Ranbir Kapoor, known for headlining hits like ‘Animal’, has often opened up about his relationship with his late father. Recently, in a conversation with Nikhil Kamath on his podcast, Ranbir reminisced about his student days and revealed how Rishi Kapoor taught him the value of money and the importance of living like a student rather than a superstar’s son. During the conversation, Kapoor also shared how he learned the value of humility and staying grounded by observing the rise and fall of his predecessors.

After completing his college education in Mumbai, the Kapoor family son was sent to New York to attend The School of Visual Arts. However, after completing his studies in New York, he was sent back there to pursue further studies because his father believed he wasn’t ready to start acting yet. Ranbir then joined the renowned Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute to learn method acting.

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While Ranbir was living as a student in New York, Rishi Kapoor kept him on a tight budget that was only enough to cover two meals a day. Recalling those times, the ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ actor said that he was eager to return home after experiencing America. For Ranbir, America was less about college and more about exposure and meeting people from around the world while living independently.

Acknowledging his privilege, Ranbir revealed how his father made him live on a tight budget, saying, “My father had kept me on a very tight budget. Of course, when I say tight budget, I am still coming from a privileged background, but it was enough to have a McDonald’s dollar menu meal for lunch and dinner. So, it was like $2 for lunch and $2 for dinner. It was as strict as that, even though I come from a privileged background.”

When asked why the late actor resorted to such measures, Ranbir reflected that, although Rishi Kapoor never explained his reasoning, Ranbir believes it was because he wanted the star kid to experience life as a student and not as the son of a Bollywood bigwig. Ranbir also mentioned that he continued his frugal lifestyle after returning home and starting work as an assistant director to Sanjay Leela Bhansali for his hit ‘Black’ before debuting as an actor in ‘Saawariya’. He recalled traveling by public transport because his father, Rishi Kapoor, had stopped his pocket money.

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During the conversation, Ranbir also discussed his family background and the lessons he learned about success and failure by observing his family’s rich legacy of cinematic stars. Elaborating on his exposure to the realities of success, Kapoor said, “I realized this very early on because I grew up in a film family and saw many successful people. But at the same time, I also saw many failures. My family has generations of successful actors and those who have failed. I know why they failed. I studied them and noticed it from a very young age.”

Citing his father’s example, Ranbir mentioned that he observed the late star’s rude behavior towards fans who asked for autographs and photos. He noted that the disdain and disappointment on the fans’ faces were palpable after his father refused, which led Ranbir to decide that he would never say no to such requests from fans.

On the professional front, Ranbir Kapoor will next appear alongside Sai Pallavi in ‘Ramayana’ and with Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Love and War’. Kapoor also has a sequel to his recent film ‘Animal’ in the pipeline.