In his decade-spanning career, Rampal has won numerous
awards and nominations. He has won the National Film Award for Best Supporting
Actor and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Rock On!
Rampal established his production company Chasing Ganesha
Films. He became a film producer with I See You (2006) under his banner and
played the lead role. Outside of acting, Rampal has been involved in other
business ventures. He has launched Lost Festival through association with
Percept Limited.
Rampal made his acting debut in Rajiv Rai's Pyaar Ishq
Aur Mohabbat (2001) opposite Sunil Shetty, Aftab Shivdasani and Kirti Reddy.
Rampal gave a show stealing performance and earned all the attention. He earned
critical acclaim for his performance in the movie. Taran Adarsh of indiaFM
wrote "Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat is a showcase for Arjun Rampal to exhibit
his talent. The guy looks dashing and emotes with utmost sincerity. He's
handled the emotional moments with maturity, which is so rare for a
first-timer. A confident debut!" This established Rampal as a leading
actor in the Indian film industry. He was nominated for the Filmfare Award for
Best Male Debut but swapped the awards in the Best Male Debut category at the
Star Screen and IIFA ceremonies.
His next release was Ashu Trikha's Deewaanapan, in which
Rampal was paired with Dia Mirza. He earned critical acclaim for his
performance but the film flopped at the box office. Taran Adarsh of indiaFm
wrote "Arjun Rampal carries the film on his broad shoulders and comes up
with a sincere performance that is consistent throughout. He is wonderful in
action sequences and springs a pleasant surprise in the emotional moments by
delivering the apposite expressions." Ashish Magotra of Rediff gave
negative reviews on Rampal, writing "Among the actors, Arjun Rampal as the
hero does pretty much what he has been known to do. He models. His acting
capabilities leave a lot to be desired." His last release of the year was
Ashok Mehta's Moksha. It was actually his first film but was released after
Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat. Rampal was paired with famous actress Manisha Koirala
in a lead role in Moksha. This film marked Rampal's third consecutive flop at
the box office but Rampal earned critical acclaim. Taran Adarsh of indiaFm
wrote "Arjun Rampal excels in a role that was difficult to portray. He
takes giant strides as a performer and proves that he's an actor with an
amazing range." Priyanka Bhattacharya of Rediff considered the movie to be
"more a 70-mm portfolio for Arjun Rampal than a story."
Rampal's first release of 2002 was Vipul Amrutlal Shah's
Aankhen, in which Rampal starred in an ensemble cast featuring Amitabh
Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Sushmita Sen and Paresh Rawal. He played the role of a
blind person. The film was ranked above average at box office and became the
fourth-highest grossing Bollywood film of 2002. His next release was Kundan
Shah's Dil Hai Tumhaara opposite Rekha, Preity Zinta, Mahima Chaudhry and Jimmy
Shergill. The film was a flop.
In 2003, Rampal played a lead role in Naresh Malhotra's
Dil Ka Rishta opposite Aishwarya Rai. Rampal earned critical acclaim for his
performance. Ronjita Kulkarni of Rediff wrote: "Arjun Rampal shakes off
his wooden image and comes up with a good performance. He is subtle and
convincing in the emotional scenes. He has certainly moved on from Pyaar Ishq
Aur Mohabbat." Taran Adarsh wrote "Arjun Rampal does a sincere job.
He is maturing into a fine actor." It was ranked the thirtieth film of the
year on the basis of box office collections. Rampal's next role was in Khalid
Mohammed's Tehzeeb opposite Urmila Matondkar. Rampal played a Muslim in the
film. The film earned critical acclaim. Taran Adarsh praised his performance,
quoting "the easy-going attitude his character reflects injects that
certain sheen to the enterprise."
In 2004, Rampal collaborated with Rajiv Rai for the
second time in his first action thriller Asambhav. Rampal starred opposite
Priyanka Chopra and played the role of an Indian commando Captain Aadit Arya.
