From Animal to Ramayana: Ranbir Kapoor proves that even a calm, non-violent hero can set the box office on fire!
For the last few years, Indian commercial cinema has been witnessing an interesting trend. Many of its biggest heroes are angry, aggressive and often morally questionable. They break rules, indulge in extreme violence, deliver intimidating dialogues and take matters into their own hands. Filmmakers have increasingly presented such characters as larger-than-life entertainers, and audiences have often responded enthusiastically.
From KGF and Animal to several other action-packed blockbusters, the formula has proved commercially successful. The louder the hero, the bigger the action and the more ruthless his enemies, the more spectacular the cinematic experience is expected to be. However, amid this trend arrives Ramayana, featuring a leading man who represents almost the exact opposite.
Ranbir Kapoor’s Lord Rama doesn’t need to scream, intimidate others or constantly demonstrate his physical strength to establish his authority. He is calm, composed, dignified and guided by his principles. And interestingly, audiences have turned up in enormous numbers to watch him.
This raises a fascinating question: In their enthusiasm to create angry and aggressive protagonists, have Bollywood filmmakers underestimated the audience’s appetite for traditional heroes?
Perhaps the most striking aspect of Ramayana is the casting of Ranbir Kapoor. His portrayal of Ranvijay in Animal (2023) was built around aggression, violence, obsession and emotional volatility. The character frequently expressed himself through anger and confrontation, and the film became one of the biggest commercial successes of his career.
Three years later, the same actor is playing Lord Rama, a character celebrated for his patience, righteousness, compassion and self-control.
The contrast could hardly be greater.
In Animal, Ranbir’s character often seeks to establish his dominance through aggression. In Ramayana, his authority stems largely from his dignity and convictions. His strength is not defined merely by his ability to defeat an opponent, but also by his willingness to exercise restraint.
This is precisely what makes his performance interesting. Instead, he allows the character’s inherent qualities to make an impact.
The angry young man is hardly a new phenomenon in Indian cinema. Amitabh Bachchan became a phenomenon in the 1970s by portraying characters who rebelled against injustice and an unfair system.
However, the modern commercial hero has often taken this aggression several steps further. He may be a gangster, a criminal, an outlaw or a deeply flawed individual. His methods can be ruthless, and his moral choices are not always defensible.
Yet, these characters have found tremendous acceptance among moviegoers.
Ramayana offers a useful counterpoint to that assumption.
One of the defining qualities associated with Lord Rama is his ability to maintain composure even when faced with difficult circumstances. He is not portrayed as someone who lacks strength or courage. On the contrary, he is an accomplished warrior. However, his power is accompanied by discipline, responsibility and a strong sense of duty.
This combination makes him fundamentally different from many contemporary screen heroes.
His decision to accept exile, his devotion to his family and his commitment to his principles are essential parts of his character. These moments may not feature spectacular action sequences, but they give the character emotional weight.
Ranbir’s comparatively understated portrayal reinforces this contrast. His performance suggests that a hero does not need to be aggressive in every scene to command the audience’s attention. In fact, when a character known for his restraint eventually takes a decisive stand, the moment can become even more powerful.
Does Ramayana’s success mean audiences are tired of violent films? Not necessarily. It would be incorrect to conclude that the success of Ramayana signals the end of violent or morally grey protagonists. After all, audiences have enthusiastically supported such films, and there is little reason to believe that the genre will suddenly lose its popularity.
Moreover, Ramayana benefits from several advantages that cannot be attributed solely to its protagonist. It is based on one of India’s most revered epics, features an ensemble of major stars, offers grand visual spectacle and has benefited from the festive release period.
Nevertheless, the film challenges the notion that aggression is essential for commercial success.
The audience that enjoyed Ranbir Kapoor’s angry and unpredictable avatar in Animal has also shown enormous interest in watching him play a restrained and principled character in Ramayana. This suggests that viewers may be more open to different kinds of heroes than the industry’s prevailing trends sometimes indicate.
For decades, Hindi cinema has celebrated characters who stand for honesty, kindness, sacrifice and justice. The hero didn’t necessarily have to be morally complicated to be compelling. That doesn’t mean every modern hero needs to become a model of virtue. Flawed characters are an essential part of cinema, and morally complex stories can be fascinating.
Ramayana serves as an important reminder that commercial cinema doesn’t have to follow one formula. There is room for the angry rebel, the morally conflicted antihero and the principled traditional hero to coexist.
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