Karan Malhotra’s Shamshera released in theatres on 22 July. The film opens with a montage, drawing the audience into the film’s plot and setting. Through action sequences and a song, we’re introduced to the titular character – the stoic and rebellious Shamshera played by Ranbir Kapoor.
I’ve mostly watched Ranbir Kapoor’s films in passing; sometimes in bits-and-pieces while flipping through channels on cable. Film after film, Ranbir Kapoor entered the screen with whatever hairstyle was working that year in adorable graphic tees, doing what the plot demanded of him.
The actor made his debut with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya with a boyish charm but the film bombed with even Rishi Kapoor writing in his memoir ‘Khullam Khulla: Rishi Kapoor Uncensored’, “When we saw it for the first time, I was aghast.”
He went on to play a reformed ‘playboy’ in Bachna Ae Haseeno, a hopeless romantic in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, and careless brat in Wake Up Sid!
Regardless of how his films performed, more often than not, Ranbir’s performance was appreciated.
Slowly but surely, he (willingly or not) created an image for himself in cinema – a hero deviating from the ‘angry young man’ and machismo archetypes.
There was a real danger of being typecast as the Bollywood ‘chocolate boy’. But, the actor tried to make a space for himself in separate genres, choosing diverse roles. For instance, his angst-ridden performance in Rockstar was more brash and taciturn than his fans were used to and it worked for him.
He continued to experiment – a cunning politician in Raajneeti, the heart-warming and charming Murphy in Barfi! and even the ever-brooding-man-in-love in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
After his 2018 film Sanju, the actor vanished from the big screen. That is, until his latest venture Shamshera. The film has been getting mixed reviews but there is one thing that stands out, Ranbir Kapoor stealing every scene he is in, in an avatar that seems most unlike him.
The hypermasculinity of Shamshera is played with impressive restraint by the actor, performing every emotion demanded of him to its fullest. When he fights, he gives it his all and when he parts with his wife, his face contorts in equal parts anguish and determination.
After having watched a callous Sid in 2009 and never having fully transitioned from viewer to fan for the actor, watching Ranbir transform into this desi Robin Hood was satisfying to say the least.
In typical 80s Bollywood style, Ranbir plays both father and son, giving an unique identity to both characters despite having embarked on a similar quest. This is the first time the actor has appeared on-screen with a full beard wielding an enormous ax. Even when the plot goes around in circles, putting the film at an unstable footing, Ranbir continues to land on his feet.
Many have also labelled Ranbir's work in Shamshera as a 'career-best performance'.
When he transitions from the menacing and kind Shamshera to the blithe Balli, he seems to be in a more comfortable setting. I expected the actor to be more memorable as Balli since it’s closer to the roles he’s used to playing.
However, it’s evident that, during his hiatus or perhaps throughout his career, he has been chipping away at the mold that surrounded him, exposing an actor of inimitable skill and versatility. Almost 15 years after a disastrous debut (barring the iconic towel scene), the actor seems to just be starting out.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)