Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl (2011) Movie Review

Star Cast – Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma, Parineeti Chopra, Dipannita Sharma and Aditi Sharma

Director – Maneesh Sharma

Producer – Aditya Chopra

Music Director – Salim-Sulaiman

Audio – YRF Music

Genre – Romantic Comedy

Rating:

Yash Raj Films brings another mega project ‘Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl’ that was being churned out much and awaited. The banner does not leave any stone unturned to promote its projects, the same treatment was done with Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma starrer ‘Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl’ who reunite on screen after their successful flick, ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’. Yash Raj, sensing the previous big success of BBB, brings back the same team to chew up this venture, ‘Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl’.

YRF is known for the movies with gripping plot, good star cast and mellifluous music. In particular, their movies carry the music, one loves to stay with and often the music of Yash Raj Films turns out hugely popular among the masses and many of the songs from an album become the chartbusters. Yash Chopra and his son Aditya Chopra have the sense of music. They always give proper and deep care to this genre of film, which is why they get the fruits. Glance at the past, many of their flicks went blockbusters just because of the melodious music they conferred to the audiences to relish with.

Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl too carries the same formula of spongy treatment to the composition that has been done by Salim-Sulieman, who have good ear for the music. The duo has also scored the composition for YRF’s Band Baaja Baaraat, which musical score was pretty hummable and the songs turned chartbusters.

After the colossal hype of the movie by the leading stars, Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl finally hits the screens. The one film old Ranveer comes up with his second film and both of his movies are with Anushka and under Yash Raj’s roof. Although the guy has only one film to his credit so far but his popularity graph has raised much higher among the movie buffs. He lands on the news all the time. The expectations are pretty higher with the audiences since the pair – Ranveer and Anushka previously gave a hit together.

Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl also launches ravishing Parineeti Chopra, the cousin of Priyanka Chopra. The film stars Anushka Sharma, Aditi Sharma and Dipannita Sharma as well.

Maneesh Sharma, who debuted as a director with Band Baaja Baaraat, directs this romantic comedy that is loosely based on the lines of a Hollywood successful movie, ‘John Tucker Must Die’.

The plot of the movie revolves around a con guy who cons the beautiful girls to get money from them. The guy is a charmer who gets the girls being dragged off their feet with his magical personality. His only motto of life is money that he cons from the women. The storyline is not novel but interesting. The script is not extraordinary but holds values to get the viewers glued till the finale.

The film talks about Ricky Bahl (Ranveer Singh), a charmer who wooes the rich ladies to con them. The ladies are left with broken hearts and no money in their bank accounts.

Dimple Chaddha (Parineeti Chopra), who is a girl from Delhi, starts loving a guy who is her fitness trainer Sunny Singh. Raina Parulekar (Dipannita Sharma) is a successful business lady who deals with an art dealer Devan Shah. Saira Rashid (Aditi Sharma) bumps into a shy guy Iqbal Khan and gives her heart to him. All of these ladies are conned by their respective guys. And the man is one who loots all – Ricky Bahl, whose religion is only ‘money’.

The three ladies fasten the belts to take revenge from the guy to get their money back. They hatch a plan. Enters into the scene is Ishika Desai (Anushka Sharma), who is a smart street girl into the same business as the chamer Ricky Bahl is! The plan is pursued in Goa with the three annoyed women, one street girl and a suave conman.

The execution of the movie is appealing. Maneesh Sharma puts the script superbly onto the celluloid. His execution has potential to bind the viewer till the last reel. The first half of the movie is entertaining. Post interval is gripping as well but lacks at various points. The viewer finds the pace lethargic at various portions of the movie. Some of the scenes between Ranveer and Anushka seem forced into the narrative.

The story is not novel. The viewer has witnessed it umpteen times on Bollywood celluloid. The script is written well and is potentially catchy to make the viewer stay with the flow of the film. Aditya Chopra with story is average, as he has not brought some innovation at all. It is like an old wine packaged into a new bottle. Devika Bhagat writes good screenplay.

Habib Faisal’s dialogues hold values. Cinematography by Aseem Mishra is first rate – the camera works appeals to the eyes. Salim-Suleiman’s music is spongy and attracts the ears.

Ranveer Singh, as a suave charmer conman, attracts with his skills of acting. The guy has potential to stay in Bollywood and still he has a long way to go. Soon he will be standing among the leading actors of Bollywood. Anushka Sharma looks stunning and sexy. She essays the role with aplomb. Parineeti Chopra makes a good debut by showing expertise of acting. Dippanita Sharma and Aditi Sharma do the justice to the assigned roles.

Final Verdict by the Critic:

Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl is an entertaining romantic comedy. Although it lacks in novelty but what is required by the viewers in return to their hard earned money, this film offers them in plenty i.e. entertainment. A big business at the box office cannot be predicted but the movie nonetheless will collect handsome amount.

Details/Preview prior to review

The Band Baaja Baaraat team is back again and it looks like they are going to make some more blast with more sizzles and hot babes on the screen. The Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl is definitely one of the most talked about movies this year and the movie is directed by Maneesh Sharma who came up with Band Baaja Baarat script. The movie stars Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma in the lead role but supported by various other female stars like Dipannita Sharma, Aditi Sharma and Priyanka Chopra’s cousin Parineeti Chopra.

The movie revolves around a conman Ricky Bahl who loves to impress young women and then steal all their money and items leaving them heart-broke as well. However, somewhere down the line he meets Ishita (Anushka) who is ready to con him but Ricky has a totally game plan in his mind this time. Not many might know this but with this movie, Anushka is unknowingly trying to follow what Aamir Khan did earlier. Aamir released his last three movies in December on the same date and they all met super success. Now, Anushka is trying the same thing as Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Band Baaja Baarat and Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl all three movies being released in the month of December.

This will be the second time that Ranveer and Anushka will be seen together on screen after Band Baaja Baarat. As per Yash Raj Films close sources the decision was taken by the director because the audiences loved the pair together in Band Baaja Baaraat and therefore Maneesh Sharma decided not to change the lead pair of his next movie. All of the Yash Raj Films’ movies are musically hit and so was Band Baaja Baaraat. Hence, music directors Salim Sulaiman were given the task to compose music and background score for this film as well.