Band Baaja Baaraat: Anushka with a new face

She started her career with Shahrukh Khan. Her second film starred Shahid Kapoor. In her new film Band Baaja Baaraat, Anushka Sharma is paired opposite a rank newcomer - Ranveer Singh.

Ideally, it should be the other way round, starting with a new face, then graduating to Shahid and then SRK. But Anushka reasons, "My career hasn't followed the routine and standard graph. But I'd like to add that Ranveer will surprise you with his acting skills in Band Baaja Baaraat. The industry will have another actor to bank upon. Also, though I worked with experienced actors in the past, I would like to add that I've learnt so much from Ranveer. Moreover, his energy is infectious and that rubbed on all of us."

On Sunday night, the cast and crew screening of Band Baaja Baaraat left Anushka mighty impressed. "Although it's directed by a first-time director [Maneesh Sharma] and stars a first-time actor as my co-star [Ranveer Singh], it doesn't give an impression when you watch the film," she tells me, "In fact, I wish to add here that Maneesh knows the craft very well, he's a gifted storyteller and most importantly, his take on the scenes is so different. Ten years down the line, when I look at my body of work, I would proudly say that Maneesh was amongst the best directors I worked with in my career."

Ranveer, who takes his first step with Band Baaja Baaraat, may belong to a non-film family, with no film connections whatsoever, but the youngster always aspired to be an actor ever since he was a kid. "While growing up, I realized that it's damn difficult to get that right break in the industry. You either had to be a star-kid or a film-maker's son," Ranveer reminisces, "After I returned from the U.S., I had made up my mind that I wanted to join movies. This was the vocation I wanted to pursue. Thus began the struggle."

Not many know that Ranveer assisted Shaad Ali as an assistant director, before the big break happened [after Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Shaad was busy making ad films]. "One thing led to another and I got to know that Yash Raj was looking for a fresh face for Band Baaja Baaraat. I was nervous when I auditioned for the part, but I channelized my energies and gave my best. In fact, Adi Sir [Aditya Chopra] told me much later that he had approved me after my first audition itself," Ranveer reveals.

Now that he has entered the fray, comparisons with actors of his age-group, like Ranbir Kapoor and Imran Khan, will begin once his movie hits the screens. "That is inevitable. But I would like to add that no two actors are similar, hence the comparisons, in my opinion, are unjustified. Yet, even if the comparisons take place, I have no issues with it," Ranveer states sportingly.