Bollywood star Ranveer Singh celebrates 36th birthday: 8 things you’ll only know if you are a real fan

Eccentric, enigmatic and just plain cool — Bollywood star Ranveer Singh is all these things and then some. But did you know that ‘Gully Boy’ was once called “too ordinary” by industry behemoth Karan Johar? It’s true — Johar has had to eat his words though, thanks to Singh’s quick rise to stardom. As Singh turns 36, here’s a look at his rise to fame and fortune and his major fan following.

Singh, real name Ranveer Singh Bhavnani, is a Sindhi actor. After several disappointing auditions, Singh was finally given a shot at the big leagues by Yash Raj Studios when a casting director offered him the main role in the Hindi film ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’ (internationally released as ‘Wedding Planners’) in 2010.

Over a decade later, Singh is still waiting with bated breath — this time for COVID’s shadow to pass so his movie ‘83’, based on the Cricket World Cup’, can finally have a showing in cinemas.

Singh and his now wife, Deepika Padukone, have worked together on a number of movies including the epic ‘Bajirao Mastani’, but they kept their relationship a secret. In fact, they also married in a quiet wedding in Italy with only their close friends and family present. Then they dropped the bomb on social media. Of course they went on to have two weddings: a South Indian style one for the Padukones and a North Indian style one for the Singhs. And they threw elaborate receptions once they were back in Mumbai complete with costumes fit for THE power couple of Bollywood — a title they had now proudly claimed.

While Padukone is known to be a stickler for her schedules, she has been off the big screen for a while. (The actress’ next movie, ‘Pathan’, features Shah Rukh Khan and John Abraham.)

Singh it seems can do no wrong on screen; his movie choices easily dominate the must-watch lists. He has continuously received praise in films since his debut in 2010. Think ‘Lootera’ (2013), ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela’ (2013), ‘Gunday’ (2014), ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ (2015), ‘Bajirao Mastani’ (2015) and ‘Padmaavat’ (2018). The last two films are also among the highest-grossing Indian films of all time, establishing him as a significant performer in Hindi cinema.

When he took on the mantle of rapper thanks to his film ‘Gully Boy’, which is based on the lives of rappers from the streets of Mumbai, he also sealed his spot at the screen king.

Singh is well-known for his off-screen red carpet antics and loud outfits — from pyjamas to bunny slippers and top hats — that may look like they don’t belong on a red carpet until, well, they do.

The ‘Padmaavat’ actor is a petrol head; his newest car is a Maybach priced at Rs25 million. His other cars include a Lamborghini Urus Pearl Capsule Edition, which cost almost Rs35 million. He also owns an Aston Martin Rapide S, Audi Q5, and Land Rover Range Rover in his remarkable automobile collection.

Singh is all about staying healthy, eating right and exercising well. His washboard abs are a testament to that!