From the successful ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’ (BBB) to ‘Ladies vs Ricky Bahl’ (LVRB), how has the success journey been?
Anushka: Yaar, kabhi jab main dekhti hun ki yeh film ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’ itni badi success hogai ya hume itna pyaar mila tou sochti hoon ye aik one-man show nahi tha - I think everyone’s work has been appreciated on this film and somewhere as a team we were trying to do just that.
The team of BBB was a young team with each member of it bursting with positive energy – and everybody was there to prove themselves. None of us had thought that the film would be such a big success. We stayed true to the subject, hence, a film like BBB came about. I don’t think makers, filmmakers, actors, technicians, while making a film, think that that we are going to turn this into a blockbuster or we are going to turn this into a cult film, etc. Aisa soch ke aap films nahi bana sakte. You just make films with a clean heart, you make films because you are in love with those scripts, you make films because you are in love with the characters and you make them and then a BBB is created!
Q. How did you feel when you were offered LVRB with the same team (except for the three ladies) the technicians and the core team?
Anushka: See because I know Director Maneesh, I knew that when he is going to set out to make another film right after BBB, he is not going to make something even close to or similar to BBB. So when I read the script of LVRB, I was like see I knew this - he is not going to make another BBB. The film is completely opposite to BBB, yet there are moments which make you feel reminiscent of BBB but in such a different environment, in such a different space and with two very different characters. The characters are very different from those of Bittoo and Shruti but at the same time some situations in the film might remind you of something from BBB. However, the environment, the body language, the way the characters speak, and the way Director Maneesh has taken the shots, completely changes the whole thing. So if people are coming to watch BBB they are not going to watch BBB - they are watching a very different, exciting, stylised and a film portraying effective use of intelligence and emotions. Also, an element of freshness is there since three new actors are making their debut through this movie.
Q. Tell us about your character Ishika?
Anushka: Ishika is a very strong, intelligent and an adventurous girl. She is full of life and seeks pleasure in every little thing in life. At the same time, however, she has her head on her shoulders and is carefully and constantly guarding herself. She is street smart, quirky and intelligent and I think these qualities are what will make a lot of girls relate to the character of Ishika.
Q. How did you prepare for your character - did you go through a process of readings with director Maneesh Sharma and with Habib Faisal?
Anushka: I would gladly, at any time, surrender myself to these two experts, director Maneesh and Habib sir because after working with them, I have realized that they are brilliant in what they do. I think most of my energy as a performer comes from Maneesh and Habib so you know when we do readings they’ll ask me to say lines in a certain way and most of the time we are all on the same page but there is always this extra direction that comes from director Maneesh. There was preparation but the preparation was almost like an activity that we all did together and this was for the first time in my life that I was a part of preparatory workshops before a film. Actually the idea was that director Maneesh wanted to arrange a workshop for the new girls, and I was like ‘why don’t you include me as well, let me also come for the workshops’ and I later realised that it really helped because it broke those barriers between me and the new girls that we might have had you know.
Q. How was it working with the 3 Ladies?
Anushka: The first thing that I felt was that every girl in the film was a perfect fit for their characters, hence, I think there could not have been a better cast.
The way each one of them is in the real life, the way they carry themselves in real as well as their demeanor is very similar to their characters in the movie. For example, Aditi Sharma is playing a girl from Lucknow so she has that little tehzeeb in the way she talks. Usko waise bhi aap miloge kabhi toh who bahut tameez se baat karti, bahut aaram se baat karti hai…ji ji bol ke baat karti hai aur woh yeh film mein bhi kar rahi hai. Therefore, I think these people are a perfect fit for their characters, which eventually made acting with them so easy because it all felt so natural.
Q. How was it working with Ranveer in BBB and now working with him in LVRB?
Anushka: I think Ranveer has relaxed a lot as an actor since BBB. Over the past two years, we have also come to know each other better, even on a personal level as friends so there is understanding and a level of comfort between us.
Since Ranveer is an actor with whom I have worked the most, I always have an idea beforehand of how he’ll approach or act out a scene, hence, it is very easy to work with him and it also builds an aura of positive energy on the set.
Nevertheless, BBB was a difficult film for both of us and I guess the anxiety and nervousness was there throughout but I also think that we have worked better as a team in this film than in the last. Moreover, this time there is certain chemistry between the two of us, which is especially evident in the silent scenes of the movie. This higher level of chemistry is also the major difference between working with Ranveer in BBB and LVRB.