The film was entirely shot in Switzerland. Released on 23 July, Asambhav was
Rampal's only release of the year. Shahid Khan of Planet Bollywood wrote:
"Arjun Rampal looks good and he suits the mould of the action hero very
well." Subhash K. Jha of IANS praised Rampal's action hero performance. He
wrote "Arjun Rampal comes into his own as an action hero. His controlled body
movements and his overall penchant for understatement in a film that shrieks
for attention is a relief."
Rampal's first release of 2005 was Satish Kaushik's
Vaada, in which he played a lead role opposite Ameesha Patel and Zayed Khan.
The film was a flop. Patcy N of Rediff praised Rampal, writing "Arjun
Rampal has done a good job; his is a subdued performance, and the
model-turned-actor looks great in most scenes." Rampal's next release was
Vikram Bhatt's multi-starrer action film Elaan. The film managed to do well and
became an average-grosser at the box office. Rampal earned critical acclaim,
for his performance in Elaan. Narbir Gosal of Planet Bollywood wrote "Of
the three heroes Arjun Rampal makes best impact. He has become comfortable on
screen and fits the action hero role just with the same ease as he did the
comedic narrator's role in Tehzeeb. The role doesn´t require much acting
muscle, but Rampal lends a certain charm to his character, and his character
gets the most sympathy." Subhash K. Jha of IANS praised Rampal and wrote
"Arjun is pretty much on his own. Once again playing a man with
responsibilities he brings a controlled conviction to both his scenes with his
screen daughter and his engrossing death scene." Merril Diniz of Rediff
wrote "Arjun Rampal is almost believable as the rugged ex-cop. He has a
deep baritone and svelte body language."
Rampal's third release of the year was the mystery
thriller Yakeen, in which Rampal was paired in a lead role with Priyanka Chopra
for the second time. He received acclaim for improving his emotional acting.
Taran Adarsh praised his performance, quoting "Cast in complex role, Arjun
Rampal delivers his best performance so far. The role would've lost its
bearings had it been entrusted to an inferior actor, but Arjun sinks his teeth
into it and emerges trumps. The actor portrays the gamut of emotions with
aplomb and delivers a flawless performance. He is truly efficient in sequences
when he starts suspecting his wife's fidelity in the first half. The shower sequence
as also the intermission point display Arjun's range as an actor."
Rampal's last release of the year was Apoorva Lakhia's Ek Ajnabee opposite
Amitabh Bachchan and Perizaad Zorabian. This film featured Rampal in his first
negative role as Shekhar Verma, the bodyguard of a child, but is actually a
corrupted person. Subhash K Jha praised Rampal's performance and wrote
"The narrative has some nice supporting performances, particularly Arjun
Rampal who's gone both over and under the skin of his bar-owner ex-army man's
role. Not only does Rampal look right, he feels right."
His first release of 2006 was the love triangle based
Humko Tumse Pyaar Hai opposite Bobby Deol and Ameesha Patel. This film was a
delayed release. Satyajit of SmasHits quoted "Arjun Rampal has also been
promising and it shows in his performance. The media might have labeled him
"wooden actor" but he has shown great improvisation in emotional
scenes." Taran Adarsh wrote "Arjun is awkward at places, but gets
into the rhythm subsequently. The emotional sequences in the second half
clearly indicate that he's come a long way." His next appearance was the
multi-starrer anthology Darna Zaroori Hai. Rampal starred in the story
"Spirits Do Come" opposite Bipasha Basu and Makrand Deshpande, directed
by Prawal Raman. Despite a star cast, the film flopped at the box office.
Rampal reprised the supporting role of Jasjit in Don -
The Chase Begins Again, a remake of the 1978 movie Don. The role had been
played by Pran in the original Don. Don - The Chase Begins Again starred
Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles and the movie became Rampal's
first hit. The film proved to be a breakthrough movie for Rampal, although Khan
earned the most attention. Taran Adarsh praised his performance, quoting "Despite
the shortcomings, he makes a sincere attempt."
