Why did Salman Khan invite Ranbir Kapoor to lunch?

Days after actor Saif Ali Khan’s brawl with a South African businessman in a city restaurant eclipsed all events in B-Town, two of its stars, known to have a history of cold war going on between them, apparently got together for lunch. Wondering who they are? It’s Salman Khan and Ranbir Kapoor.

While they may not have had a full-blown brawl in the past, there apparently is no love lost between them; it seems like it has a lot to do with Salman’s protegee and once rumoured flame, actress Katrina Kaif.

The heroine, who was rumoured to be in a relationship with Salman for a long time, has apparently moved on and is now reportedly in a relationship with Ranbir. Grapevine suggests that though Ranbir-Katrina’s relationship didn’t work out, it’s back on track and in fact, stronger than ever since the initial break-up.

Given the history, onlookers on a set, where the two actors were shooting were taken aback to see Salman, who is back from his recent shooting schedule in Cuba with Katrina, inviting Ranbir over for lunch at Mehboob Studios. Says a source,

“Salman and Ranbir were busy shooting for their respective films at Mehboob studios. When they bumped into each other at the studio, both greeted each other cordially.After exchanging pleasantries, Salman asked Ranbir to join him for lunch. Ranbir seemed surprised at first, but agreed immediately and left with Salman bhai. They then had lunch together, from prying eyes. After the lunch, they were then seen returning to their respective sets for work.”

The source further adds, “Though it’s not known what they were discussing, it did seem like it got awkward at a certain point, but just for a brief while.”

Apart from Katrina being the bone of contention between them, the actors apparently had a fallout during the release of 2011 film Chillar Party. Salman, who produced the film, was reported to have edited Ranbir’s item number from the film, and retained it only for promotional activities. He also apparently ensured that Ranbir was left out of the guestlist for the premiere of the same film. So, wonder what the warring duo were really discussing after all?

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'Rockstar' Ranbir Kapoor doubles price

While the verdict on Rockstar's performance at the box office may yet be pending, actor Ranbir Kapoor has already increased his rates after his much-acclaimed acting in the film. The actor has hiked his rates from Rs 8 crore to a whopping 15 crore. Talk of a Great Leap Forward! Ranbir,who is currently working on Anurag Basu's Barfee and Ayan Mukerji's Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani, is charging Rs 8 crore for both. But the Rockstar will reportedly be charging around Rs 15 crore for all the future offers he gets.

While the talk of Ranbir's hike has been received with scepticism by some in the industry, especially before Rockstar's evaluation, corporate houses seem keen on signing Ranbir for future ventures.

"Ranbir is in a very happy space now. While Rockstar has not been appreciated by a certain section of the audience, there is a clear section which has lapped up the film and Ranbir's stupendous performance," a source told Mumbai Mirror.

Incidentally at present, the Khans charge around Rs 27 crore along with profits, Hrithik Roshan charges Rs 20 crore and Ajay Devgn charges around Rs 18 crore.

Clearly, Ranbir has already made it to the league of superstars.

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Rockstar opens well at box-office

Ranbir Kapoor starrer Rockstar has got off to a flying start with the film managing to earn Rs 11 crore plus on the opening day itself.

Directed by director Imtiaz Ali, known for making films like Jab We Met and Love Aaj Kal, the story revolves around a Jat boy who aspires to become a famous rockstar like Jim Morrison.

The interesting pairing of Ranbir and Nargis Fakri topped with melodious music by AR Rahman has managed to draw in the crowds.

According to a press release, the film has managed to earn Rs 11.25 crore plus on the opening day on Friday, across all cinemas in India.

Even though the film has received a mixed response at the box-office, Ranbir's performance has been appreciated by everyone - audience and the critics.

Co-produced by Eros International and Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision, the film was made on a budget of more than Rs.60 crore and has been extensively shot in Delhi in locations like St Stephen's College, Connaught Place and Nizamuddin, among others.

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Will Ranbir's Rockstar experiment pay off at BO?

Ranbir Kapoor has matured with each film and 'Rockstar' may get him into the league of thinking actors. As per media reports the actor has undergone rigorous practice sessions to come up with a believable Janardhan Jakhar, the character Ranbir is playing in 'Rockstar'.

Recently, Ranbir has expressed the desire of becoming the most sought after actor in some of his interviews which shows how high is the actor aiming. It's not likely for an actor to make such high claims after just seven films but the success of 'Rajneeti' coupled with the initial hype of 'Rockstar' has given Ranbir the confidence to express his aspirations.

This isn't just about the confidence or the latent potential that the young Kapoor scion could possess but about the planning with which Ranbir is proceeding.
Ranbir and Nargis gave a glimpse of their chemistry at 'Rockstar' live concert in Mumbai
IBNLive

Age is definitely on his side and so is the backing of the film industry but a good part of Ranbir's exclusive planning will depend on how 'Rockstar' is received.

So far Ranbir has avoided falling for the so called mannerism, essential for a Hindi film actor. Bollywood actors rather stars have banked more upon their special styles of dialogue delivery or distinct ways of dancing to maximize the fan base but Ranbir has avoided any such thing despite being a newcomer.

Kapoor is not recognised as a perfectionist like Aamir Khan but the courage that he has shown for experimentation makes him a good choice for unusual roles, something which established actors avoid or try to get away with huge promotional drives.

'Rocket Singh-Salesman of the Year' may not have garnered piles of money but the portrayal of Harpreet Singh Bedi was close to life. The character did not show even a trace of regret in spite of being sad in the semi-climax which expression wise was a good thing to achieve for a new actor. Most of the actors would have made the role appear filmy regardless of the director's instructions.

