Ranveer can't leave Bittu behind

May 4, 2011 Subhash K. Jha

Mumbai, May 4 (IANS) Ranveer Singh is back in the national capital to shoot for "Ricky Bahl Versus The Ladies", but he keeps slipping into his character Bittu's accent from "Band Baaja Baraat".

Ranveer's character in director Maneesh Sharma's "Ricky Bahl Versus The Ladies" is actually based on someone the writer Habib Faizal knew in his growing days in Delhi. He gave Ricky his own speech patterns, but Ranveer is still somewhere stuck on Bittu.

"It isn't Ranveer's fault. We had workshops for him to get into his new character. But the shooting began immediately after. There was no time for him to absorb his new character," said Habib.

"I think somewhere Bittu has become a part of Ranveer's persona. But he's a brilliant character. And I'm sure we'll see a different side of him as Rick Bahl. I am waiting for the day when Ranveer's SMSes begin to echo the speaking patterns of Ricky," he added.

Habib is now in the process of writing a third film for Ranveer, which would take him completely away from the Bittu-Ricky zone.

"As a writer and as a director, it is challenging for me to move away from whatever I've already attempted. The film that I'm directing after 'Do Dooni Chaar' will be diametrically different in culture spirit and content. I don't want to be branded the Delhi specialist," he said.

And Ricky is not the only hero in a Yash Raj Films to be based on the same character.

Abhishek Bachchan in Shaad Ali's "Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom", which Habib wrote, was also based on the same character and even had the same name.

"Yes, Abhishek's character in 'Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom' was named Ricky Thukral. Ranveer I've named Rick Bahl. Are they similar? They might be. They are both creations of the same mind. I grew up surrounded by Buntys and Rickys in Delhi. It's important to use the spoken language that one hears around oneself for the characters," said Habib.

While writing Ranveer's character, Habib made a concerted effort to make them sound different.

"Ranveer's Bittu and Ricky both have their linguistic peculiarities. They both speak the way I think they should. I often see the characters in our films speaking a language that no one speaks any more. I can guarantee you that Ranveer will sound as conversational and real in 'Ricky Bahl Versus The Ladies' as he did in 'Band Baaja Baraat'," said Habib.

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Ladies vs Ricky Bahl