appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

P.Ramakrishnan

As the Indian actor turns 35 on July 6, we look back at the rise of Bollywood’s ultimate outsider Ranveer Singh, who went from wannabe to superstar in a decade.
An outsider in Bollywood




















View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Feb 29, 2020 at 4:17am PST



For an outsider to break into Bollywood is no easy feat as millions try when only a dozen succeed, which makes Ranveer Singh’s unprecedented success remarkable on many levels. Setting foot in Film City, Mumbai, the directors and filmmakers were unsure if the energetic 24-year-old had “it”.
Casting director Shanoo Sharma at Yash Raj Studios, one of the largest filmmaking enterprises in Mumbai, saw something in Singh after countless auditions and proposed him to play the lead for the Hindi film Band Baaja Baaraat (released internationally as Wedding Planners) in 2010. After several screen tests, another film producer, Karan Johar, told the makers they had lost the plot in opting for a lead who looked so … average.
5 Bollywood stars standing against skin lightening and colourism
Kismet, or fate, and raw talent proved Johar wrong as the movie was a smash hit and the critics loved his natural screen presence. Years later, on Johar’s own talk-show Koffee with Karan, the producer apologised for not seeing what made the lead so special.
Singh picked up his best debut Filmfare Award that following year and has a hat-trick of best actor awards including a villainous turn in Padmaavat (2018) and a struggling Hindi rapper in Gully Boy (2019), which was India’s official entry into the Oscars last year (although it wasn’t shortlisted for best foreign language film).
Nosing through his roots




















View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Jul 1, 2019 at 4:39am PDT



The Sindhi actor was born Ranveer Singh Bhavnani to Anju Bhavnani and Jagjit Singh. He abbreviated his triple name early on, stating to The Times of India, “It’s too long, too many syllables”. Singh says with a wink, “My Sindhi nose lets everyone know where I’m proudly from.”
Rumours have circulated that Singh’s father co-produced or financed his first film which catapulted the actor’s career, but Singh has denied it repeatedly for the past decade. Yash Raj Films, producers of his first movie, have also stated Singh’s family had nothing to do with him landing the role and they were unaware of the remote genetic link between him and any other celebrity in India. He lined up for auditions like every other struggling actor in the nation of 1.35 billion who try to make it big in Bollywood.
How Kareena Kapoor Khan remains relevant after 20 years in Bollywood
He kept his relationship hush-hush




















View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Nov 20, 2018 at 3:32am PST



Ranveer Singh’s relationship with Deepika Padukone, the queen bee of Bollywood, was kept a secret. They had a hushed wedding in Lake Como, Italy, with only their immediate families and shocked the world when they posted wedding photos on their social media accounts. They held two wedding functions, a South Indian style wedding for the Padukone family and a North Indian style for the Singhs.
5 things to know about Bollywood star Deepika Padukone




















View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Nov 21, 2018 at 6:04am PST



Funnily enough, the two were star-crossed lovers in each and every film they did together prior to their nuptials. They met during the making of the film Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013), an Indianised version of Romeo and Juliet. The follow up was a brief cameo in the comedy Finding Fanny (2014), where yet again Singh’s character has an ill-fated turn on their wedding day. In their last venture together, Padmaavat (2018), not only did the stars not meet on screen, she dies before he gets to see her.
In their fourth film forthcoming this year, titled 83, they play husband and wife from the get-go, blissfully married on and off screen.
A quirky fashion icon?




















View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Oct 19, 2019 at 4:09am PDT



Despite all his achievements, Singh is notorious for his off-screen red carpet antics. He went all out with his sartorial experiments which included top-hat, shades, pyjama bottoms, bunny slippers and Moschino. With his cheeky poses and vaudeville humour, he may not be in fashion, but he’s always in style.
Priyanka Chopra and 4 other Indian actresses who were once beauty queens
Movie on pause




















View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Mar 6, 2020 at 10:30pm PST



Covid-19 did a number on Bollywood as Ranveer’s highly anticipated film 83, based on the Cricket World Cup remains ready to screen – but without a theatre open. The completed film is on hold as the nation waits with bated breath.
Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter .


From the Vault: culturally significant films

India tells filmmakers to drop ‘China-bashing’ as ties warm

10 Asian movies about winning the lottery and why the jackpot is never enough

Meet the couple who just had a ‘billionaire wedding’, Netra Mantena and Vamsi Gadiraju – J.Lo and Donald Trump Jr were present too

Asian cinema: Bollywood

Ranveer Singh: from Bollywood outsider to Deepika Padukone’s husband – via Band Baaja Baaraat, Padmaavat, and playing Kapil Dev in new cricket drama 83

Average? Birthday boy Ranveer Singh was considered an outsider in Bollywood. Photo: @ranveersingh/Instagram

10 top Bollywood films to look out for in 2020 – what will Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor star in this year?

Kareena Kapoor and Radhika Madan star in Angrezi Medium, one of our 10 picks of top Bollywood films being released this year. Photo: @therealkareenakapoor/Instagram

Bollywood goes LGBT: Gay romcom Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is a game-changer for minority representation in India

Gay romcom Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan marks the beginning of Bollywood’s mainstream reckoning with LGBTQ+ lives. Photo: @ayushmannk/Instagram

Who is Bollywood star Varun Dhawan – and why does his mum not like it when he takes his shirt off?

Bollywood hunk Varun Dhawan celebrates his 32nd birthday this Friday, April 24. Photo: @varundvn/Instagram

Varun Dhawan and Dwayne Johnson twitter chat. Photo: Handout

Why Priyanka Chopra is making a US sitcom about Madhuri Dixit – the 90s superstar who traded Bollywood fame for suburban marriage

Mother, housewife, superstar – Madhuri Dixit shows no signs of slowing down. Photo: @madhuridixitnene/Instagram

6 things to know about Radhika Apte, the Bollywood indie darling set to star in Apple TV+ series Shantaram

Bollywood sweetheart Radhika Apte is no overnight sensation, she has had to work hard to get to the top. Photo: Instagram

Magazines

Style

News & Trends

Celebrities

As he celebrates his 35th birthday we look back at the rise of an unlikely star – once dismissed by producer and director Karan Johar for looking too ‘average’ – set to return in hotly anticipated Cricket World Cup biopic 83


Once dismissed by producer and director Karan Johar for looking too ‘average’, Singh is set to return in hotly anticipated Cricket World Cup biopic 83