Rampal established his own production company Chasing
Ganesha Films with his wife Mehr Jesia. The first movie under that banner I See
You was Rampal's last release of 2006. He played a lead role opposite newcomer
Vipasha Agarwal. The movie was shot entirely in London, England. Like his past
movies, I See You was also a failure at the box office and received poor
reviews. However, Rampal earned critical acclaim for his work. Bollywood Mantra
wrote "Arjun Rampal has the look and style to carry off the Casanova image
and even his acting skills seem to have improved tremendously. His performance
can be noted as an above average one. He carries some funny moments and some of
the emotional moments well." Taran Adarsh wrote "I See You rests on
Arjun's shoulders. Arjun is efficient in a role that doesn't really demand
histrionics. He has proved his credentials in the past and his performance in
this film is at par with his earlier works. He works best in the dramatic
portions."
In 2007, Rampal starred in a negative role in Om Shanti
Om opposite Shahrukh Khan and the debuting Deepika Padukone. The film emerged
as the year's highest grossing film in India and the overseas market, and
became India's highest grossing production ever up to that point with a
worldwide gross of over INR1.48 billion. It was Rampal's biggest hit in his
career and earned him critical acclaim for his villainous role. Taran Adarsh
wrote "Arjun Rampal is a complete revelation. Cast in a negative role this
time, he enacts his part with panache and style." Sukanya Verma of Rediff
wrote "Rampal's persona exudes too much warmth to pass off as a
cold-blooded antagonist." Rampal won the Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in
a Negative Role for his villainous performance in Om Shanti Om and got
nominations at the IIFA, Star Screen and Apsara ceremonies.
Following the success of Om Shanti Om, Rampal started to
rise as a successful actor. In 2008, Rampal gave an excellent performance in
Rock On!! as Joseph "Joe" Mascarenhas, the lead guitarist of a band,
a poor idealist who never learned that self-promotion is more important than
music in a remixed world. Rampal learned guitar to prepare for his role. His
performance was widely acclaimed, earning him the prestigious National Film
Award for Best Supporting Actor at the 56th National Film Awards, Filmfare Best
Supporting Actor Award at the 54th Filmfare Awards, IIFA Award for Best
Supporting Actor at the 10th IIFA Awards and Screen Award for Best Supporting
Actor. This brought wider success and acclaim to Rampal. Noted critic Nikhat
Kazmi of Times of India praised Rampal's performance and wrote "If you
actually had to choose, then the vote would go for Arjun Rampal who displays a
newfound maturity and looks absolutely groovy with his windblown hair and his
guitar-strumming stance." Taran Adarsh wrote "Arjun Rampal delivers
his finest performance to date. Watch him emote those tough emotional moments
and also as a failed person in the latter parts and you'd realize that he has
only grown with the passage of time. Superb is the word!" Martin D'Souza
of Bollywood Trade News Network praised Rampal, writing "Arjun Rampal is
slowly coming into his own. After playing a character with a negative shade in
Om Shanti Om, he returns with another powerful performance as Joe Mascarenhas
the lead guitarist of the band. Vibrant at first, and then subdued he walks the
act with a rock star gait."
Later that year, he starred in Rituparno Ghosh's
English-language arthouse film The Last Lear, alongside Amitabh Bachchan and
Preity Zinta. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and
was received well at a number of other film festivals. Upon its theatrical
release in India, Rampal got favourable reviews for his performance. He gave a
show-stealing performance. Taran Adarsh wrote "Arjun is evolving into a
fine actor. After Rock On!!, this is another performance that would fetch Arjun
laurels." Martin D'Souza considered it to be Rampal's best performance to
date. Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN praised Rampal's performance, writing "Arjun
Rampal shines as the guilt-ridden filmmaker, too ashamed to even apologise for
his selfishness."
