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Born into the first film family of Hindi cinema, Ranbir Kapoor has had many advantages growing up. However, the actor has always maintained that he doesn’t like the tag of a ‘star kid’ and has worked hard to carve out a name for himself. In an old interview, Ranbir opened up about his strict school days, ‘luxurious’ upbringing, and how barely passing his exams once made his parents happy.
Speaking to TBIP, Ranbir admitted feeling special during his school days because of his background but also recalled getting a good beating from his principal. He said, “They don’t treat you differently in school, but you do realise that you are somewhere special among the 40 students. They are more curious about you. But over a period of time when you have grown up with them, like 10 years in school… they get used to it.” He added, “I went to Bombay Scottish. It was a very strict kind of convent school, I got beaten up a lot by the principal. Once he slapped my face from one corridor of the school to another, held my head, turned me the other way, and then slapped me on the way back.”
Ranbir Kapoor revealed that he was the first male member of his family to pass school without failing. He recalled, “I was a bad student. I was among the last three in the class, but I never failed. I always managed to pass the year. I got 54.3% in my 10th standard. I was in New York at that time and my father was directing the film Aa Ab Laut Chalen. My mom was in Mumbai and she called me crying. She couldn’t believe that I passed the 10th grade. Because I was the first male member of my family to have passed school without failing. I remember my grandmother, uncles and father were in New York and they were jubilant.”
When asked about the disadvantages of coming from a film family, Ranbir responded, “I don’t like the tag of being called a star son. Yes I got the opportunity early and I grew up in a luxurious background, but in the last few years, I have really worked hard to earn a name for myself.”
Ranbir Kapoor was also reminded that he doesn’t just come from any film family but from the first film family of the industry. Speaking about this, he said, “I feel responsible for that. I don’t take it for granted. I’m not arrogant about that. I want to make my family proud, but I am here for myself and to make a name for myself and not be called Raj Kapoor‘s grandson or Rishi Kapoor’s son. I want my father to be known by my name.”
Ranbir also shared his idea of stardom and instantly recalled his grandfather Raj Kapoor’s popularity in Russia. He compared how the stardom he or other actors of his generation experience is fleeting compared to the kind of fame and glory his grandfather witnessed.
Recalling the incident, the actor said, “When he went to Russia for the premiere of Awaarahe came out of the theatre, and there was a huge mob of Russians waiting to see him and he went and sat in his car. And you won’t believe, all these people carried his car and took him to the hotel. That’s another kind of stardom. The stardom that we see is so short-lived because there will be another heartthrob after you go. But what these guys have done is permanently etched in people’s minds.”