Anushka: Yaar, kabhi jab main dekhti hun ki yeh film ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’ itni badi success hogai ya hume itna pyaar mila tou sochti hoon ye aik one-man show nahi tha - I think everyone’s work has been appreciated on this film and somewhere as a team we were trying to do just that.
The team of BBB was a young team with each member of it bursting with positive energy – and everybody was there to prove themselves. None of us had thought that the film would be such a big success. We stayed true to the subject, hence, a film like BBB came about. I don’t think makers, filmmakers, actors, technicians, while making a film, think that that we are going to turn this into a blockbuster or we are going to turn this into a cult film, etc. Aisa soch ke aap films nahi bana sakte. You just make films with a clean heart, you make films because you are in love with those scripts, you make films because you are in love with the characters and you make them and then a BBB is created!
Q. How did you feel when you were offered LVRB with the same team (except for the three ladies) the technicians and the core team?
Anushka: See because I know Director Maneesh, I knew that when he is going to set out to make another film right after BBB, he is not going to make something even close to or similar to BBB. So when I read the script of LVRB, I was like see I knew this - he is not going to make another BBB. The film is completely opposite to BBB, yet there are moments which make you feel reminiscent of BBB but in such a different environment, in such a different space and with two very different characters. The characters are very different from those of Bittoo and Shruti but at the same time some situations in the film might remind you of something from BBB. However, the environment, the body language, the way the characters speak, and the way Director Maneesh has taken the shots, completely changes the whole thing. So if people are coming to watch BBB they are not going to watch BBB - they are watching a very different, exciting, stylised and a film portraying effective use of intelligence and emotions. Also, an element of freshness is there since three new actors are making their debut through this movie.
Q. Tell us about your character Ishika?
Anushka: Ishika is a very strong, intelligent and an adventurous girl. She is full of life and seeks pleasure in every little thing in life. At the same time, however, she has her head on her shoulders and is carefully and constantly guarding herself. She is street smart, quirky and intelligent and I think these qualities are what will make a lot of girls relate to the character of Ishika.
Q. How did you prepare for your character - did you go through a process of readings with director Maneesh Sharma and with Habib Faisal?
Anushka: I would gladly, at any time, surrender myself to these two experts, director Maneesh and Habib sir because after working with them, I have realized that they are brilliant in what they do. I think most of my energy as a performer comes from Maneesh and Habib so you know when we do readings they’ll ask me to say lines in a certain way and most of the time we are all on the same page but there is always this extra direction that comes from director Maneesh. There was preparation but the preparation was almost like an activity that we all did together and this was for the first time in my life that I was a part of preparatory workshops before a film. Actually the idea was that director Maneesh wanted to arrange a workshop for the new girls, and I was like ‘why don’t you include me as well, let me also come for the workshops’ and I later realised that it really helped because it broke those barriers between me and the new girls that we might have had you know.
Q. How was it working with the 3 Ladies?
Anushka: The first thing that I felt was that every girl in the film was a perfect fit for their characters, hence, I think there could not have been a better cast.
The way each one of them is in the real life, the way they carry themselves in real as well as their demeanor is very similar to their characters in the movie. For example, Aditi Sharma is playing a girl from Lucknow so she has that little tehzeeb in the way she talks. Usko waise bhi aap miloge kabhi toh who bahut tameez se baat karti, bahut aaram se baat karti hai…ji ji bol ke baat karti hai aur woh yeh film mein bhi kar rahi hai. Therefore, I think these people are a perfect fit for their characters, which eventually made acting with them so easy because it all felt so natural.
Q. How was it working with Ranveer in BBB and now working with him in LVRB?
Anushka: I think Ranveer has relaxed a lot as an actor since BBB. Over the past two years, we have also come to know each other better, even on a personal level as friends so there is understanding and a level of comfort between us.
Since Ranveer is an actor with whom I have worked the most, I always have an idea beforehand of how he’ll approach or act out a scene, hence, it is very easy to work with him and it also builds an aura of positive energy on the set.
Nevertheless, BBB was a difficult film for both of us and I guess the anxiety and nervousness was there throughout but I also think that we have worked better as a team in this film than in the last. Moreover, this time there is certain chemistry between the two of us, which is especially evident in the silent scenes of the movie. This higher level of chemistry is also the major difference between working with Ranveer in BBB and LVRB.
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