‘Last decade as an actor’: Ranbir Kapoor plans directorial debut in 2-3 years
Ranbir Kapoor may have spent much of his career in front of the camera, but the actor is already thinking about what happens when he moves to the other side. The ‘Ramayana’ star has revealed that he has begun developing a script for his first directorial venture and hopes to begin filming it within the next two to three years. He has also suggested that acting may not remain his primary focus indefinitely, describing this phase of his career as his “last decade as an actor”.
During a conversation with BBC Asian News Network, alongside his ‘Ramayana: Part 1’ co-star Sai Pallavi, Ranbir spoke about his interest in filmmaking and the creative process that comes with directing. Although the idea of directing has been on his mind for some time, he has only recently started putting a story together.
The experience, he admitted, has been far from easy. Ranbir said he began writing a script a couple of months ago and has developed a deeper appreciation for people who create stories from scratch.
“Last decade as an actor” EXCUSE ME??? Stop speaking, Ranbir Kapoor You’re not retiring from acting until you’re 85. Alia, please handle this. Four years left in this decade and He is already talking about his last decade as an actor after Ramayana Animal Park and Brahmastra…
— r (@bekhayalime) November 7, 2026
Why Ranbir Kapoor wants to become a director
For Ranbir, the attraction of direction lies in the opportunity to build an entire cinematic experience rather than simply perform a part. He believes directors experience a different kind of creative satisfaction by bringing together various talents and translating a story into a film.
"I have so much respect for writers and creators. 'How do you create?' It's exciting because I truly believe that after a musician, if there's somebody who feels a creative high, it's the director," he said.
The actor also made an interesting comparison between the creative experiences of actors and directors. While an actor completes a scene and waits for the next one, a director remains involved in shaping the film as a whole.
"An actor's high is very superficial but the director, when he directs a movie, however good or bad, the opportunity to tell a story and get all these people together to tell your story, it's just a beautiful experience and I hope I can do it," he added.
Ranbir Kapoor wants to make a feel-good family film
While he has not locked in a genre for his debut, Ranbir has an idea of the kind of cinema he would like to create. Rather than gravitating towards a particular commercial formula, he appears drawn to stories that leave audiences with a sense of warmth.
Among his favourites are ‘Life Is Beautiful’, ‘It's a Wonderful Life’ and films made by Rajkumar Hirani. These, he suggested, offer a glimpse into the cinematic space he hopes his directorial venture will occupy.
"I can't define the genre but I'll tell you all my favourite films… and I hope it comes in that bracket like ‘Life Is Beautiful’, ‘It's a Wonderful Life’, Rajkumar Hirani movies. I would say like a feel-good family drama," Ranbir said.
‘It's my last decade as an actor’: Ranbir on changing career priorities
Direction, however, is not something Ranbir plans to jump into immediately. The actor has several major projects lined up, including the next instalments of ‘Brahmastra’, ‘Animal’ and ‘Ramayana’. He said his relatively limited annual shooting schedule gives him some room to work on writing.
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Ranbir revealed that he usually works for around 100 to 125 days in a year, but his current commitments have made this one of his busiest phases.
He also made a notable observation about how he sees his future in the film industry.
"But, I guess, it's my last decade as an actor; will I get to play these parts? I do want to kind of pivot towards direction," he said.
The actor clarified that he has no intention of directing himself. For now, completing his existing franchise commitments remains a priority. Once those films are out of the way, he hopes to move ahead with his directorial plans.
"I really want to get these films done (‘Brahmastra 2’, ‘Animal 2’ and ‘Ramayana Part 2’), and really get on floors with my directorial debut within 2 or 3 years, I hope," he added.
Ranbir Kapoor's upcoming films
Before taking on the director's chair, Ranbir has a busy slate ahead. He will be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's ‘Love & War’, which also stars Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal. The period drama is scheduled to release in theatres on January 21, 2027.
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He is also currently associated with the two-part ‘Ramayana’ adaptation directed by Nitesh Tiwari. The first instalment, featuring Ranbir as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, arrived in theatres on November 5.