Rampal's only release of 2009 was Deepak Tijori's Fox, in
which he starred opposite Sunny Deol, Sagarika Ghatge and Udita Goswami. The
film mainly received negative reviews and flopped at the box office but Rampal
earned critical acclaim. Taran Adarsh praised Rampal's performance as perfect.
Martin D'Souza praised Rampal's performance, writing "Arjun Rampal is
moving from strength to strength. He is confident in his role; as a lawyer and
then as the one who has been fixed."
2010 would go on to become the most successful year of
Rampal's career with three back to back hits. The first was Sajid Khan's comedy
film Housefull, in which he starred in a supporting role. The film received
negative reviews but became a huge hit at the box office. Rampal's next release
was Prakash Jha's multi-starrer Raajneeti. Rampal received critical acclaim for
his supporting role of Prithvi in the movie. Taran Adarsh wrote "Arjun is
a revelation and what a terrific performance he pitches in. He's like an
untamed lion." His performance earned him a nomination for the Filmfare
Best Supporting Actor Award. He won the award in the Best Supporting Actor at
the IIFA, Apsara and Zee Cine categories. His last release of the year was
Siddharth Malhotra and Karan Johar's We Are Family, in which he played a lead
role opposite Kajol and Kareena Kapoor. It was an average grosser and Rampal's
first successful movie that featured him in a lead role. Taran Adarsh wrote
"Arjun continues to surprise. Rock On!!, Housefull, Raajneeti and now We
Are Family indicates the growth of this actor. He handles the emotional moments
well too." Pankaj Sabnani of Bollywood Trade News Network considered
Rampal's performance to be balanced.
In 2011, Rampal played the titular negative role in
Anubhav Sinha's science fiction movie Ra.One. The movie became a successful
film in India and overseas and received mixed reviews. Rampal's new bald look
earned him a lot of appreciation and popularity within the audiences. Majority
of the fans considered his Ra. One look to be better than the protagonist
G.One. He earned critical acclaim for his villainous performance. Taran Adarsh
praised his performance by writing "Arjun Rampal pulls his act with
effortlessness and style. Also, Arjun's well-designed look is admirable."
Martin D'Souza praised Rampal's performance and considered him to be the savior
of the film that was being flawless in the second half. He wrote "It's
only after the interval that the plot meanders a bit, loses it sting and almost
falls apart like a pixealised image, before Arjun lights up the screen."
Arthur J Pais of Rediff wrote "The best person to gain from the film
directed by Anubhav Sinha with more inane and crude sexual jokes than in any
recent Hindi film, is Arjun Rampal. His body language and brooding face creates
a quietly menacing villain." Raja Sen wrote "Arjun Rampal is the best
thing in the biggest budget Indian feature of all time". Aseem Chhabra considered
Rampal to be the "most interesting element of the film."
Rampal had three releases in 2012 Madhur Bhandarkar's
Heroine, Prakash Jha's Chakravyuh and the comedy movie Ajab Gazabb Love, with
all three failing at the box office. However, Rampal earned critical acclaim
for his performances. In Heroine, Rampal essayed the role of Aryan Khanna, a
well-known actor, starring opposite Kareena Kapoor. The movie failed to become
a success at the box office with an earning of INR225 million (US$3.7 million) nett
at the weekend.
In Chakravyuh, Rampal essayed the role of a police
officer SP Adil Khan, starring opposite Abhay Deol, Esha Gupta, Manoj Bajpai,
Om Puri and Anjali Patil. The film grossed INR158.8 million (US$2.6 million) in
the first week. However, Rampal earned critical acclaim for his performance as
a police officer. Taran Adarsh considered it to be Rampal's toughest and best
performance. He wrote "This is, without doubt, Arjun Rampal's most
accomplished act. Sure, the actor has impressed you in the past, but his act in
Chakravyuh is an eye-opener." Rohit Vats of CNN IBN wrote "Arjun
Rampal’s image and dialogue delivery mar his chances but it is one of his
better performances, in fact he has given Abhay Deol a run for his money in
double shots." Martin D'Souza wrote "Arjun Rampal as the hot-headed
cop who will fight injustice does justice to his role."
