For decades, the phrase “Bollywood’s biggest superstar” has meant a three-name contest: Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan. Each built a different kind of drawing power. Now, with Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar 2 in the wider conversation, attention is turning to Ranbir Kapoor and Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. The question is whether one mythological epic can push him past those fixed poles and into the next era’s top slot.
Ranbir’s box-office arc makes the question reasonable. He has moved between genres, and his biggest films have grown with him:
- Sanju (2018): opened at Rs 34.75 crore, lifetime India collection Rs 342.53 crore.
- Brahmastra (2022): opened at Rs 36 crore, lifetime India collection Rs 257.44 crore.
- Animal (2023): opened at Rs 63.80 crore, lifetime India collection Rs 556.36 crore.
Those are not variations on one formula. A biopic, a fantasy spectacle and an intense adult action drama all brought audiences, which shows range. But Shamshera (2022), a large-scale action film that finished with Rs 42.48 crore, is the reminder that even a known name depends on material, director and response.
The numbers matter because they show upward movement, but they also show a career that resists easy labels. The next question is whether a single film can supply what a string of hits has not: a fixed position in the hierarchy.
What Ramayana can add
Animal pulled a very specific crowd with its intense action and drama. Ramayana is positioned differently: a family-oriented mythological spectacle with appeal across generations, languages and international markets. If it lands, it could give Ranbir a widely recognised heroic identity rooted in one of India’s most familiar stories.
At a time when theatrical Hindi cinema is chasing scale, a familiar epic is the kind of project that can cross regional and language barriers. The film’s real promise is not just a bigger total but a wider reach.
That distinction matters because the Khans’ status was built gradually around clear screen identities. Ranbir’s versatility is a strength, but it makes his superstardom harder to define. Ramayana could sharpen that definition.
Why the Khans’ benchmark still matters
A single blockbuster will not settle this. Superstardom is measured through consistent opening-day pull, audience loyalty, repeat viewing, longevity and the ability to draw crowds even when a film is not part of an established franchise. The Khans have shown that kind of pull for decades.
Declaring him the biggest superstar purely on Ramayana’s strength would be premature. That is not scepticism; it is the standard the Khans themselves set.
So the real test is not whether Ramayana becomes Ranbir’s highest grosser. It is whether the film lifts him to a level where his presence alone becomes an event, whatever the director, genre or franchise. If Ramayana delivers on its expectations, Bollywood’s superstar conversation could enter a new phase.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com