The Wedding Planner-styled rom-com Band Baaja Baaraat received rave reviews, yet latest flick Ladies vs Rick Bahl has arguably fallen a little flat.

We discuss the ups and downs of the movie business with Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma

THEY TOOK THE film industry by storm playing Bitoo Sharma and Shruti Kakkar in last year’s Band Baaja Baaraat (BBB), which was also Ranveer Singh’s debut performance, but pairing up again for Ladies vs Ricky Bahl – according to box office takings – has been less of a successful venture. Although the self proclaimed ‘rom-con’ movie did reasonable business and the performances of leads Ranveer and Anushka Sharma have been widely praised, critics were rather underwhelmed by the story, which led to fewer punters making the trip down to their local multiplexes.

Ranveer playing con-artist Ricky Bahl, a multi-faceted charmer taking women for all they’ve got until he meets his match in fellow trickster Ishika Desai (Anushka Sharma) seemed like it was bang on to be one of the top earners of 2011, although, that has not been the case.

A slight blip is, however, understandable. In the music industry the phenomenon is dubbed ‘the difficult second album.’ When your first effort has reached stratospheric heights, more often than not, the second outing will always disappoint. Fans of the original work won’t take to the new direction and a fresh audience will take their cues from those peoples’ reviews.

It’s a shame because there is absolutely no justification to the notion. What Ladies vs Ricky Bahl served up was a perfectly well rounded funny movie, complete with the requisite dose of charisma, romance and dance routines from two of the brightest acting prospects Bollywood has to offer.

Both Ranveer and Anushka know they are in the ascendancy and, having worked together twice now, are completely comfortable in each other’s presence. The two actors that met City Times at the recent Dubai International Film Festival were assured and very media savvy. The 26-year old Ranveer, perhaps as a result of having only been in this line of work for just over 18 months, is the more open of the two. One could say he is a guilty of being a tad overconfident when looking back at previous interviews, but one-on-one he’s a methodical conversationalist if occasionally somewhat goofy (for want of a better phrase). In contrast the firecracker Anushka betrays her 23-years, being the more mature of the couple displaying a steely determination one needs to survive in the movie business.

Together they make a good team and it is obvious why Yash Raj Films were eager to sign them up for multi-picture deals.

“I’ll be the first one to admit that working with Anushka makes my acting better,” Ranveer began when asked to define his and his lead actress’s working relationship. “The chemistry is extraordinary. She is so present in the scene as an actor that she compels you to up your game. She’s so spontaneous. When we started doing BBB we had a lot of conflict because her approach is so different. I like to rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. I thought she wasn’t rehearsing enough at the time and there was too much spontaneity. I feel she’s a superior actor to me. I have had some amount of training and she hasn’t. That means she is completely instinctive. She has not been tarnished by what she has been taught in a classroom.”

“So far all the actors I’ve worked with are like me,” Anushka responded. “Ranveer likes to rehearse a lot, so it was odd working with him to start with. I think you can’t prepare for anything in cinema. When the cameras start rolling it just happens and that’s called cinema magic. I let myself get lost in the moment. If I were to over-rehearse it becomes very mechanical and doesn’t feel real.”

This method of acting, Ranveer stated, has since rubbed off on him. When he began working on Ladies, he took a leaf out of his friend’s book and prepared less - to the benefit of his performance. That doesn’t mean that everything was a bed of roses on set, though, as the actor explained.

“Working with Anushka, she is very generous and supportive, but she never holds back from criticising me. I ask for her input, but she is my worst critic too.”

He qualified this statement saying he welcomes this feedback.

“It’s very rare to find an actor who doesn’t try to ‘oneup’ you in a scene. Anushka won’t hog the space, she gives exactly what she needs to. Anushka is one of the closest friends I have made since I started working here. She’s very trustworthy so I confide in her.”

