When Anurag Kashyap's dream project `Bombay velvet` is unveiled this Friday, all eyes are going to be set on Ranbir Kapoor to see how he fares in his solo performance after a long gap.
It won't be wrong to say that Ranbir is still a bankable star and everyone is waiting to see if he can rake in the moolah for his directors like he has done before.
While the industry has given a thumbs up to the period magnum opus, a lot still depends on the Box-Office verdict.
The question remains - will he be able to regain the lost ground again or will the number of duds post `Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani` decide his fate? He is at the threshold of cementing his position as the next big name in Bollywood.
A lot was expected from Ranbir post the tremendous success of `YJHD` but then `Besharam` happened. In 2014 he did `Roy` only to disappoint his fans further.
Although the Kapoor lad admitted that his role in `Roy` was not of much importance and he did the film for friendship, one cannot deny that it was a huge let down.
Blame it on timing, or bad decisions – it did not work in his favour.
I am a die-hard fan of Ranbir, and `Roy` only made me question (like many others) his criteria of selecting films.
At a crucial stage in his career, was it wise for Ranbir to have done `Roy`?
`Besharam` happened in 2013, and after that Ranbir will be seen now in a solo role in the hyped period film `Bombay Velvet`.
After a few delays, and lengthy research of eight years, the film is now ready to be served to us.
His fan following is still large and his acting prowess - is at a level that the young league of actors still have to match.
After the Khans in Bollywood, Ranbir has carved a niche for himself in that league. But as they say, an actor's last release dictates his star status. Going by that, we can say that Ranbir really needs a great push to wipe the duds off his career graph.
But if one has to compare his delivery in the movies that he has done so far - the verdict still remains largely in his favour. Thanks to his genes as he comes from the fourth generation of the first family of Bollywood - the Kapoors.
In just seven years, Ranbir has risen to the top of the ladder and at every step he has only proved his merit. Be it `Rockstar` or `Bachna-Ae-Haseeno` - we saw a different side of his talent in each film.
Now, after a gap of one-and-half years (after 'Besharam'), will `Bombay Velvet erase a film like `Besharam` from his career?
In the last two years, a slew of actors has come up and has proved their box-office power. We have seen Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra, Arjun Kapoor, and Sushant Singh Rajput capture the hearts of the Indian audience. A lot has changed in the industry statistics and from the competition that has come up - will Ranbir be successful in positioning himself as an ace.
Though the newbies have a long way to go to before they can even match up to the panache of the flamboyant actor, 'BV' will be judged severely by the critics. If this film turns out to be a Box-Office hit, as is expected to, Ranbir will be once again gain back lost ground.
As we know, the heartthrob has a history of unmatchable performances and a kitty full of upcoming projects. His work has been a testimony to his star power and given the bundle of talent that he is, the blue-eye lad can still give anybody a tough run.
And, that is all that matters in the end.