Is Ranbir Kapoor about to achieve what even Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan couldn’t? How Ramayana could rewrite Bollywood’s superstar hierarchy
For more than three decades, Bollywood’s superstar hierarchy has been dominated by three names – Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan. Their supremacy has survived changing audience tastes, the rise of multiplexes, the OTT revolution and the arrival of a new generation of actors. Several stars have challenged their dominance, but very few have managed to sustain the kind of hysteria that the three Khans have enjoyed.
Now, as Ranbir Kapoor prepares for the release of Ramayana: Part One on November 5, an intriguing question arises. Is he about to achieve something that even the three Khans, despite their extraordinary careers, have not managed to accomplish?
The answer lies not merely in the opening day numbers or the lifetime collections of Ramayana. It lies in the possibility of creating an Indian film franchise with the scale, cultural relevance and international potential to compete with some of the biggest cinematic properties in the world.
From talented actor to genuine superstar
Ranbir Kapoor’s career has followed an unconventional trajectory. Unlike Salman Khan, who developed a formidable mass following through larger-than-life entertainers, or Shah Rukh Khan, whose romantic image became a global phenomenon, Ranbir has consistently moved between different genres.
He played a troubled musician in Rockstar, a carefree young man in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, a conflicted son in Animal and a film star in Sanju. These films showcased his versatility, but they also revealed an interesting aspect of his career. Ranbir’s biggest successes have generally emerged when his acting abilities have been combined with a strong emotional narrative and a compelling cinematic proposition.
Animal changed the conversation around his stardom. It demonstrated that Ranbir could deliver a massive opening and attract audiences beyond the traditional urban multiplex circuit. More importantly, it established him as a star capable of generating extraordinary anticipation before a film’s release. With Ramayana, however, the stakes are considerably higher.
The one territory the Khans never completely conquered
Shah Rukh Khan has enjoyed remarkable international popularity. Aamir Khan demonstrated the enormous overseas potential of Indian cinema with Dangal, particularly in China. Salman Khan has delivered some of Hindi cinema’s most successful mass entertainers.
Yet, none of them has built a globally established, multi-film mythological franchise on the scale that Ramayana is attempting.
This distinction is important. It does not mean that Ranbir has already surpassed their achievements. The Khans have delivered decades of box-office success, cultural influence and extraordinary audience loyalty. A single franchise cannot erase that legacy. However, Ramayana presents Ranbir with an opportunity that is fundamentally different from the conventional superstar race.
If the makers successfully translate Ramayana’s cultural familiarity into a compelling theatrical spectacle, Ramayana could travel far beyond the traditional audience for a Hindi film. And that could give Ranbir an entirely new dimension to his stardom.
Can Ranbir become India’s first truly global franchise superstar?
Hollywood’s biggest stars have increasingly benefited from association with globally recognised franchises. The success of such films is not always dependent on individual star power. Audiences are attracted by the characters, the cinematic universe and the promise of an extraordinary theatrical experience. This is precisely where Ramayana becomes interesting.
Ranbir is not merely playing another commercial hero. He is portraying Lord Rama, one of the most revered figures in Indian mythology. The character carries enormous emotional and cultural significance, while the film’s scale could introduce the story to international audiences unfamiliar with Indian cinema. If Ramayana succeeds globally, Ranbir could become the face of a franchise whose recognition extends well beyond his existing fan base.
But there is a catch.
The character of Rama is bigger than the actor portraying him. Audiences may turn up because of their attachment to the epic rather than because of Ranbir Kapoor. Consequently, even extraordinary collections would not automatically establish that Ranbir has greater individual drawing power than Shah Rukh, Salman or Aamir. The real test would come when he returns with a film that does not benefit from such a powerful pre-existing property.
The numbers will tell only half the story
There is considerable excitement surrounding Ramayana‘s commercial prospects. Its scale, premium formats, multiple language versions and ambitious international positioning create the possibility of exceptional box-office numbers. However, the film’s eventual success must be examined through several parameters.
An enormous opening would demonstrate the strength of the initial anticipation. Strong weekday collections would suggest positive audience acceptance. Sustained performance across different territories would indicate broad appeal. International collections beyond the Indian diaspora would be particularly significant.
And given the scale of the investment, profitability would be just as important as headline-grabbing gross collections. A film can create box-office records without necessarily delivering equally impressive financial returns.
The biggest opportunity and the biggest risk
For Ranbir Kapoor, Ramayana represents an extraordinary opportunity, but also a tremendous responsibility.
The expectations surrounding the film are unlike those attached to a conventional commercial entertainer. Audiences will judge not only the performances, direction and visual effects, but also the emotional authenticity with which the epic has been adapted.
Even a commercially successful film could attract intense criticism if viewers feel that the storytelling has failed to do justice to its subject.
On the other hand, if Ramayana delivers on its promise, Ranbir could find himself at the centre of a franchise that dominates the theatrical conversation for years. That would be an achievement of considerable significance.
The final verdict
It would be premature to declare Ranbir Kapoor Bollywood’s biggest superstar. Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan have built legacies that cannot be measured through the success of one film.
But perhaps Ramayana is not really about replacing the Khans. Perhaps it is about changing the definition of superstardom itself.
For decades, Bollywood’s biggest films were built around superstars. With Ramayana, there is an opportunity for a superstar to become the face of something even bigger than himself. If that happens, Ranbir Kapoor may not merely climb Bollywood’s hierarchy. He could help create an entirely new one.
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