Anushka Sharma speaks to Jahnvi Patel about her third movie, Band Baaja Baaraat and her co-star Ranveer Singh’s heroic acts...
How did you feel when Manish Sharma read to you the script of Band Baaja Baaraat?
I am a sucker for romantic comedies. Ever since I became an actress I wanted to do a romantic comedy. I fell in love with this script as soon as it was narrated to me.
Band Baaja Baaraat is a love story but with a lot of ‘desipan’ to it... because your characters are so grounded that you relate to it and become completely part of the film. That is what is so lovely about the movie and script.
Tell us about your character, Shruti Kakkar.
Shruti could be a girl from any Indian city — Delhi, Bangalore, Nagpur, Mumbai. She has many goals, is very ambitious and she is a very principled and well brought up kid from a loving family. Her goal to be a wedding planner was perhaps set from the third wedding she ever attended with her parents when she
had decided that she wants to be part of huge weddings, glamour and wanted to make it happen. Any girl can relate to Shruti.
How did you prepare for this role — the world of wedding planners and the world of a Delhi girl?
We play wedding planners but that’s not the film — it’s just the backdrop. But I obviously had to learn a few things. I had to understand the way an event manager would function. Management is what I had to focus on — speaking fast, giving directions and other such things.
What I really worked on was speaking in a way a Delhi girl would talk. I am from Bangalore and I had to learn a certain lingo. I interacted with my cousins from Delhi to understand how they talk and their accents.
Tell us about Manish Sharma.
I met Manish for the first time during my auditions for Rab Ne Bara Di Jodi — he was playing table tennis and was sweating when I first saw him! He was the Associate Director of the movie. We became friends that very day and got along immediately. Since I was very scared of the director initially, Manish was
the medium between us and that’s how we became friends. Manish is one of the five people I know in Mumbai since I moved here.
What do you feel about an unusual professional field like wedding planning?
Till sometime ago the professions parents wanted their kids to enter into were doctors, lawyers or engineers. I think things are changing in our society and parents are allowing their kids to do what they want to do. Avenues are opening up much more and there is scope for other creative professions.
Tell us about your co-star Ranveer Singh. Did you’ll get along?
I met Ranveer for the first time at the reading. Ranveer is not a normal guy. He’s not the kind of guy I have met or come across before. People will assume a new actor like me, who is just three films old, would learn so much for experienced actors like Shahrukh Khan or Shahid Kapoor. They are seaonsed
and I learnt so much from they that helps you as an actor in your growth. So I assumed that from Ranveer I won’t learn so much. You know just do my part in the film and go out of it but I must say today, I have learned a lot from him as an actor.
A lot has been said about Ranveer and Anushka’s chemistry. Can you comment on that?
It is a huge misconception that chemistry comes from actors. Chemistry comes from characters and from the script… when the script is well written just like this one was.
Any special memories or incidents you could recall while you were shooting in Delhi?
I have never been to Delhi before but when I was there for the shoot, I had the time of my life! We ate great food and the weather was lovely. One thing worth mentioning is a scene where Ranveer and I are having an intense conversation outside the Shaadi Mubarak office and we are talking so softly. Ranveer
is giving cues and over his cues I can hear a man giving the choicest gaalis in the world because we are shooting in front of his dukaan and he thinks his business is suffering because people are busy looking at us and not buying anything from him. Eventually, Ranveer came to our rescue and worked his charm. The man threatened to disrupt the shoot and came in front of the camera. He only relented when Ranveer went upto him and said, “Please sir… let us shoot. This is my first film and very important for my career.” The owner melted and let the cast and crew shoot all night long!
What was your overall experience of working on the movie?
When I was in school and I took part in a play or dance group, after it came to an end, I would get a sinking feeling that it’s over and you realise there’s going to be no more of it and you have to move on from the experience. That’s how I feel about this movie today and it’s not only because I was working
with people I was happy to work with but because I was working on this film and this script and I feel very fortunate that at the beginning of my career I was offered such a film and a script and I really want to thank Aditya Chopra, Manish and also Ranveer.
Anushka of RNBDJ to Anushka of BBB. How has that been?
Obviously, I am more confident as an actor. I have started to understand some technicalities of filmmaking. First I used to think ‘aap jaise ho, duniya vaise hoti hai’ but I know that’s not how the world functions and you have to adapt to all kinds of people — this has been a very important lesson for me. I
was very young when I was in RNBDJ… and this journey has enabled me as an actor. I hope people will enjoy this movie as much as we enjoyed making it.
MEMORIES from THE SETS OF BAND BAAJA BAARAAT
“Ranveer and I were in the middle of an intense scene when we heard a man shouting the choicest of gaalis in the background because we were shooting in front of his shop. Eventually, Ranveer came to the rescue and went up to the man and said, ‘Please Sir, let us shoot. This is my first film and very important
for my career.’ The shop owner melted and let us shoot all day long.”