Happy Birthday Ranbir!  Last year I promised to bump you up from 12 to 34 if Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was good.  And it was!  But then Jagga Jasoos was bad.  So I will average it and bring you up to 23. (this is an updated and reposted post from last year)

1. 1. I love you because you had a hard childhood and don’t pull any punches talking about it.  You may have been raised in a wealthy and glamorous family, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t still suffer with your parents’ fighting, separations, and problems.

2. I love you because you studied in New York before you tried to make it as a star, even though your name alone could have guaranteed you a part with no training.

3. I love you because you paid your dues in India as well, as an AD to Bhansali before you had your launch.

4. I love you because you weren’t ashamed to pay tribute to your father and drop a towel in your intro scene, just like he did decades earlier in Bobby.

5. I love you because, although the movie itself is not the best, I really like this one song form your first film.

6. I love you because you paid tribute to your Dad again by singing one of his biggest hits, while still putting your own stamp on it, in your next film which became your first big hit.

7.  I love you because Wake Up Sid is a legitimately good movie in every way, and you were brave enough to take a risk on an untried director with a strange story idea.

8. Speaking of risky scripts, you took a chance on Rockstar as well.  Which gave you a chance to share the screen with your great-uncle Shammi at least one time.

9.  Most of all, Rockstar let you give a really raw performance supported by an amazing soundtrack.

10.  I love you because you followed the very different movies Rockstar and Barfi! with a big mainstream hit, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, and showed that you have what it takes to be the standard singing dancing star.

11.  I love you because you openly admit that Besharam was an enormous mistake.  Although at least this one song is kind of nice?

12.  Tamasha, your most recent film, was not the greatest movie.  But again, great songs!  And you did your best to sell them.

13.  And not just the fun songs, but the sad songs too.

 

14. I love you because Ae Dil Hai Mushkil really was wonderful.  Especially your performance in the title song.

 

15.  Although personally I love this song even more.

 

16. Although you really start to show your range in this song.  And that you have inherited your father’s knack with selling a lip synch.

 

17.  And this song I love the bestest!

 

18.  I love you because your next film is a big risk in a lot of ways.  A biopic, which is a new genre for Indian film (unless it is about Shaheed Bhagat Singh).  And one that promises to bring up some of your own family baggage.

19.  I love you because Jagga Jasoos was a risk as well.  Ultimately a foolish one, but I can appreciate that very very early decision to produce.  Before everything else happened.

20.  I love you because Jagga Jasoos did have some pretty decent song sequences, for instance this one, which relies entirely on your star power to sell it.

 

21.  This one made me admit that you and Katrina really do have good energy together.

 

22.  Okay, this one even got me bouncing a little in my seat in the theater.  Which is mostly on Pritam, but you are the producer, you are the one who hired him!

 

23.  And finally, I love you because you were a very cute little boy!