Band Baaja Baaraat
Band Baaja Baaraat ( Band, music and revelry; released internationally as Wedding Planners) is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film starring Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh in lead roles. It is Singh's debut Hindi film, and is also the directorial debut of director Maneesh Sharma. The film is a love story set in the world of wedding planning. It was released worldwide on 10 December 2010. The film received universal critical acclaim and was a commercial success, despite initial competition from "No Problem" and "Tees Maar Khan". It became popular for its fresh subject and  screenplay and turned out to be one of the most successful and awarded movies of the year. A Tamil remake titled "Aaha Kalyanam" also produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner, starring Nani and Vaani Kapoor in the lead roles was released on 21 February 2014. Plot. Bittoo Sharma gatecrashes a wedding for free food, and flirts with Shruti Kakkar, who is assisting the wedding coordinator. Shruti is not interested in flirting and reveals her main interest is becoming a wedding planner. Bittoo is under pressure from his father (Govind Pandey) to come back to the village  and work on sugarcane fields. Shruti is being coaxed into marriage as soon as possible by her relatives, and makes a deal with her parents that she has five years to make her business successful before they arrange a marriage. Bittoo tells his father that he cannot come back, because he is starting a wedding planning business. He goes to Shruti to become her business partner, but she refuses because she is worried a partnership might lead to a romantic complication. Shruti and Bittoo go to meet Chanda Narang, a famous wedding planner, in hopes Chanda will hire Shruti . Instead Chanda offers Bittoo a job. Bittoo accepts, on the condition he and Shruti are hired together. On the job, Shruti sees that Chanda is unprofessional; she cheats her clients, and delivers nothing according to their wishes. When a client confronts Chanda, she blames Shruti. Bittoo and Shruti quit, and form their own company. When they finally get their first big client, they celebrate, ending up drunk and later having sex. They misunderstand each other in the aftermath and have a huge fight. Shruti breaks the partnership, forcing Bittoo to leave the company, and Bittoo starts his own wedding planning  business but both companies struggle. They get a big contract, contingent upon them working together. It works well, and Bittoo tells Shruti they should be partners again. Shruti refuses his offer, telling him she will marry her fiancé Chetan and move to Dubai. Bittoo is stunned and comes up with various excuses why she shouldn't marry Chetan. Eventually the two realise that they have loved each other all along, Shruti calls off her engagement to Chetan and the film ends with Shruti and Bittoo dancing at their own wedding with all the clientele, friends, and family to the tune  of “Ainvayi Ainvayi”. Production. Casting. Anushka Sharma was given the female lead in the film, completing the three-film contract she signed to do "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" (2008), her first film. Her role was described as "challenging" by media publications prior to the film's release. Describing the way the lead characters in the film talk as "crude but cute", the actress declared that the hardest part of her job was speaking like a typical Delhi wali girl, which called for her to "talk fast, sometimes mix words and even omit words completely". Director Maneesh Sharma, with whom  she's been great friends since her first film, said that the model-turned-actress was a very feisty person, and a natural actress who didn't like doing multiple takes. She described the film as "very much, a young love story set in Delhi". The male lead was given to Mumbai native Ranveer Singh, a complete newcomer with no prior acting or modelling experience whatsoever, who impressed producer Aditya Chopra so much that he cast him after his first audition, signing a three-film contract with the actor. Singh, who took acting classes, and hung out at Delhi University  prior to shooting said about his casting "I’m the first solo hero Yash Raj is launching. It’s a huge deal for me. I don’t know how I got here. I guess I happened to be in the right place at the right time". As such, this marks the first time a film rests mainly on Sharma's shoulders, as opposed to her prior films "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" (2008) and "Badmaash Company" (2010) where she shared the screen with more experienced co-stars, Shah Rukh Khan and Shahid Kapoor respectively, a fact the actress remarked upon , stating "some people will refer to "Band Baaja Baaraat" as Anushka Sharma’s film because they have seen me in another film before". Filming. Filming started in Delhi on 4 February 2010, the same day the production company announcement was made. Singh was very nervous about his first day but was eventually proud that his first scene only took three takes to shoot. An 18 February article by Minakshi Saini for the "Hindustan Times"' entertainment supplement "HT City" reported that during the previous day's early morning shoot in West Delhi's Subhash Nagar, Singh's newcomer status led many  to speculate on whether he was Ranbir Kapoor, Ranvir Shorey or even Riteish Deshmukh. Police officers were eventually called in to secure the set from curious onlookers, however some expressed discontentment at having to be out in the cold despite both lead actors being virtual unknowns. The film features a kiss between the lead actors, which only necessitated a single take. Reportedly, Singh accidentally hit Sharma while filming an