Ranbir Kapoor’s guest list reflected the sheer opportunism that prevails in the entertainment industry

While it is every inviter’s prerogative to decide whom to invite on his special day, some guest lists are more reflective and revealing than others.

Ranbir Kapoor’s choice of “selected” guests at his wedding with Alia Bhatt shows what we always suspected about showbiz: relationships last as long as opportunities to work together. Beyond that, there is….nothing.

So no Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Basu or Sanjay Leela Bhansali at the Wedding Of The Year (the capitals are intentional: I don’t think Arjun Kapoor and Malaika Arora can top this one). These directors meant the world to Ranbir at one time or the other in the past: While his debut film, Saawariya was being made Ranbir was as close to his director as any pupil is to his mentor.

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Saawariya came, Ranbir became a star. He soon got over that phase. His next BFF among directors was Anurag Basu. The filmmaker and RK were inseparable, and locked in an emotional prism: Basu repeatedly cancelled the shooting schedules of his Barfi for Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar because….well, because Ranbir wanted it.

When this happened repeatedly I asked Anurag Basu why he was committing professional hara-kiri. Basu laughed off my misgivings.“I don’t see it like that. To me, Ranbir’s Rockstar is as important as my Barfi. Besides, we filmmakers need to work together to ensure the best for not only our own films but also of our colleagues.”

Well, Basuda, I hope you are happy with your nobility. Because that’s all you are left with. After Barfi was released Ranbir and Anurag were to work on a Kishore Kumar biopic. That never happened. Ranbir moved on. His friendship with Imtiaz Ali was perceived to be much beyond a professional relationship.

It lasted through two films Rockstar and Tamasha. After the latter bombed, the Imtiaz-Ranbir friendship simply faded away….

No Sanjay Bhansali, Anurag Basu, Imtiaz Ali at Ranbir’s wedding. Ranbir Kapoor’s childhood friends Siddharth Anand (who directed him in Bachna Ae Haseeno), Vikramjit Singh (director of Roy) and Binoy Gandhi (who was planning a film with Ranbir at one point of time) were nowhere to be seen at either the wedding or the reception.

The filmmakers who WERE seen at the wedding festivities are Luv Ranjan and Ayan Mukerjee. No coincidence that Ranbir is working with both right now. Ayan is in fact Ranbir’s best friend since they did the hit Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani together. I wonder if their friendship would last beyond Brahmastra if God forbid, it doesn’t work.

Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.

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