Equally at ease portraying the brave nobility of Bajirao, the roguish charm of Ram Rajari and the devilish cruelty of Khilji, Ranveer Singh is one of the most dynamic leading men to have emerged out of Bollywood in recent times. Since his debut in the sleeper hit Band Baaja Baaraat in 2010, he has consistently delivered several memorable performances in a wide range of roles; from the conflicted thief in Lootera (2013) to the flamboyant outlaw in Gunday (2014) and two contrasting historical figures in Bajirao Mastani (2015) and Padmavat (2018).

In the process, Ranveer has established himself both a serious actor and a bankable star - a fact underlined by the enormous box office receipts of some of his movies and the prestigious accolades he has won, which includes both Filmfare and IIFA Awards.

EARLY LIFE
Ranveer Singh Bhavnani was born to Jagjit Singh and Anju Bhavnani on the 6th of July, 1985 in suburban Mumbai. The actor dropped his surname after entering Bollywood, since he felt that it was too long and had too many syllables.

While in school, Ranveer took part in plays and debates, and loved performing. His love for cinema also got him into trouble occasionally; once, he was suspended from school for a day for listening to the song Chaiyya Chaiyya while in class. Ranveer also briefly fancied playing the Harris Shield Cricket Tournament while in school and sought coaching from Mohinder Amarnath, but was ultimately rejected.

He studied at Mumbai`s H. R. College of Commerce and Economics and shifted his interest to creative writing. He then went on to study arts at the Indiana University in Bloomington, where he also took up acting classes and chose theater as his academic minor.

Upon returning from the USA after graduating, he worked as a copywriter at O&M and J. Walter Thompson, only to realize that all he wanted to become was an actor. He then served as an assistant director in Bunty Aur Babli (2005) and auditioned for various production houses, but was not happy with the kind of roles that he was receiving. In fact, Ranveer rejected three film roles before signing up for his debut in Band Baaja Baaraat (2010). He is the first solo hero to be launched by Yash Raj Films through one of their productions.

PERSONAL LIFE
Ranveer Singh began dating actress Deepika Padukone in August 2012. After six years of courtship, they tied the knot in November 2018 in a traditional wedding ceremony at Lake Como, Italy.

ACTING CAREER
Ranveer Singh did not start his career in the industry as an actor. He, in fact, worked as an assistant director on ad films with Shaad Ali. He later gave up direction and started auditioning for various roles. Despite being offered ads and minor roles in movies, he did not take them up waiting for a substantial enough offer. His patience paid off when he was called to audition for the lead role in YRF`s Band Baaja Baaraat. In his debut, he convincingly played the role of a Delhi-based slacker Bittoo Sharma opposite Anushka Sharma. Prior to the release, trade analysts said that the movie would flop but much to their surprise it was a hit and Ranveer garnered appreciation for his portrayal of Bittoo Sharma, and won the Filmfare for the Best Male Debut.

Following the success of Band Baaja Baaraat, Singh signed YRF`s project Ladies vs Ricky Bahl alongside Anushka Sharma, Dipannita Sharma, Parineeti Chopra and Aditi Sharma. Unlike his role in Band Baaja Baaraat, Ranveer played the character of a conman, who cons women after emotionally manipulating them. Apart from being the lead actor in the movie, Singh also rapped in the song Aadat Se Majboor. Two movies into the industry and Ranveer Singh bagged the lead role in Vikramaditya Motwane`s period romance Lootera opposite Sonakshi Sinha. Known for being overexcited otherwise, Ranveer toned down a lot for Lootera. Despite being critically acclaimed, the movie flopped at the box office but Ranveer received appreciation for his performance in the movie.

In 2013, Ranveer went on to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali in his adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, opposite Deepika Padukone, where he essayed the role of a happy-go-lucky Gujarati boy, Ram. The movie was a commercial success and turned out to be Singh`s highest grossing movie as on 2015. In his next movie, Gunday, he played the role of a Bengali gangster alongside Arjun Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. His chemistry with Arjun Kapoor was much appreciated in the movie, so much so that they were nominated for the `Jodi of the Year` at the Stardust Awards, which they won.

Later, Zoya Akhtar roped him for comedy-drama Dil Dhadakne Do in an ensemble cast including Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar and Anushka Sharma. He played the role of a young man, Kabir Mehra, who belongs to a dysfunctional Punjabi family. He was noted and praised for his comic timing and his subtle performance.

Two years after Ram-Leela, Singh reunited with Sanjay Leela Bhansali when he was signed for playing Peshwa Bajirao in his epic romance Bajirao Mastani opposite Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra. His performance was very well received and is considered to be one of his best acts. The movie not only was a commercial success but also won 14 awards at the 61st Filmfare Awards. Ranveer Singh won the Filmfare for Best Actor, despite Bollywood stalwarts Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan being nominated in the same category. Bajirao Mastani is Ranveer Singh`s highest grossing movie as on 2016. Ranveer will be starring in Aditya Chopra`s Befikre. Chopra has always cast Shah Rukh Khan in the leading role for his movies but Singh has managed to bag the lead role opposite Vaani Kapoor, who was seen in Shudhh Desi Romance.

His 2018 releases included Sanjay Leela Bhansali`s period drama Padmavat co-starring Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor. The film is one of the most expensive Hindi films and became Indian cinema`s highest grossing release. In the same year, Singh essayed the role of a policeman in Rohit Shetty`s action comedy Simmba, alongside Sara Ali Khan. The film is a remake of the Telugu action-drama Temper. His 2019 releases include Zoya Akhtar`s Gully Boy, based on the life of Mumbai-based `Gully` rapper Naved Shaikh aka Naezy. He then featured in Sooryavanshi (2021), Jayeshbhai Jordaar (2022) and Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani (2023). His other movies include Singham Again, Don 3, Dhurandhar, and Dhurandhar The Revenge.