WHO WORE IT BETTER?

Bella Hadid

OR JAHNVI KAPOOR IN DAISY?

+ Share your views with us on our Facebook page /IndianLinkAustralia with Ayushmann Khurrana, perhaps signals the shape of things to come for Bollywood stardom. In an era when realism has crept into entertainment cinema, the hero will also have to be someone who can effortlessly shed all larger-than-life pretences.

Vicky's National Awards win as Best Actor for Uri marks a new high, but the actor is taking things cautiously. Despite Uri he has only two films coming up: the horror drama Bhoot: The Haunted Ship and the patriotic biopic Sardar Udham Singh where he essays the title role.

RAJKUMMAR RAO: IRRESISTIBLY VERSATILE

Not many actors in Bollywood can claim to have never repeated the same act, and won over fans despite never bowing to stereotypes. If Rajkummar Rao fits that bill, he has also carved his niche by defying every cliché that normally defines the Bollywood leading man.

Indeed, Rajkummar has defied all odds in Bollywood. He shot to fame doing a bit role in an art film (2010's Love Sex Aur Dhokha) and sustained on supporting acts for three years. And then, when he had his first prominent leading role (Shahid in 2013), he won a National Award as Best Actor for it! He doesn't hesitate signing up for heroinedominated subjects (Queen, Stree, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, Judgementall Hai Kya).

Perhaps the key to his survival and thriving lies in that last bit. With Rajkummar Rao, there is no casting hassle. He can easily fit into any role as long as there is scope to perform. If versatility is increasingly becoming an asset in Bollywood, Rajkummar is indeed looking at a busy career ahead.

RANBIR KAPOOR: THE THINKING ACTOR-STAR

Being born in Bollywood's first family was an advantage, of course, but it does come with its woes, too. Ranbir Kapoor's decade-plus career in Hindi films has overwhelmingly been dictated by one question: can he live up to the legacy of his father Rishi Kapoor and grandfather Raj Kapoor?

Ranbir's strategy to survive the harsh glare that question brings in its wake, is to by and large portray a cool-dude image, on and off the screen. It is an image that, driven by expert PR, has let him play the field as a ladies' man, and some of his biggest hits have also been films where he has been the affable youngster.

The going has been rough for Ranbir lately because, barring last year's Sanju he has no clear winner at the box-office since 2013's Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. His ambitious upcoming Bhrahmastra has been pushed back, and his other film is a period drama, Shamshera. Lately, he has been more in the news for rumours pertaining to his romance with Alia Bhatt.

Still, no one is writing Ranbir off. For the simple reason that, beyond his obvious advantages of innate glamour and proven acting skills, Ranbir is a thinking actor-star.

Vinayak Chakravorty

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