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

Despite this being only Ranveer’s second film, it can’t be forgotten that Anushka is still at a tender age and has completed just five pictures, still relatively few in the voluminous Bollywood filmmaking world. It was put to the starlet how she felt her showbiz journey had gone so far. Her answer was surprisingly candid and acted as a reminder that actors aren’t always the confident characters they play.

“I never really wanted to be an actor, “ she began. “I became one by default. I think today this is something I can do to the best of my ability at this point in my life.

I have butterflies in my stomach every day on set. Any time I am on a public podium I get very nervous and uncomfortable. It’s the pressure you put on yourself to do your best. Amitabh Bachchan told me they never go. If they do then you become complacent and you don’t want to grow.

“I’m most nervous when I have to walk the red carpet for an award show. I’m socially very awkward. My social skills are zero. I do not know how to make small talk with people I don’t know. I’m very self-critical and can’t watch myself on screen. Even until today I have not seen BBB all the way through.”

Ranveer concurred with Anushka’s sentiments but asserted that praise from your fellow actors can give you the boost you need to carry on.

“Shah Rukh Khan called to congratulate me after BBB. It was amazing, it was like a dream. He said the most wonderful things and it is so encouraging to get a pat on the back from a guy like that. I met Salman Khan too and he also congratulated me. I’m such a huge fan of his. It was very humbling. It gives you a reason to give your all over again.”

Regardless of Ladies’ success, these two actors will definitely be back and probably better than ever. Whether it’s another film together remains to be seen, but you can be sure that Bollywood isn’t going to let them go in a hurry.

Ranveer - On the inevitable gossip

Fortunately Anushka and myself are mature enough to not let what’s written in the tabloids have any bearing on our work life. I think a film set is also a very sacred place where whatever baggage you have has to be left at the door. Anushka has reached a point where there is so much gossip written about her that she doesn’t even read the papers anymore. I still give it a read and it is upsetting.

When they write about public displays of affection I feel it’s demeaning. Not so much for me because I’m a male, but to write that about a female is very derogatory. Firstly, there is never any truth to it, secondly in a conservative society like India you don’t want the masses to perceive you to be that kind of person and finally we are public figures, so we just never would do anything like that.

It comes with the job though, so I have made my peace with it.

Anushka - On Staying grounded

People make you feel like you’re not human. They objectify you and make you feel more than a person, especially in India. As much as we rubbish things we give as much love. We’re very loud people and expressive. At some point you can start to feel like you are invincible and you are ‘it.’ The important thing is remember who you were before you signed your first film. You have to maintain a sense of reality. I’m realistic and know my career might go on for ten more years if I’m lucky. Then I’ll get married and have children and lead a normal life. That’s going to be the majority of my time on this Earth – the part after these ten years. If I start regarding what’s going on now as the high point of my existence then I will be very disappointed in the future.

Anushka - On breaking away from Shruti Kakkar

I choose the best scripts that are offered to me. I’m hungry for good directors. I made a list when I broke through of ten directors I want to work with. In the last year I’ve made a film with two.

I want to create a body of work. This film came when the image of Shruti Kakkar was huge. I realised it was a very strong image and had to break it. An actor shouldn’t have an image. You should be like a clean slate. Ishika Desai is very different to Shruti and as the film has been made by the same director, Maneesh Sharma, I knew he wouldn’t repeat himself.

Ranveer - On how he perceives Indian cinema today

We are traditionally conservative but recent films are opening things up. Progress is happening at a rapid pace. I’m down with that because the spectrum for stories is getting broader. I believe there is a new wave and I hope the intelligentsia puts a tag on it and recognises it as a new era. Films like BBB, Delhi Belly and The Dirty Picture are progressive cinema.

Ranveer - Will it be difficult working another leading lady in future films?

It will be interesting. I’ll see a different approach and hopefully learn from them. I do consider myself a novice. In BBB I can’t tell you to what degree I was absolutely clueless. I’d arrive on the film set and not know what to do. So I’m looking forward to see what I can take from other actors in the future.