Thousands of devotees at the North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja Pandal were piqued with curiosity when an exuberant Ranbir Kapoor (who had just celebrated his 35th birthday) was seen publicly striking a warm rapport with the dignified Rani Mukherji-Chopra in the ‘bhog’ serving area.
What was the common factor between both of them, was what intrigued most of the star-gazers. Here then is the lowdown. Before he made his acting debut, Ranbir worked as an ‘assistant director‘, on the sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s classic movie ‘Black’ (2005), which had Rani in the complex lead role.
Much later, when Ranbir made his acting debut with SLB’s ‘Saawariya’ (2007) opposite Sonam Kapoor, it was Rani again who was his senior co-star, as she played ‘Gulabji’, the seductive sex-worker. That then explains their pally camaraderie. Clad in an austere peach-colour kurta, suave dude Kapoor, joined by his upcoming film ‘Dragon’ heroine Alia Bhatt (the movie is being directed by Ranbir’s buddy Ayan Mukherji) was seen serving ‘bhog’ to all the devotees who were seated in parallel rows at their dining tables. One hopes, that with his earnest religious gestures, Ranbir will be blessed at the box-office, this time when his next movie ‘Dragon’ releases. No more drag-ons please.