As they reunite for Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma are again fielding questions about their relationship. Before they walk the red carpet at the film’s world premiere, they set the record straight

They might make a hot pair on the big screen, but Bollywood's rising stars Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma make an unlikely combination off it.

While the one-film-old hero Singh is exuberant and radiates ceaseless energy over the phone, his leading lady in his second flick Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl is studiously calm and cool. Perhaps it's their contrasting personalities that makes them such "close friends" and spur tabloids to speculate that they are more than just colleagues. Their crackling chemistry in the hit wedding-planner film Band Baaja Baarat didn't help either.

"Those reports have become a mundane thing. We don't give it any thought any more. She's my closest friend," said Singh.

But Sharma, who made her debut in Shah Rukh Khan's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, is plain annoyed. "It irks me to read about link-ups with Ranveer. It's irritating, but what do you do? The fact is that anybody can pick up a pen and write anything. That's our sad reality," she said.

Their hit on-screen pairing may have spawned tawdry rumours, but the two are determined to keep it out of their workplace.

"Often, journalists don't have any real information to write about and in order to fill space they speculate. If we are not seen working together they assume we are off and when we go out on a meal we are back ‘on' again. We, as actors, no matter what's happening in our personal life, ensure that it's not brought to the film set," said Singh.


‘Film set is sacred'

Words exchanged after his first meeting with legendary director Aditya Chopra come to his rescue during his tough days.

"I remember him telling us: ‘Whatever may be happening in your life, the film set is a sacred place. Everything else we leave it at the door.' We go by that tenet," he explained.

Their mutual pact seems to have worked.

Enter Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, a romantic comedy about a charming conman who makes a living out of stealing the hearts and wallets of wealthy women. After conning a string of women across India, he finally meets his match in the dazzling Ishika, played by Sharma.

"There's one request, though. Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl is a fun romantic comedy, but don't go into the theatres expecting a sequel [to] Band Baaja Baarat," warns Sharma.

The comparisons are bound to be drawn, since this film re-unites the pair with Maneesh Sharma, director of BBB, the award-winning sleeper hit of 2010.

Their latest offering could also be their last outing for a long time to come. While Sharma has signed an "exciting" comedy with powerhouse talent Vishal Bharadwaj opposite Imran Khan, Singh will begin work on Lootera with Dabangg girl Sonakshi Sinha.

Before they go their separate ways after walking the red carpet on Thursday at the Dubai International Film Festival for the world premiere of Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, tabloid! caught up with them to chat about films, their heroes and more.

Anushka Sharma

"There are grey shades to Ishika"
In Band Baaja Baarat, Shruti Kakkar was smart, but there was an inherent goodness about her. Ishika is unscrupulous and street-smart. It wasn't easy to play her, because you need to convince viewers that what she's doing is correct. So that was a tough call.

"Chemistry is not built by actors"
You need to thank the script-writers when you see good chemistry between actors. It's the script that makes the actors have that crackling camaraderie.

"I have worked hard to look fit in this film"
For a big chunk of my role, I am near the beaches in Goa. So those skimpy clothes were merely situational, And to look fit, I was on this high-protein diet. Also, I am naturally thin and I don't put on weight easily. So I lifted a lot of heavy weights to build muscle mass. It wasn't easy.

"I can feel the pressure now"
When we were releasing Band Baaja Baarat, we didn't feel so nervous, because we didn't expect Bitto Sharma and Shruti Kakkar to be such big phenomenons. But now, we can feel all the eyes on us.

Ranveer Singh

"The second one is the litmus test"
In your first film there are no expectations and therefore when you do well, you are immediately appreciated. But in your second film with the same director and the same leading lady, the expectations are going to hit the roof. I knew that. The question on everyone's minds is: "After Band Baaja, what do they have to offer?" My answer: we have given it our best shot, the rest is up to the public — our ultimate boss.

"I am no Tom Cruise"
I have never been to Dubai before. And wow, what an entrance. Walking the red carpet the night after the cast of MI4 walks on it — that's something that I never thought will ever happen. I am really [excited] about it.

"I am not trying to be outspoken"
I love being myself and I am not in the habit of making politically incorrect comments to build a certain image. When dailies put a negative spin on my action, what do I do? They paint me as brash and arrogant, but I want to tell them that they are passing judgment without knowing who I am. On certain things I speak my mind. When people ask me about other actors — I am just answering a question posed to me. I have an opinion and why should I hide it? I will start losing my identity if I start curbing my enthusiasm or my personality. I am the way I am and I say what I feel.

"Anushka is my closest friend"
Ever since I entered the industry, she is the person I know best. We share a healthy professional and personal relationship. We have such busy schedules but when we work together, it's like normal friends catching up. Just like friendly colleagues, we go out for meals and hang out together.

"Shah Rukh sir has played a major part in me wanting to become an actor"
A few days after Band Baaja Baarat, Shah Rukh [Khan] called me and said he loved the film. He said amazing things about me. Being compared to him is a huge compliment and a major tag. I don't subscribe to it myself. He is a living legend and there is no one like him. But somewhere our stories match: we are both outsider boys with lots of energy. We probably don't have that movie-star good looks. Perhaps these are the reasons why we are compared.

Don't miss it

Head to the Madinat Arena tomorrow at 7pm to catch Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh on the red carpet. Gala tickets are Dh80. For those in the fan pit, the stars will stop to sign autographs. tabloid! has five pairs of fan pit passes to give away at gulfnews.com/in-focus/diff. Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl releases in cinemas across the UAE tomorrow with screenings from 9pm.