Ranbir Kapoor turns 44 as Ramayana and Love & War bring two very different roles after Animal, raising questions about his changing screen image

New Delhi: Ranbir Kapoor turns 44 today, September 28, 2026, at a point when his career is heading into a very different phase. After playing the intense and violent Ranvijay Singh in Animal, he will soon play Lord Rama in Ramayana and then headline Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War. These characters belong to very different emotional worlds. The big question now is how audiences who saw Ranbir as Ranvijay will receive these new versions of the actor.

Ranbir Kapoor turns 44, and the next two months matter

Ranbir Raj Kapoor was born in Mumbai on September 28, 1982. He comes from the Kapoor family and is the son of actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh. He married Alia Bhatt in 2022, and they have one child.

He entered Hindi cinema with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya in 2007. The film marked the beginning of a career that later moved across romance, comedy, drama, musical films and biopics. Ranbir has won seven Filmfare Awards during that journey, including awards for Rockstar, Barfi!, Sanju and Animal.

His next phase looks particularly interesting because two major films will arrive within a short span. Ramayana: Part 1 is scheduled to release internationally on November 6 and in India on Diwali, November 8. Love & War will follow on January 21, 2027.

That means audiences will see Ranbir move from a mythological character to a Bhansali drama in roughly two and a half months.

The Animal effect: Ranbir’s most intense screen image

Animal gave Ranbir one of the most aggressive characters of his career. Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the December 2023 film followed Ranvijay “Vijay” Singh, the son of an industrialist who develops a fierce attachment to his family while dealing with a difficult relationship with his father.

Ranbir played the character with a physical intensity that became central to the film. Anil Kapoor played his father, while Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol and Triptii Dimri also starred in the movie.

The film became a major commercial success and crossed ₹900 crore worldwide, according to industry reporting. It also divided critics and audiences because of its violence and its treatment of relationships and gender.

That history matters when looking at Ranbir’s next roles. Animal did not simply give him another successful film. It also created a powerful screen image that his upcoming performances will have to leave behind or reshape.

Lord Rama: a completely different challenge

Ramayana takes Ranbir in the opposite direction.

Nitesh Tiwari, who directed Dangal and Chhichhore, directs the film. Ranbir plays Lord Rama, while Sai Pallavi plays Sita and Yash plays Ravana. Sunny Deol plays Hanuman, and Ravi Dubey plays Lakshman.

The film also features Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari and Arun Govil as King Dashrath.

Reports have also said that Ranbir will portray Lord Parashurama. Since the makers have not fully explained that aspect of his role, it remains better described as a reported detail.

Rama requires a very different kind of screen presence from Ranvijay. The character carries associations with duty, restraint, compassion and dharma. He also holds deep cultural and religious significance for millions of people.

That makes the performance different from simply playing another dramatic character. Ranbir now has to step into a role that audiences already know and interpret through their own traditions and expectations.

The scale of Ramayana and its release plan

The film has also attracted attention because of its enormous scale.

Namit Malhotra produces Ramayana, while A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer are attached to the music. Yash also serves as a co-producer alongside his role as Ravana.

The producer has put the film’s budget at around ₹4,000 crore and described it as the most expensive Indian film. That figure remains a producer-provided claim and should not be treated as an independently verified production cost.

The film reportedly plans a worldwide release across around 59,000 screens, including IMAX. Sony Pictures handles the overseas distribution, while Dharma Productions handles the Indian distribution.

The makers have planned Ramayana as a two-part story. Part 1 will arrive this Diwali, while Part 2 is scheduled for Diwali 2027.

The film has already entered the promotional phase, with an English-language trailer released ahead of its theatrical arrival. The scale of the project has made it one of Ranbir’s most closely watched films.

Love & War: Ranbir returns to Bhansali’s world

Just over two months after Ramayana, Ranbir will return to the world of Sanjay Leela Bhansali with Love & War.

The film stars Ranbir alongside Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal. Bhansali directs the project, bringing Ranbir back to the filmmaker who launched him with Saawariya almost two decades ago.

The release date has changed more than once. After earlier plans for a 2026 release, the makers have now scheduled the film for January 21, 2027, in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The film completed its main shoot in September and has moved into post-production.

Reports describe Love & War as a historical drama set around the 1960s. However, Ranbir’s complete character details have not been officially explained, so it would be premature to assign him a detailed backstory.

The first look has already shown a very different visual side of the actor, with a vintage setting and a rugged appearance. The image also carries a darker edge, suggesting that the film may not present a simple romantic world.

The film also brings Ranbir and Alia together again on screen after Brahmastra, this time under Bhansali.

Range as an actor: from Rockstar to Barfi to Animal

Ranbir’s career already shows that he can move between very different characters.

In Rockstar, he played a musician driven by love, ambition and emotional turmoil. Barfi! demanded a quieter performance built around expressions and physical acting. In Sanju, he portrayed actor Sanjay Dutt and had to recreate the mannerisms and different stages of another real person.

Then came Animal, where Ranbir moved into a much darker and more violent space.

This range gives some context to Ramayana and Love & War. Ranbir has changed screen identities before. But Rama presents a different challenge because the character comes with cultural expectations that go beyond the usual demands of a commercial film.

Will audiences accept him in both worlds?

This remains the most interesting question around Ranbir’s 44th birthday.

The actor will first appear as Ranvijay’s complete opposite in terms of temperament. Then he will enter Bhansali’s emotional and dramatic universe, with the details of his character still largely protected by the makers.

Audiences may separate an actor from his previous characters, or they may carry memories of earlier roles into new films. Both possibilities remain open.

There is also an important difference between the two upcoming projects. Ramayana asks Ranbir to portray a figure with enormous cultural significance, while Love & War gives him a fictional character whose identity will be defined by the film itself.

So the question is not whether Ranbir can play different characters. His career already provides examples of that. The question is how these particular performances will sit alongside the strong image that Animal created.

What comes after: Animal Park and beyond

Ranbir’s career will not stop with Ramayana and Love & War. He has already confirmed that Animal Park should begin filming in 2027. He said Sandeep Reddy Vanga has been discussing the film’s story, music and characters with him.

That means Ranbir could eventually return to the same world that gave audiences Ranvijay, even after playing Rama and appearing in Bhansali’s romantic drama.

Brahmastra Part Two: Dev and Dhoom 4 have also been reported as part of his future slate, although details about both projects remain limited.

At 44, Ranbir Kapoor is therefore entering a period where his next performances could show several very different sides of the same actor. Ranvijay belongs to his recent past, Rama arrives this Diwali, and Love & War follows soon after. For now, the anticipation lies in seeing how Ranbir carries each new character onto the screen.