Ranveer Singh, busy Looting at 28

Three years in Bollywood and Ranveer Singh is slowly becoming one of the top actors amidst the fresh faces in the industry. His new film Lootera, which released this Friday (July 5, 2013), has impressed the critics.

On his 28th birthday, here is a look at his Bollywood journey so far.

Ranveer Singh Bhavnani was born on July 6, 1985 in Mumbai to Jagjit Singh and Anju Bhavnani. He has an elder sister named Ritika.

From a very young age, Ranveer aspired to become an actor. In college, though, he focused on a career in creative writing. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University in USA and later worked as a copywriter in advertising agencies like Ogilvy & Mathers and JWT.

Ranveer then decided to switch completely to acting and started sending his portfolio to production houses. In 2010, the actor was called for an audition by Yash Raj Films and was selected for a lead role for the film Band Baaja Baraat opposite Anushka Sharma. Since then, there has been no looking back for the actor.

Band Baaja Baraat turned out to be a hit and Ranveer was critically appreciated for his portrayal of Bittoo Sharma. He won a slew of awards including the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut.

Ranveer's on and off-screen chemistry with his Band Baaja Baaraat co-star Anushka Sharma have always made headlines. They were frequently spotted together at social events but claimed to be "just good friends." The romance reportedly ended after Ranveer was linked to his Lootera co-star Sonakshi Sinha.

The actor has also been linked to his Ram Leela co-star Deepika Padukone.

Ranveer and Anushka were again seen together in the film Ladies vs Ricky Bahl in 2011. The film did average business but Ranveer was appreciated for his role of a conman.

Ranveer's newest release Lootera, directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, has been well received by the critics and is expected to be a big hit. Ranveer Singh's performance has also been praised.

In a very short time, Ranveer has caught the eye of big directors and producers. His future line-up of films include Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Ram Leela opposite Deepika Padukone, and Yash Raj Films' Gunday opposite Arjun Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra.