When Ranbir Kapoor kissed Robert de Niro’s knee, Anil Kapoor sat at his feet like an attentive student. See pics

It’s not everyday that you see some of Bollywood’s biggest names fawning over a celebrity and seeking autographs and selfies with them. But then, such is the popularity and aura of Robert de Niro, who turns 79 on Wednesday, that even Bollywood biggies can’t help but get starstruck. This is precisely what happened when the Hollywood actor visited India in 2013 and met several actors and filmmakers from the Hindi film industry in Mumbai, with most falling heads over heels for him. Also read: Anupam Kher says Kirron’s health is improving, reveals Robert De Niro checked in

In 2013, Robert de Niro worked in the Hollywood film Silver Linings Playbook. The Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence film also had Anupam Kher in a supporting role. Later that year, Robert visited India on Anupam’s invite and spent an evening at the latter’s Actor Prepares Studio in Mumbai. This is where a number of Bollywood celebs, including Ranbir Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur, and Dia Mirza met the legendary actor.

In pictures from the meeting, Ranbir could be seen touching Robert’s feet and later kissing his knee. In one particular picture, Ranbir even sought Robert’s autograph, getting him to sign a copy of the DVD of his film The Godfather Part II. In another photo, Anil Kapoor sat at Robert’s feet as they discussed cinema. Several other celebs also shared pics of meeting the Oscar winner, including Varun, Aditya, Dia, Ali Fazal, Aftab Shivdasani, Satish Kaushik, as well as filmmakers Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Ayan Mukerji. Amitabh Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra also met Robert de Niro during his India trip and shared details of their interactions on social media.

Robert de Niro is considered one of the greatest actors of all time. His first major role was in the 1968 film Greetings but he gained fame with Mean Streets (1973) and The Godfather Part II. For the latter, he won the Oscar for best supporting actor. He went on to star in some of the most critically-acclaimed films of all time, including Taxi Driver, Once Upon A Time in America, Goodfellas, Heat, and Casino. For his starring role in the 1980 sports drama Raging Bull, he won the Oscar for best actor.

More recently, he has been seen in the 2019 films Joker and The Irishman. He will next appear alongside Leonardo di Caprio in longtime collaborator Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, as well as in Amsterdam, which also stars Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Timothy Olyphant and Anya-Taylor Joy.