Movie profile: Sanjay Leela Bhansali Saawariya
The Saawariya Brand
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya has become a brand of its own. The elaborate sets, stunning attention to detail, intriguing promos, superb costumes, and of course, the lead pair have created the magic. Sonam Kapoor, actor Anil Kapoor’s daughter and Ranbir Kapoor, Neetu and Rishi Kapoor’s son, Ranbir Kapoor, have managed to create the kind of buzz that has not been seen in Bollywood since... well, since Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia made their debut in Bobby. That established movie stars Rani Mukherji and Salman Khan also star in the film does not seem to have made as great an impact as this fresh new pair has.
Sonam, all of 22, is actor Anil Kapoor’s daughter. Her mother, Sunita Kapoor, was a model herself and Sonam has inherited her mother’s classic, chiseled looks. A perfect choice for Bhansali’s movie. She looks enchanting in those elaborate, traditional costumes and unbelievably ethereal. In the promos, she appears naturally graceful and at ease in front of the camera. However, looks alone are not what define this beauty. She worked as an assistant director in Bhansali’s Black (2005) which she says helped her when facing the camera. She is also blessed with that rare quality that few newcomers possess - that elusive star power which peeks shyly across from glossy magazines.
Ranbir Kapoor, 25, has had no problem making an impact. His father, Rishi Kapoor, sizzled on the screen with Neetu Kapoor (Singh) in the 70s and 80s. And he also belongs to the family of ‘The Kapoors’. His acting lineage dates back to his great grandfather Prithviraj Kapoor and grandfather, the legendary Raj Kapoor. Acting, literally, is in his genes. Tall, handsome and blessed with the typical good looks of the Kapoors, Ranbir already commands a sizeable female following. Whether he will make as big an impact as his father Rishi remains to be seen.
The industry, which is observing this pair closely, pours both accolades and criticism on them. The cynics murmur that these two have had it easy considering their fathers are big stars. It has been easy for them to land a Bhansali film as their debut vehicle, no less. What they forget to mention is that in today’s dog-eat-dog cinema world, this pair will truly make it big only when they grow out of their parents’ shadows on their own talent. We have seen several ‘star kids’, who have had spectacular launches, failed to make it big at the box office consistently. In the end, it is hard work and professionalism which will help them become stars on their own strength. 
So let us wait and see what these two have to offer on their own.
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When Saawariya’s music was released in a glittering
ceremony, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali proudly presented his
star discoveries - heroine Sonam Kapoor and hero Ranbir Kapoor
who are making their debut in the film. The press and industry,
starved for a truly sizzling leading pair, has embraced them
eagerly and the young pair is already commanding several inches
of column space in filmy publications. While their histrionic
talent has yet to be judged at the box office (Saawariya is
scheduled for a Diwali release), the young pair command enough
star power to make both, the press and movie buffs, want to see
more of them. 
