Personal life and off-screen work
Kapoor has said that he does not believe in a "rose-tinted illusion of love" as the troubled marriage between his parents taught him how complex a man-woman relationship can be. He had his first serious relationship while in the seventh grade, and suffered from depression when it ended. While filming Bachna Ae Haseeno in 2008, Kapoor began a romantic relationship with co-star Deepika Padukone. The relationship attracted substantial media coverage in India and they speculated on an impending engagement. However, the couple broke up a year later. Kapoor maintained that the split was amicable, though the media widely reported that the split was due to infidelity on Kapoor's part. Kapoor initially denied the allegations, but according to The Times of India, he later admitted to it: "Yes, I have, out of immaturity, out of inexperience, out of taking advantage of certain temptations, out of callousness."
Tabloid reports have since romantically linked him with several women; Kapoor has strongly denied the rumours, and has refused to publicly discuss his personal life. Rumours of an affair with Katrina Kaif first emerged during the production of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani in 2010. In August 2013, a set of paparazzi photographs were published by Stardust showing Kapoor and Kaif at a beach inSpain; the press interpreted this to be proof of a relationship between them. Kapoor declined to publicly speak of the relationship, but has said that he considers Kaif to be "a very special person" in his life.
In addition to acting, Kapoor is a football enthusiast and supports several charities and organisations. He is the vice-captain of the All Stars Football Club, a celebrity football club that raises money for charity. In March 2013, he played the game to raise funds for the Magic Funds Organisation, an NGO for underprivileged children. Along with the chartered accountant Bimal Parekh, Kapoor acquired ownership rights in 2014 for the Mumbai-based football team of the Indian Super League, named Mumbai City FC. Also that year, Kapoor announced his participation with the digital music company Saavn as a content and programming adviser.
Kapoor is vocal about issues faced by women, and supports the empowerment of the girl child; he is the goodwill ambassador of Shabana Azmi's Mijwan Welfare Society, an NGOwhich helps empower women. He supports environmental charities, and in 2011 donated money to the Community Water Initiative, a charitable organisation owned byPepsiCo. In 2012, he appeared (alongside Arjun Rampal and Farhan Akhtar) in a short film by Zoya Akhtar to generate awareness on breast cancer. He is the campaign ambassador for NDTV's Marks for Sports, a nationwide initiative to promote fitness and health in India. In 2013, Kapoor participated in an auction on eBay, where the highest bidder gets an opportunity to interact with him; the proceeds were donated to Save the Children, a non-profit organisation that raised funds for flood affected households in Uttarakhand.
In the media
Born into a family of popular actors, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a young age; Hindustan Times published that "he was always a star kid from whom everyone had great expectations". Despite the failure of his first film (Saawariya), IANS reported that he "rose like [a] meteor on film firmament by giving compelling performances in films like Raajneeti, Rockstar and [..] Barfi!" Discussing the commercial viability of Kapoor, Apoorva Mehta (the COO of Dharma Productions) noted, "In a short career span of 10 films, Ranbir Kapoor has achieved a tremendous jump in the business done by his films. His last releases have shown a successive growth of 40% over each preceding film, clearly showing the audiences appreciation for the power house of talent." Following the major commercial success of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, The Economic Timescredited him as "the most bankable actor of his generation", and producer Siddharth Roy Kapur said that "he is no longer on the cusp of super-stardom... he's there!"
Kapoor is one of the most popular and high-profile celebrities in India. In 2012 Forbes featured him on the eleventh spot in India's Celebrity 100 list with an estimated annual earning of
711 million (US$12 million), making him one of the highest paid actors in the country. The following year he ranked eighth. Kapoor has frequently featured in Rediff.com's annual listing of "Bollywood's Best Actors"; he was ranked second in 2009, first in 2011, and held the third position in 2012. In 2009 People magazine listed him as the "Sexiest Man Alive" in India, and in 2013 he topped Filmfare's poll of the "Most Stylish Young Actor". Also in 2013, he was one of the recipients of the "People of the Year" award by the Limca Book of Records. Kapoor is the celebrity endorser for various brands and services, including Pepsi, Panasonic,Tata DoCoMo, and the Spanish football club FC Barcelona.