Ranbir Kapoor’s Rockstar is often celebrated as one of the most defining performances not only in his career but in contemporary Hindi cinema as a whole. The film captured a raw, almost visceral transformation, one that seemed to blur the lines between performer and character. Yet, behind the applause and critical acclaim, Ranbir found himself struggling emotionally. The aftermath of delivering such an intense, soul-stirring performance left him feeling hollow. So much so, he withdrew from those closest to him. In an old interview with TBIP, Ranbir reflected on this difficult phase in his life:
He said, “I just was uninspired. Not saying that, oh, I’ve done such a great work, I was simply uninspired. I just didn’t have anything in me. I stopped hanging out with my parents. I used to just be like a vegetable lying on my bed, not watching TV. I started to read a lot, a lot of biographies. But I was… I was empty. You know, I was sad. I was… I don’t know what it was. It was sad that such a special film was over. It was sad because I gave so much to it. And I started questioning myself, do I have more to give somewhere else?”
It was during this period of emotional exhaustion that Ranbir Kapoor found solace in a new project, Anurag Basu’s Barfi!, another landmark film in his career. The role, he says, helped bring him back to life. “But then I really got saved because I did such a nice, light, happy film called Barfi!, which was a bit of sunshine in my life at that time. You know, because it’s… it’s so joyous, so special to play a character like that,” the actor said.
Today, Ranbir Kapoor is in an entirely different phase of his career. He is gearing up for two major releases, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love and War, in which he stars alongside Vicky Kaushal and Alia Bhatt, and Nitesh Tiwari’s ambitious Ramayan. He is also expected to begin filming Animal Park, the sequel to his 2023 blockbuster Animal, and is reportedly in talks to headline the next installment of the Dhoom franchise.
