Ranbir Kapoor’s blockbuster Animal showcases a raw and intense bond between his character Ranvijay Singh and his on-screen father Balbir Singh (played by Anil Kapoor). The story, to some extent, echoes the complex, yet deep bond that Ranbir shared with his real-life father Rishi Kapoor, who passed away in April 2020, after a 2-year long battle with leukemia. In a recent interview with Nikhil Kamath on his podcast People by WTF #2, Ranbir opened up about his relationship with his father and how life changed when he left. 

Ranbir’s Childhood 

Ranbir Kapoor was born on 28th September 1982 to parents Rishi and Neetu Kapoor. Despite being born into a family of stars, Ranbir’s parents took deliberate steps to humble him and keep him grounded. He was sent to New York for further studies on a bare-bones budget. “My father kept me on a very tight budget. It was enough that I could have a McDonald’s Dollar Menu Meal for lunch and dinner. It was as strict as that.” he shared.

Ranbir explained that his father wanted him to live like a student and not like someone coming from a privileged background. “Even when I came back and started assisting Mr. Bhansali on a film called Black, he (Rishi Kapoor) took away my car, so I had to travel in public transport. I was not getting any pocket money. I really think he wanted to school me in a way that this is not life, you know you are too moisturized. You need to really see what hardship is” he further added.

Ranbir On His Parent’s Troubled Relationship

In his interview with Nikhil, Ranbir reflected upon his childhood memories and mentioned how he was always scared and on the edge as he used to hear his parents fighting while he sat on the staircase of their bungalow, hearing it all. 

But, this is not the first time he has brought up the topic. In an exclusive interview with Mumbai Mirror in 2011, Ranbir shared, that sometimes the fights would get really bad, “ I would be sitting on the steps, my head between my knees, till five or six in the morning, waiting for them to stop”

He shared “My parents had a very troubled marriage for a long time, and I was caught in the middle because I was there. Mom tried to make sure it didn’t affect us. She did that by being open about it, which was good. But let’s just say I didn’t grow up with any rose-tinted illusions about love. I learned the hard way how complicated a relationship between a man and a woman could be. I just bottled everything up. There was a reservoir of emotions building up inside, desperately looking for an outlet”

Ranbir told Nikhil that his parents loved each other and eventually found a beautiful companionship when Rishi Kapoor was diagnosed with cancer. He could see how selflessly Neetu Kapoor was taking care of him and that was something he had never imagined. 

Ranbir’s bond with Rishi Kapoor 

Ranbir Kapoor has been very vocal about the complicated bond he shared with his father, but he has never stepped back from praising him for the kind of person he was. He said, "I do feel that my father was a short-tempered man, but he was a good man. He was somebody who really loved his family, loved his work, loved his food, and loved his alcohol. He was a very open person."

Ranbir never saw his father’s eye colour as he always used to bow his head and say yes. He never said no to his father. Comparing his life to his movie Animal he shared that in the movie, he was obsessed with his father, but in real life, he was scared of him. "He never shouted at us, never raised his hand at us, but just because around us his temperament was so volatile that it always scared me,” 

When asked why he thinks his father was the way he was, Ranbir elaborated, ’I think that generation of men are scared of vulnerability. He never even expressed his love to me. He could never hold my hand. He did hug me, but it had more of a pat than a hug. Maybe I am blaming his generation, but I don’t know. He was very distant. I knew he loved me a lot and cared for me a lot but there was a distance,” 

Ranbir on losing his father

“The biggest thing that happens in an individual's life is when you lose one of your parents. That really is something... Especially when you're nearing your 40s, that's the time when something like this usually happens... Nothing prepares you for that, but it brings the family closer. It makes you understand life." Ranbir told PTI in an interview.

Ranbir’s bond with Rishi was not like the conventional father-son relationship. Whether it was Rishi Kapoor not being able to express himself or Ranbir holding himself back from those emotions, their bond was unique and no less special. What do you think about that?