The competition is on between Shahid and Ranbir

However,the 28-year-old says that while he is happy to have gained critical acclaim,he is not part of any race. “I have a pile of scripts mounting and there is a lot of work to be done. I have just managed to prove myself worthy but the journey only begins here.”

RANBIR KAPOOR: Wake Up Sid was targeted towards the young urban audiences from the metros but it did surprisingly well in small towns too,says Prakhar Joshi,head of programming,PVR Cinemas. The movie’s gross collections exceeded Rs 17 crore in the first three days of release. Executive editor of the trade magazine Box Office,Vajir Singh,says that Ranbir has inherited the Kapoor fan base. “Besides,women and kids love him for of his young and goofy looks,” he elaborates. Contrary to what the industry says,Ranbir feels he is yet to prove himself. “I can’t understand the chocolate boy comment but I agree that the lover boy image has worked for me till now. But a more serious Rajneeti and Rocket Singh — Salesman of the Year,where I play the underdog,will help me explore the various shades of acting.”

Projects At Hand

SHAHID KAPOOR: “His brilliant performance in Kaminey helped the audience forgive Shahid the mishap that was Dil Bole Hadippa!. But there’s still a lot of money riding on this new star,with at least three big banner films,” says Mehra. Each of these is at least a Rs 20 crore project. His line-up includes: UTV’s Chance pe Dance,Ahmad Khan’s Paathshala,his father,veteran actor Pankaj Kapur’s directorial venture,and two untitled Yash Raj projects opposite Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif.

RANBIR KAPOOR: Ranbir’s future projects are all with reputed veteran filmmakers: Prakash Jha’s Rajneeti,YRF’s Rocket Singh — Salesman of the Year and Rajkumar Santoshi’s Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahani.

Strengths

SHAHID KAPOOR: At a young 27,Ranbir may have won himself a huge fan base in a short while but one can’t ignore that Shahid has worked with filmmakers like Imtiaz Ali,Sooraj Bharjatya,Aziz Mirza,Abbas Mustan and now Vishal Bharadwaj. “He has experimented with roles and already given hits like Vivah,Jab We Met and Kaminey,” says Mehra.

RANBIR KAPOOR: Ranbir’s debut film Saawariya,though a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film,failed miserably and his second film Bachna Ae Haseeno fared above average at the box office. “Wake Up Sid is a semi-hit in its very first week,” says Singh. But the same,feel Ranbir’s supporters,is his strength since unlike Shahid,he has given a memorable performance early in his career.

Weaknesses:

SHAHID KAPOOR: “There’s a lot of negative press about the actor after his break-up with Kareena Kapoor. Of late,he has been rumoured to be dropping girlfriends like hot potatoes. If one compares this with Ranbir’s clean image of being a one-woman man,Shahid stands at a disadvantage,” says a filmmaker who has worked with Shahid in the past.

RANBIR KAPOOR: His chocolate boy looks and lover boy image,says filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi,may work as an advantage as well as a disadvantage. “I look at him as a young,fresh actor who has done an amazing job in my film Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahani but might have to prove his versatility through films such as Rajneeti.”

Financial Worth

SHAHID KAPOOR: Rumoured to be between Rs 1-2 crores per project even though he has been in the industry for nearly a decade.

Brand ambassador of VIP luggage,Pioneer audio systems and Levis denims,sadly,Shahid’s ads hardly have a recall value. But Atul Kasbekar,CMD,Bling Entertainment,who manages brand endorsements for both Shahid and Ranbir,says,“A new bunch of offers has arrived for for him after Kaminey’s success,which Shahid will be considering soon,though his prerogative is to not over-expose himself.”

RANBIR KAPOOR: Ranbir stands at an advantage here. Though three films old,he is said to enjoy a generous package of Rs 3 crore upward. Ranbir,from a very early stage in his career,became a bankable face in the advertising arena,starting with Pepsi and following it up with Panasonic. Interestingly,seven years ago,Shahid was the face of Pepsi but the company chose to sign on a one-film-old Ranbir over the already-popular Shahid. “Ranbir’s Pepsi contract happened soon after his first release; Pepsi wanted a fresh face for its Youngistan campaign and Ranbir fit the young urban image they wanted to project,” explains Kasbekar.