Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani believes Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor may have unknowingly played a role in changing his son Vir Hirani’s career path—from filmmaking to acting.
Speaking in an interview, Hirani shared that he had always imagined Vir would follow in his footsteps as a director. After finishing school, Vir assisted him on the sets of PK and later Sanju, where he spent considerable time observing the filmmaking process. But somewhere along the way, his ambitions changed.
Recalling the moment with a smile, Hirani joked that watching Ranbir Kapoor transform into Sanjay Dutt for Sanju may have left a lasting impression on Vir. “Ranbir probably told him, ‘You look like a hero,’ and that was enough for him to decide he wanted to become an actor,” the filmmaker said in a light-hearted remark.
The revelation, however, wasn’t something Hirani welcomed immediately. He admitted that he initially tried to discourage Vir because he had never seen him perform and believed filmmaking suited him better. But Vir stood his ground, even reminding his father of the famous message from 3 Idiots—to follow one’s passion. That argument, Hirani said, left him with little room to object.
Rather than chasing a quick debut, Vir spent nearly seven years training in theatre and sharpening his acting skills. When the makers of Pritam and Pedro began casting, he quietly approached director Avinash Arun for an audition without involving his father. After watching multiple self-tapes and one of Vir’s stage performances, Arun became convinced he was the right choice for the role.
Hirani revealed that he hadn’t originally considered casting his son in the series and only came around after Arun strongly backed him. Addressing the inevitable nepotism debate, the filmmaker said criticism is unavoidable regardless of the platform. In the end, he believes talent is what keeps an actor going, and audiences will ultimately decide whether someone deserves to stay.