In Ajab Gazabb Love, Rampal essayed the double role of
twin brothers Karan and Arjun, based on the popular duo of Karan Arjun from the
hit 1995 film of the same name. Though the film flopped at the box office,
Rampal earned critical acclaim for his double role performance. Martin D'Souza
wrote "There's a double dose from Arjun Rampal as the girl's twin
brothers. Marvelous is just one word to describe Arjun. Actually he is just
brilliant." Madhureeta Mukherjee of Times of India wrote "Arjun
Rampal's, comic-timing is a revelation. His double-act entertains and adds
energy to this comedy."
His first release of 2013 was Sudhir Mishra's Inkaar
opposite Chitrangada Singh. Though the film flopped at the box office, Rampal
earned positive reviews for his critically acclaimed performance by critics and
audiences. Taran Adarsh praised Rampal's performance, quoting "Arjun
Rampal displays remarkable understanding of the character. Post Chakravyuh,
which released a few months ago, this is yet another power-packed performance
that makes you realize that this supermodel has transformed into a super
actor."
His next film was Nikhil Advani's action movie D-Day,
co-starring Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Shruti Haasan and Huma Qureshi. He
portrayed Rudra Pratap Singh, a RAW agent. In order to prepare for his role,
Rampal met real RAW agents. He earned critical acclaim for his performance.
Dhiren Trivedi of BollywoodLife.com wrote "Arjun Rampal suits his
character Rudra Pratap to the T; it’s THE best performance in his decade-plus
long journey as an actor. His angst and his rarely used baritone serves his
purpose well." Mohar Basu of Koimoi wrote "Arjun Rampal has evolved
for the better as an actor. His infallible personality and his portrayal that
has hints of both anguish and strength is what makes him stand out despite the
presence of more powerful actors. He acted like a dream and that is
commendable, to say the least." Rummana Ahmed of Yahoo! Movies wrote
"As a former army officer and now an undercover agent, Arjun is intense
and sharp, his body language apt and his performance precise." Shubha
Shetty of Mid Day wrote "It is Arjun Rampal as Rudra who amazes with a
performance that is undoubtedly his best till date. Rampal, apart from looking
as gorgeous as he does, comfortably displays a range of emotions with
surprising deft." Mansha Rastogi of Now Running. com wrote "Arjun
Rampal has excelled himself by leaps and bound and makes a commendable effort
of an ex-army man turned RAW Agent delightfully." Rajeev Masand wrote
"Arjun Rampal does some of his best work here as the rebellious agent
simmering with pent up anger." Sarit Ray of Hindustan Times wrote
"Arjun Rampal agent Rudra Pratap Singh brings to the role what he brings
to every film good looks and a standard
brooding expression."
His last release of the year was Prakash Jha's Satyagraha
(2013). Rampal was featured in an ensemble cast including Amitabh Bachchan,
Ajay Devgan, Kareena Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee and Amrita Rao. Rampal essayed the
role of Arjun Singh, a social activist who joined a campaign to free his former
college principal.
In 2008, Rampal made his television debut as one of the
three judges of the fourth season of the dance reality television show Nach
Baliye on STAR Plus. The other two judges were choreographer Farah Khan and
film actress Karisma Kapoor. In 2010, Rampal hosted the 5th Apsara Awards with
Preity Zinta.
In November 2011, Rampal started hosting a new television
show called Love 2 Hate U airing on STAR World India. The theme of the show was
that Rampal would try and change the perception of people who hate Bollywood
actors by bringing them face to face with them. The first episode aired on 20
November and the last episode aired on 15 January.