bag a lead role in a film and hence I refrained from doing any ads, TV serials,
music videos as I felt that a fresh face always works much better. It was a gamble and I took
that gamble telling myself that I will give it my all to bag a lead role", he says. For
the next three years, Singh went to producer's offices, showing his pictures and asking for
work. He would go for all kinds of auditions, but did not get any good opportunities, while
only getting calls for minor roles once in every four or five months. "Everything was
so bleak. It was very frustrating. There were times I would think whether I was doing the
right thing or not." 2008–10: Debut in films
After three and a half years, finally in January 2010, Singh was called for an audition for
Yash Raj Films (YRF) by Shanoo Sharma, the head of the casting division for the entertainment
company. They informed him that it was for a lead role in their venture titled Band Baaja
Baaraat, the film being a romantic comedy set in the world of wedding planning. Singh
went to Yash Raj for his audition, and was asked to perform two scenes. Singh added,
"I was surprised because I knew Yash Raj does not launch new heroes. But I knew they were
legitimate and I knew this would be the biggest and most important audition I would ever be
giving." Aditya Chopra, the Vice President of YRF, later saw the audition tapes on video
and was impressed by Singh's acting, and decided that he fit the part of Bittoo Sharma, the
hero of the film. However, the director Maneesh Sharma needed some more convincing and he
was called for a few more auditions over the next two weeks until they were completely
convinced of his calibre. Sharma would meet him and try to analyze different facets of
his personality by asking him to dance, act out emotional scenes, reading with co-actors,
reading with the writer as well as camera tests. After the two weeks of testing, Singh
was confirmed for the role of Bittoo, with Anushka Sharma playing the female lead.
Shooting started for Band Baaja Baarat in February 2010, with a release date of 10 December
2010. Singh described the role of Bittoo Sharma as "your typical Delhi University ka launda.
He is a loafer who is not interested one bit in studies. All he does is fool around with
his friends in and around college and do a lot of awaragardi. He is a very chilled out
guy full of masti who has no worry whatsoever about his future or career." When Sharma was
narrating the script to him, Singh had already decided how he wanted to play the part of
Bittoo. But Sharma's biggest concern was that Singh acted well and looked like a boy from
Delhi, but did not know much about the life in that city to convincingly portray Bittoo.
Hence during the recce he sent him to stay at the campus of Delhi University. Singh made
friends with the students there, and hung out with them thereby getting an idea of how
the guys in Delhi behave and how they lead their life. He explained: "Interestingly,
I met this guy who was very close to Bittoo. He had the swagger, the way he dressed, spoke,
I knew when I met him for the first time, I knew he was my guy. So I studied him for
a few days, hung out with him and have made Bittoo like him. He had the attitude and energy
of Bittoo. I knew this is as Bittoo as it gets! He was crucial in my preparation of
Bittoo!" Filming ended in September 2010, with post-production
continuing and promotions starting in October. Singh did a number of promotional campaigns,
alongside his co-stars and the director, including going to the Indian Institute of Technology
Delhi and taking part in their annual festival. Prior to Band Baaja Baaraat's release, some
pundits had expressed doubts that the film would be successful, citing the middling response
to Yash Raj Films' last few productions, the lack of a male star and the fact that the
female lead, Anushka Sharma, was by then an "almost-forgotten" actress. However, after
its release, Band Baaja Baaraat went on to become a critical and commercial success.
Singh's portrayal of Bittoo was lauded. Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama commented: "Debutant
Ranveer is the lifeline of. In fact, the youngster adds a lot of spontaneity and sparkle to his
character, which is unsophisticated, but charming. He actually catches you unaware in the emotional
moments, which he enacts so well. Here's a talent you just can't disregard." Nikhat Kazmi
from The Times of India gave the film three out of five stars, while noting that "As long
as you view Band Baaja Baaraat as a loving, heartfelt take on what makes Delhi go dhak-dhak,
the film holds your attention....Performance-wise, the duo do have a spontaneity that is disarming."