The humility and learning attitude of the actor was visible in 'Rajneeti' where he did not try to match up the screen presence of Nana Patekar and Manoj Bajpai but played the second fold to them.

Ranbir is expected to do more 'Anjaana Anjaani' and 'Bachna Ae Haseeno' for the sake of remaining the quintessential Bollywood hero but his anxiety of emerging as a capable actor gives hope for his future.

Imtiaz Ali is an established director by now, still the role of Janardhan Jakhar looks like a difficult choice, especially in a time when Ranbir's contemporaries form a bunch of tradition followers.

Rockstar's hype can affect Ranbir's career if the film fails to match up the expectation level but the spirit shown by Ranbir Kapoor makes us speculate about what type of actor we can expect Ranbir to be in future.

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Sanjay Dutt gifts Rs 30 lakh bike to Ranbir Kapoor

Ranbir Kapoor might have left some of his old friends (read Sonam Kapoor, Imran Khan) behind, but he is sure making some new buddies in B'town. The fourth generation Kapoor lad, who turned 29 yesterday, has found a new best friend in the 52-year-old Sanjay Dutt.

Sanjubaba not only dropped by at the surprise party planned at a Juhu nightspot by Rockstar producer Ashtavinayak to wish the young actor but also bought him a bike worth Rs 30 lakh.

A source informed Mumbai Mirror, "Ranbir and Sanjay Dutt are neighbours. They both live around the same place in Bandra. Also, Dutt has seen Ranbir grow up. They work out together at the same gym in Dutt's building Imperial Heights. Though Ranbir has his own trainer, he had always looked up to Sanju."

"When it came to buying a gift for Ranbir, Dutt immediately thought of a bike. Sanju knows how much Ranbir loves bikes," added the source.

This might make a lot of people in Bollywood wonder why their love for bikes went unnoticed by Sanjubaba. After all, a Rs 30 lakh bike is a dream come true for many. However, one may recall, that Sanjay Dutt's love for Ranbir goes back a long way.

In a past interview with Mumbai Mirror, Dutt, proclaiming his love for the Kapoor boy had mentioned how the young actor should now venture into action films. Dutt, who believed that an actor is incomplete without a macho character to his name, even mentioned in the interview that he intends to remake his father Sunil Dutt's film Mujhe Jeene Do with Ranbir in the lead.

When contacted, Sanjay Dutt still seemed to be pondering over the gift option. "I am thinking of gifting Ranbir a bike. I don't know if it's a good idea or not. But he is a lovely boy and I am very fond of him," said the man.

Our source confirmed, "Dutt gifted the bike to Ranbir last night. It apparently costs around Rs 30 lakh."

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Deepika, Ranbir together again

Karan Johar's banner that gave us Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kal Ho Na Ho, Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna and some of the best contemporary romantic fare, has just announced Ayan Mukerjee's film. It is a love story, which Dharma Productions excel in.

This (hold your breath!) Ranbir Kapoor-Deepika Padukone film is titled Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani.

Says Karan Johar, "The line Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani is taken from the famous RD Burman song from the 70s hit Jawani Deewani. It will our second film with Ranbir and Ayan, the team that won awards and accolades for Wake Up Sid.While WUS was a coming of age film, YJHD is quintessentially a romantic one." When asked how Deepika managed to bag this film when so many other heroines out there were actually vying for it, Karan says, "Ayan, Ranbir and I are convinced she is the best choice for the film.''

He adds, "Deepika and Ranbir were seen together in Bachna Ae Haseeno. But according to me, their celluloid chemistry is yet to be exploited to its fullest." Happy that Deepika will be on board for the first time in her four-year-old career, Karan says, "We're happy to have Deepika work with us. She is a lovely girl and a very interesting actor." YJHD will go on the floors in January 2012.

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‘Rockstar’ music launch at Nizamuddin Dargah

Mumbai: Bollywood swears by its spiritual connect, especially when it is Delhi’s Nizamuddin dargah.

Legend has it that showman Raj Kapoor frequently visited the famous dargah. As of now, Bollywood composer AR Rahman and filmmaker Imtiaz Ali are regulars at the sacred shrine of sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya.


Apparently, after shooting a qawwali sequence at Nizamuddin Dargah, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has decided to release the music of his upcoming release ‘Rockstar’ at the sacrosanct space.

The launch, which will take place by the end of September, will see the cast and crew of ‘Rockstar’ including Imtiaz Ali, Ranbir Kapoor and AR Rahman.

While Imtiaz was unavailable for comment, dargah in-charge Syed Afsar Ali Nizami said, “Imtiaz bhai has shot the qawwali at the dargah and even Rahman bhai has a very special place for it in his heart. The dargah features in the movie too, and we hope for the success of its music.”

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Ranbir Kapoor milks cows

Actors go any length to get into the skin of their characters in their films, and to promote them. Ranbir Kapoor is no exception.

The actor was recently spotted living with a Jat family in the outskirts of Delhi to experience their lifestyle as a part of a research for his character in his upcoming film, Rockstar, directed by Imtiaz Ali. Ranbir plays Janardan Jakhar, the youngest son in a traditional Jat family and it was important for him to pick up their mannerisms to play his role to perfection.

Imtiaz and Ranbir spent an entire day with a family based in the outskirts of Delhi. They were seen hanging around with the boys of the family, sleeping on the cots, eating out at the local dhabas and enjoying hookah in the evening. In fact, Ranbir was even seen helping men in the family milk cows, says a source from the unit.

The source continues, It was such an amusing sight and everyone was in splits. The duo learnt a lot about the lifestyle of a typical Jat family and also had a great time doing things they wouldnt get to experience otherwise.

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