Ranbir Kapoor is one of Bollywood’s most celebrated actors, and it's common knowledge that he shared a fiery yet deeply affectionate bond with his late father, Rishi Kapoor. Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai, who knew the Kapoors closely, very recently opened up about the father-son relationship, revealing how the generational clash between the two shaped Ranbir’s artistic journey and eventually led him to where he is today.
In an interview with CNN-News18, Subhash revealed, “Rishi Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor are two different personalities. The way a younger generation wants to live is something which is always disliked by the father, and what father wants is something the son opposes. So these two used to fight a lot. Just like a regular father-son dynamic. So there was ample love as well. Rishi always used to feel that Ranbir is leaning towards western cinema, and he always felt that if he needs to be successful, he has to embrace Hindi cinema fully.”
‘See where your son has reached…’
Reflecting on Ranbir’s current stature as one of Bollywood’s top stars, Subhash lamented that Rishi Kapoor is no longer around to witness his son’s success. “When Ranbir does a role, he gets full into it. He has done a lot of experiments as well, some good, some bad, but he has now proven himself to be a number one star, and also number one actor. These days anybody who gives four hits in a row is labelled a star by the media, but he is a fantastic actor. And sometimes I think, remembering Rishi, if he was alive, I would have told him, ‘See where your son has reached.’ I used to tell him, don’t pester him, let him do what he wants. But every father is concerned about their son, and wants him to do better than himself,” he said.
Alia Bhatt's impact on Ranbir
{{/usCountry}}Reflecting on Ranbir’s current stature as one of Bollywood’s top stars, Subhash lamented that Rishi Kapoor is no longer around to witness his son’s success. “When Ranbir does a role, he gets full into it. He has done a lot of experiments as well, some good, some bad, but he has now proven himself to be a number one star, and also number one actor. These days anybody who gives four hits in a row is labelled a star by the media, but he is a fantastic actor. And sometimes I think, remembering Rishi, if he was alive, I would have told him, ‘See where your son has reached.’ I used to tell him, don’t pester him, let him do what he wants. But every father is concerned about their son, and wants him to do better than himself,” he said.
Alia Bhatt's impact on Ranbir
{{/usCountry}}Subhash further praised Ranbir’s personality, noting the impact of his marriage to Alia Bhatt: “He is somebody who understands life, and things. And he has become more mature after marriage. Still respects the elders, always touches feet whenever we meet, so he has those values intact. In fact, those who have come just now have more tantrums than Ranbir. He is still very humble and too simple a guy.”
On the ongoing nepotism debate, Subhash added, “Ultimately, it’s talent and hard work that determine success. Several individuals from film families have failed to make a mark because they didn’t have it in them.”
Ranbir and Alia's recent post and work
Ranbir and Alia recently shared their Diwali celebrations on social media. In pictures posted by Alia Bhatt on Tuesday, Ranbir is seen holding her from behind as they look into the camera. Alia wore a light-pink chikankari kurta paired with a lime-green wrap skirt, while Ranbir opted for a crisp white chikankari kurta. She captioned the post, “Dillwali Diwali. Happy Diwali to you and yours.”
Professionally, Alia Bhatt is gearing up for her action-spy film Alpha under Yash Raj Films and is also part of the much-anticipated Love & War, which is directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. She will be acting alongside Ranbir and Vicky Kaushal; the film is set to release in March 2026.
Ranbir’s highly anticipated projects include Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, which also stars Sai Pallavi, Yash, Sunny Deol, and Ravi Dubey. The two-part epic is slated for a Diwali 2026 release.