Is Ranbir the next Big B?

Javed Akhtar on what it takes to be a superstar

Javed Akhtar, the legendary lyricist and scriptwriter was recently asked a question that seems to be on fans' mind: Could Ranbir Kapoor ever achieve the same level of superstardom that Amitabh Bachchan did in his heyday, especially considering Ranbir's involvement in the film Animal?

In a conversation with The Indian Express, Akhtar didn't just answer the question; he used it as a springboard to dissect the entire concept of the "angry hero" that made Bachchan a cultural icon. Akhtar pointed out, "Amitabh Bachchan's anger was based on deep hurt. You could see the pain in him while he's angry." But as time passed, the anger remained while the underlying hurt was forgotten. The result? The angry hero archetype lost its depth and became one-dimensional. "It was crude," Akhtar bluntly put it.

The conversation then veered towards the elusive idea of the "contemporary hero." Akhtar mused about today's society, where it seems increasingly difficult to define a hero in the traditional sense. He questioned the moral compass of the modern man, asking, "Where do you draw the line to selfishness?"

Akhtar may have no answer to that question, but he does know why there are no "great stars".

"That's why you don't have big characters. It's because you don't have great characters, that you don't have great stars," he concluded.

And what about Ranbir? Akhtar wasn't about to dismiss him so easily. When probed about whether Ranbir could ever be a superstar like Bachchan, especially after being part of a film like Animal, Akhtar's response was both diplomatic and playful. "No. But I may write a film for him," he quipped, flashing a knowing smile to his audience.

A clip from the interview found its way to Reddit where the responses were as varied as you'd expect. One user pointed out that the success of Animal was more about its director, Sandeep Reddy Vanga, than Ranbir. "People went to watch Animal because of Vanga himself. The man is controversial, but he has a following, people enjoy his work," the commenter wrote, adding that the movie could have featured "any half-decent actor" without losing its audience.

Another user was quick to remind everyone that even Ranbir himself isn't deluding anyone about his standing in Bollywood. "Ranbir himself accepted that he is not a superstar," they noted, referencing Ranbir's own admission on Nikhil Kamath's show.