Aadinath Kothare on school days with Ranbir Kapoor and Ramayana family link
Synopsis
Aadinath Kothare’s bond with Ranbir Kapoor goes back to school cricket matches in a shared Mumbai building — but the real twist is generational: his father once played Neetu Singh’s screen brother, and now Aadinath plays Ranbir’s brother in the mega-budget ‘Ramayana: Part 1’. It’s a Bollywood coincidence spanning two decades and two family trees.
Key Takeaways
Aadinath Kothare and Ranbir Kapoor lived in the same building in Mumbai and played cricket together during their school days.
Kothare’s father had played Neetu Singh ’s screen brother in Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani as a child actor — Neetu Singh is Ranbir Kapoor’s mother.
Kothare plays Bharat , Lord Ram’s younger brother, in Nitesh Tiwari ’s ‘Ramayana: Part 1’ .
The film, led by Ranbir Kapoor , Sai Pallavi , and Yash , released in theatres on 5 November .
Kothare made his screen debut as a child in the 1994 Marathi film Majha Chakula .
Actor Aadinath Kothare has opened up about his school-day bond with Ranbir Kapoor, revealing that the two grew up in the same building in Mumbai and shared many a cricket match before either became a household name. The revelation comes as Kothare steps into a high-profile role in one of the most anticipated Hindi films of the year.
Cricket, school corridors and a shared building
Kothare recalled that Ranbir was his senior at school, and that their friendship was cemented by proximity as much as by cricket. “Ranbir was my senior in school. We used to stay in the same building and play cricket together. I remember Vinoy Gandhi introducing me to Ranbir in school once,” the actor said.
The anecdote offers a rare glimpse into the informal, neighbourhood friendships that exist behind Bollywood’s otherwise closely guarded family circles. For Kothare, that early connection to the Kapoor world has now come full circle in a rather poetic way.
A family connection spanning generations
Kothare revealed a striking generational link between his family and the Kapoors. His father, veteran actor Mahesh Kothare, had played Neetu Singh’s brother on screen in the film Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani during his child-acting years. Neetu Singh, of course, is Ranbir Kapoor’s mother.
“My father was a child actor in his younger days, and he had played Neetu Singh’s brother in Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani. What a coincidence that I am playing Ranbir’s brother in Ramayana,” Kothare said. The symmetry, spanning decades and two generations of actors, has clearly not been lost on him.
Aadinath Kothare as Bharat in Ramayana
In Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Ramayana: Part 1’, produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash, Kothare portrays Bharat — Lord Ram’s devoted younger brother. The film is the first instalment of a two-part cinematic adaptation of the Hindu epic traditionally attributed to sage Valmiki, chronicling Lord Ram’s life from childhood through his 14-year exile.
The film features an ensemble cast led by Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana. The supporting cast includes Ravi Dubey, Anupam Kher, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Arun Govil, Indira Krishnan, and Lara Dutta, among others. The screenplay has been written by Nitesh Tiwari and Shridhar Raghavan. The film released in theatres on 5 November.
Kothare’s acting journey
Aadinath Kothare made his first screen appearance as a child actor in his father’s Marathi film Majha Chakula (1994). He later transitioned to adult roles, making his comeback debut with ‘Ved Lavi Jeeva’. His casting as Bharat in a pan-India mythological epic marks a significant step up in his career profile.
With ‘Ramayana: Part 1’ now in cinemas, Kothare’s personal story — woven as it is with decades of Kapoor family history — adds an unexpectedly warm human dimension to what is otherwise one of Bollywood’s biggest commercial spectacles.
Point of View
Whose career has largely been rooted in Marathi cinema, the ‘Ramayana’ casting is a genuine crossover moment, and his personal history with the Kapoors gives him a narrative hook mainstream coverage has largely overlooked.
NationPress
12 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Aadinath Kothare and Ranbir Kapoor know each other?
Aadinath Kothare and Ranbir Kapoor were schoolmates and lived in the same building in Mumbai, where they regularly played cricket together. Kothare has recalled that Vinoy Gandhi introduced him to Ranbir at school.
What is the Kapoor family connection Aadinath Kothare revealed?
Kothare revealed that his father, as a child actor, had played Neetu Singh’s screen brother in the film Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani. Since Neetu Singh is Ranbir Kapoor’s mother, Aadinath now plays Ranbir’s on-screen brother in Ramayana — a generational coincidence he found striking.
Who does Aadinath Kothare play in Ramayana: Part 1?
Aadinath Kothare plays Bharat, Lord Ram’s devoted younger brother, in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part 1. The film released in theatres on 5 November.
Who are the lead actors in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part 1?
The film is led by Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana. The ensemble cast also includes Anupam Kher, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Lara Dutta, and Arun Govil, among others.
What is Aadinath Kothare’s acting background?
Aadinath Kothare made his first screen appearance as a child actor in his father’s 1994 Marathi film Majha Chakula. He later made his adult acting debut with the film Ved Lavi Jeeva before being cast as Bharat in Ramayana: Part 1.