undisclosed intense scene. Other than Subhash Nagar DDA Market, locations in Delhi include Janakpuri, Delhi University, North and West Delhi, Ring Road, Mehrauli Farms and Akbar Road. Some scenes were also  shot in director Maneesh Sharma's almamater, Hans Raj College in University campus. The film was additionally shot in Mumbai in March and Rajasthan in April. The assistant directors for the film were Akshat Kapil and Rohit Philip who'd previously held the job on "Aaja Nachle" (2007) and "Do Dooni Chaar" (2010) respectively. Aseem Mishra handled the cinematography after working on such films as "Contract" (2008), "New York" (2009) and "Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai" (2010). The various dance sequences were choreographed by Vaibhavi Merchant, who has previously worked on countless films including such hits as "Lagaan" (2001 ), "Devdas" (2002), "Veer-Zaara" and "Swades" (both 2004). Sonal Choudhry and T. P. Abid were the film's production designers while Niharika Khan was the costume designer. Several rumours surrounded the film's shoot, such as speculation that the lead pair were more than just friends. Early media reports alternatively titled the film "Shaadi Mubarak" or "Shaadi Mubarak Ho", however Yash Raj Films eventually issued a press release in late April claiming that this was not the film's title, and that film was actually still untitled. The title was eventually revealed to be "Band Baaja Baaraat" in late July . Lead actors Sharma and Singh got along well during the shoot, and are strongly believed to have dated and broken up before the film's release. Speaking about his co-star, Singh declared "She’s intelligent, well-read and great to hang out with. Actually, she’s pretty close to my dream girl". Later, he joked "She is the best co-star I have ever worked with! It's also because she is the only co-star I have ever worked with!". Post-production. Namrata Rao edited the film. Soundtrack. The score and songs of the film were composed by  the duo Salim–Sulaiman who've composed music for many other Yash Raj Films productions before, including "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi", which had already united lead actress Anushka Sharma with director Maneesh Sharma, who was then still an assistant director. The lyrics to the various songs were written by Amitabh Bhattacharya and playback singers include Sunidhi Chauhan, Benny Dayal, Shreya Ghoshal, Natalie Di Luccio, Himani Kapoor, Harshdeep Kaur, Labh Janjua, Shrraddha Pandit, Master Saleem, Sukhwinder Singh, Amitabh Bhattacharya and Salim Merchant. The soundtrack was revealed on 19 October 2010, at the Yash Raj Studios in Andheri, Mumbai, and was  commercially released on 3 November with a launch event happening at the Reliance TimeOut store in Bandra. The album consists of nine tracks, including two remixes and Yash Raj Films issued a press release giving a description of each track. They described the opening song "Ainvayi Ainvayi" as "a funky, energetic number", "Tarkeebein" as a "youthful song with cool lyrics", "Aadha Ishq" as a "perfect love ballad", "Dum Dum" as a "unique, unabashed item number with a Sufi-rock feel", "Mitra" as "cool and contemporary", "Baari Barsi" as a "superbly re-orchestrated" traditional Punjabi wedding song and "Band Baaja Baaraat  (Theme)" as "a pulsating track which perfectly represents the spirit of the movie". Reception. Critical reception for the soundtrack was mixed-to-positive, with "Ainvayi Ainvayi" receiving particular praise ("SawfNews" even stated that one would "probably want to see the movie just for this song") and agreeing that the album was a superior effort than the composing duo's previous solo soundtrack for "Teen Patti" (2010), while several criticized the track "Dum Dum" and lamented the similarity to previous Salim–Sulaiman scores. Writing for "ApunKa Choice", Usha Lakra titled her review "Band, Baaja, Bland" and noted that while "the album  has its moments" and "the tracks are composed strictly keeping in mind the theme of the movie", all-in-all "Ainvayi Ainvayi" was the only chartbuster of the album. Lakra listed "Ainvayi Ainvayi", "Aadha Ishq" and "Band Baaja Baaraat (Theme)" as the album's best tracks. Prateeksha Khot of "Bolly Spice" only truly disliked "Dum Dum" and praised the "unconventional" lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya, but felt the album failed "to live up to the expectations generated by the initial tracks" and criticized the similarities with previous Salim-Sulaiman efforts such as "" (2009) and "Aaja Nachle" (2007). "The Economic Times" writer  Ruchika Kher gave a positive review, describing the album as a "fun-filled soundtrack" and noting the similarities between "Tarkeebein" and compositions by A. R. Rahman. "Music Aloud" also published a positive review, noting that while the soundtrack wasn't Salim–Sulaiman's best, it was still "a definite winner with some fantastic tracks". The reviewer however did dislike the song "Dum Dum", and remarked that while "Ainvayi Ainvayi" resembled the song "Dance Pe Chance" from "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi", it was "far more engaging". One of the album's most enthusiastic reviews was written by Joginder Tuteja for  Bollywood Hungama. Tuteja described the music as "one of the better soundtracks that one has heard from the house of Yash Raj Films in the last couple of years", "one of the best works of Salim-Sulaiman" and "much more than just a regular fun album". He selected "Ainvayi Ainvayi", "Aadha Ishq" and "Dum Dum (Sufi Mix)" as the disc's best tracks. "Moviehattan"s Gurpreet Bhuller also liked the soundtrack, which he described as a "quality album" with "a good collection of songs". Release. Marketing. As with all films from