Anupama Chopra from NDTV also gave the film the same ratings, while noting "debutant actor
Ranveer Singh is pitch perfect in the role of the uncouth but good-hearted small town
slacker who is a bit of a duffer when it comes to matters of the heart. Box Office India
website reported that the film grossed approximately 21.44 crore (US$3.4 million) after five weeks,
making it a box office success. At the 56th Filmfare Awards, Singh won the award for Best
Male Debut. 2011–present: Other film roles
Following Band Baaja Baarat, Singh signed his second film titled Ladies vs Ricky Bahl,
produced by Chopra and directed by Maneesh Sharma. The film was described as a fun-filled
'rom-con' where a conman Ricky Bahl, played by Singh, cons girls for a living but finally
meets his match. It also starred Anushka Sharma, Parineeti Chopra, Dipannita Sharma and Aditi
Sharma, with filming in April 2011 in Delhi. According to Singh, the title character had
various avatars in the film, including a chirpy, entertaining side and a sinister side. "There's
a lot of meat in the character and I’m on my toes prepping for it. A crew member who
read the script described it accurately when he said 'it's a kicky film," Singh further
explained. Upon its release on 9 December 2011, the film received mixed reviews. Both
Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama and Nikhat Kazmi from The Times of India gave the film
a rating of three out of five stars. Adarsh said that "Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl is a decent
fare, which appeals in parts... Ideally, the film merits a two-and-a-half star rating,
but that extra half star is for Ranveer and Anushka, who steal your heart with truly striking
performances. Kazmi felt that "there is no humor, no earthy flavor, no tingling chemistry
between the lead pair. What does work in favor of the film are its performances and its non-hysterical
tenor. The girls are a spirited lot and Ranveer is, well Ranveer: your average Joe kind of
hero who looks convincing enough as Sunny, Deven, Iqbal, Ricky, his sundry avatars."
Commercially, Ladies vs Ricky Bahl had a mixed first day, with many places recording low
first day collections but some multiplexes recording 50–60% occupancy. Overall, the
film managed to have a decent opening of 4.75 crore (US$760,000). It was a commercial success
earning 37 crore (US$5.9 million). While post-production was going on for Ladies
vs Ricky Bahl, Singh signed his third feature film titled Lootera. Written and directed
by Vikramaditya Motwane, the film is a love story set in the 1950s, starring Sonakshi
Sinha opposite to Singh. The story was inspired by writer O. Henry's short story, The Last
Leaf, even though the producers claimed it was different. Shooting for Lootera completed
in August 2012 with the film to be released on 5 July 2013. Lootera released to worldwide
critical acclaim on 5 July 2013. For his performance in the film, Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama
noted, "Ranveer has been entrusted with a complicated character so early in his career.
Besides playing an intense lover, he plays a reticent and brooding character, something
he hasn't explored in his earlier films. And Ranveer makes the most of it by making the
character come alive. The character has disconcerting shades and it is imperative that he uses his
eyes to leave a mark, which he does so at a variety of stages. He's simply fantastic!"
Komal Nahta wrote in his review,"Ranveer Singh, in a get-up reminiscent of the 1950s, looks
wonderfully different and acts with remarkable ease. He is superb." Lootera performed moderately
well at the box office. He also featured alongside Deepika Padukone
in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, entitled Goliyon
Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, in which he played Ram, a Gujarati boy based on the character
of Romeo. Bhansali was impressed by Singh's performance in Band Baaja Baaraat and decided
to sign him for the film. The film generated mostly positive reviews from critics, as did
Singh's performance. Writing for India Today, Rohit Khilnani commented that "Ranveer Singh
has everything going for him here. His Bollywood hero entry scene lying down on a bike in the
song Taddat Taddat is outstanding. He learnt a new language to better his performance for
the character Ram and it paid off. In his fourth film he has the presence of a star."
Sneha May Francis of Emirates 24/7 mentioned that "He’s pitch-perfect as the Ram, who
is unabashed about his illegal pursuits as he is about being ridiculed a romantic" and
added that "It’s interesting to watch him switch from a charming bloke, who cashes in
on people’s hidden desires, to one who fiercely battles the world to own his ladylove." The
film emerged as a box office phenomenon and Singh's most successful venture to date, earning
202 crore (US$32 million) worldwide. For his portrayal, he received a Filmfare Award
for Best Actor nomination. Singh will be part of Gunday, directed by
Ali Abbas Zafar under the YRF Banner. The Times of India confirmed that Singh had signed
the lead role in the remake of the 2009 Telugu film, Magadheera. Helmed by producer Vikas
Bahl and director Abhinav Kashyap, it is a historic love story set against the backdrop
of 17th century India; the film is said to have an estimated budget of 50 crore (US$8.0 million).
Director Shaad Ali signed Singh for the lead of his venture titled Kill Dil, a romantic
film which Ali described as "a film about the tricks the heart plays on an unsuspecting
victim of love." It is slated for release in October 2014.
Awards and nominations