the studio since "Mohabbatein" (2000), publicity design was handled by  Fayyaz Badruddin. Stills were taken by Abhay Singh and Zahir Abbas Khan. Prior to the film's release, Anushka Sharma referred to it as her "best film till date". "Band Baaja Baaraat"'s trailer and official website were both unveiled on 19 October 2010, a couple of months before the theatrical release. In addition to the film's synopsis and trailer, the website initially also contained five wallpapers and a press kit for visitors to download. The number of available wallpapers later grew to twenty-five and the website eventually allowed visitors to send e-cards to their acquaintances, with  the virtual cards dubbed ""Band Baaj-O-Grams"". A number of contests were organised by Yash Raj Films, including one where the company, along with partners Radio Mirchi and BIG Cinemas, offered the winning couple a free wedding in December, in time for the film's release and supposedly planned the film's heroes, and another in which a couple would win a trip to Switzerland and visit the filming locations of the various Yash Raj Films productions to have been shot there. In addition to the website, Yash Raj Films also had regularly updated official pages on Facebook and  Twitter and a Blogspot blog in an effort to reach the widest audience possible. The company finally uploaded a number of videos on their YouTube account, including the trailer but also several videos promoting the songs "Tarkeebein" and "Ainvayi Ainvayi". On 21 October, lead actors Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh went to the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi with director Maneesh Sharma to take part in their annual festival and promote the film. The next day, the trio appeared at the GIP Mall in Noida. On 26 October, a fight broke out between Ranveer Singh and a man alternatively described  as a 29-year-old called Uday Khanolkar or a 30-year-old called Uday Sahay. The incident occurred on Kingfisher Airlines flight IT 331 from Mumbai to Delhi, where both Singh and Anushka Sharma were travelling in business class to promote the movie. The two actors noticed a passenger taking pictures of them with his cellphone, and demanded that he hand over his phone so that they could delete the pictures. The man refused and claimed to be an IAS officer. The ensuing argument grew so heated that the cabin crew had to intervene and both parties went to  the police station upon arrival and stayed there for over an hour-and-a-half, eventually sorting the matter out amicably without lodging any complaints. Prior to "Band Baaja Baaraat"'s release, some pundits have expressed doubts that the film would be successful, citing the middling response to Yash Raj Films' last few productions, the lack of a male star and the fact that the female lead, Anushka Sharma, was by then an "almost-forgotten" actress. Some have even speculated that the 22-year-old's career might not thrive for much longer with her three-film contract with Yash  Raj Films being over. Theatrical run. On 24 September 2010, Yash Raj Films announced that the film would release worldwide on 10 December of that year, almost two years since the release of Anushka Sharma's debut "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi". Some people have speculated that this was not coincidence but an attempt to repeat the success of her first film. Critical reception. Upon release, "Band Baaja Baaraat" received universal critical acclaim. Taran Adarsh of "Bollywood Hungama" gave it 4/5 stars commenting,"Thankfully, "Band Baaja Baaraat" works on every level. The writing [screenplay: Habib Faisal] is crisp, the execution of  the material [director: Maneesh Sharma] is worthy and the lead actors [Anushka, Ranveer] steer the film to the destination smoothly. Of course, there are minor hiccups halfway through the film, but the fact remains that "Band Baaja Baaraat" is, without doubt, one of the most appealing films to come out of the production house. Final word? "Band Baaja Baaraat" is honest, fresh, youthful and extremely entertaining. Recommended!" Pankaj Sabnani of "Glamsham" gave it 4.5/5 stars and wrote,"There's an interesting blend of humour, drama and romance in the film. It's replete with great scenes. Make sure you join the  celebrations and groove with this "Band Baaja Baaraat". Strongly recommended!" Anupama Chopra of "NDTV" awarded it 4/5 stars and commented,""Band Baaja Baaraat" is reasonably entertaining. It's definitely the most fun you'll have in a theater this weekend." Rajeev Masand gave it 3/5 stars writing,""Band Baaja Baaraat" works because it’s invested with an earnestness that’s become increasingly rare to find at the movies I’m going with 3/5 for director Maneesh Sharma’s "Band Baaja Baaraat". It’s a romantic comedy done correctly. Fun, but with warmth at its heart. Don’t miss it!" Nikhat Kazmi of  The Times of India gave the film 3/5 stars and opined,"As long as you view "Band Baaja Baaraat" as a loving, heartfelt take on what makes Delhi go dhak-dhak, the film holds your attention. "Band Baaja Baaraat" engages you with its fond look at fun-loving Dilliwalas." Sonal Dedhia of "Rediff" gave it 3/5 commenting,"On the whole, "Band Baaja Baaraat" is a refreshing film—very different from the usual romantic comedy movies we're so used to. It is a well-made film that should connect with the audience. Give this one a chance, you won't regret it ." Box office. The movie had an opening of below 60 million. It grossed 280.0 million in the first weekend. The movie grossed 340.0 million in week 2, taking 2 weeks collection to 620 million. It earned 700.1 million. The film was declared an "hit" by "Box Office India". It earned approx 965.1 million in its full theatrical run.