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you2

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Posted: 13 years ago

#41

^^^^The film promised nothing?..

With Aditya Chopra,Habib Faisal,Devika bhagat ..and Maneesh Sharma at the helm..all of them hailed by the critics...not to mention the critically acclaimed stars!!!!

How can you say that!

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Rediff.com Movies Review: Ladies vs Ricky Bahl is sluggish and predictable

Review: Ladies vs Ricky Bahl is sluggish and predictable

December 09, 2011 16:55 IST

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An inexplicably sluggish pace and forgettable songs thrown in every few scenes kill any possibility of a narrative rhythm in Ladies vs Ricky Bahl, writes Raja Sen.

It's always tragic to see those who defy the cookie-cutter mould try and sanitise themselves in an attempt to fit in. Ranveer Singh, who was fantastic in last year's Band Baaja Baaraat, here has his rough edges blunted by the generic sheen of wannabe stardom, and the result is most unfortunate.

He struts through Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl mostly in slow-motion, often shirtless and constantly posing for the camera, but a merely workout does not a Hrithik Roshan [ Images ] make.
When I applauded Band Baaja Baaraat and rated him 2010's finest actor, I was struck most by how impressively Ranveer carved his own non-traditional path, eschewing vanity and sticking to character instead of concentrating on showing off his most flattering profile. A star was born and now, as he tries to fit into the industry definition of a star, the result is an excruciatingly slow-motion film that drags on as it exposes his every weakness.

There is a plot in Maneesh Sharma's latest, but essentially imagine a long and rather unfunny Khosla Ka Ghosla [ Images ] and you'll get the gist. Ricky Bahl swindles a bunch of interesting but gullible women, and they -- in Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less fashion -- scheme to get their own back, hiring a woman to con the conman. Yada yada yada, and so we have a template film you can essentially predict. It might still have worked if not for the inexplicably sluggish pace and forgettable songs thrown in every few scenes, killing any possibility of a narrative rhythm.

There's some quirky texture on display, particularly in the early sections. As Sunny Singh, a Delhi [ Images ] gym trainer (talking just like he did in BBB), Ranveer's amusing enough. There's a chain around his neck with a dumbbell hanging on it, looking like a bone dangling just within reach. Next, as an exhibitor of paintings with an effete walk and an aptly annoying proclivity to say the word 'art' roundedly, with a nearly silent 'r', he's fine as well. But soon the chameleonic routine becomes tiresome, episodic and purely superficial. There is detailing, but he isn't suave enough to make the character work -- and it's hard to care about a protagonist if he's constantly stretching credibility.

The girls, on the other hand, are mostly good. Anushka Sharma [ Images ], ebullient enough to make me want to change my cellphone network by dint of a ten-seconder on TV, tries hard (and looks very fit in a gratuitous bikini shot) but, playing a salesgirl overflowing with vim who eventually turns oddly sheepish, has precious little to play with. Dipannita Sharma's efficient and very believable as a hard-nosed executive allergic to nonsense, and Aditi Sharma's [ Images ] pleasant enough. The only positive from this film, though, is the Dilli ki ladki.

Playing a Delhi character with dialogues written by Habib Faisal automatically guarantees laughs, but young Parineeti Chopra is both adorable and genuine enough to spark up some laughs, even when all she's doing is pronouncing LOL to rhyme with "doll." She's a smart-alecky girl utterly besotted with the man they hate, awestruck by how cannily he fooled her father, and the role is the film's nicest. (Clearly the thing to remember in Faisal's films is that whoever gets to say the word "kaand" walks away with the film.) ( can someone explain that?😛)

But while Faisal delivers a few good lines, he isn't to blame for Devika Bhagat's sluggish script. A very predictable con-versus-con film can be made enjoyable, but it needs to be breezy and engaging. We need to want to take sides and we need to care about the twists, and by the time Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl winds down in extremely simplistic fashion, we just don't care anymore. If this were a better-made film, we might have been justifiably outraged by the lame sexism meted out at the climax, but for now yawning seems reaction enough.

Rediff Rating: 1.5/5 stars

Raja Sen in Mumbai

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Posted: 13 years ago

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Home >> Entertainment >> Reviews >> Movie Review

Movie Review: Ladies vs Ricky Bahl

Reviewed By: Daily Bhaskar.com | Last Updated 17:43(09/12/11)

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Movie Name:	Ladies vs Ricky Bahl
Critic Rating:
Viewer Rating:
Star Cast:	Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma, Parineeti Chopra, Dipannita Sharma and Aditi Sharma.
Director:	Maneesh Sharma
Producer:	Aditya Chopra
Music Directer:	Salim Merchant and Sulaiman Merchant.
Genre:	Comedy, Romance.

StoryStory: Ladies vs Ricky Bahl, as the title suggests, is primarily a tussle between a charismatic con man Ricky Bahl (Ranveer Singh) and three lovely ladies- Dimple (Parineeti), Raina (Dipannita) and Saira (Aditi). The war begins when Ricky (in disguise of fictitious names) cheats on the ladies by disappearring with their money. Raina being the smartest of all, along with Dimple and Saira, plans to take revenge from Ricky, with a help of small-time sales-woman who works in a mall- Ishika Desai (Anushka Sharma). They are on the verge of winning the battle, when Ishika falls in love with Ricky, who too claims to be all hers. Now, will Ishika remain loyal to the ladies and con Ricky or will she get carried away in love is what follows next in the story.

Story Treatment: Aditya Chopra, as a story-writer keeps up the suspense element sustained throughout the film but somehow, the plot fizzles out as the film approaches its climax; thanks to its typical happy love story element, which is inseparable from Hindi cinema. The extremely pacy screenplay with loads of twists and turns, keeps one at the edge of the seat throughout. More footage to the three ladies, deviating away from main leads most of the times, could be disappointing for the fans of Anushka and Ranveer.

Star Cast: First half belongs to Ranveer Singh. He delivers a flawless performance. But, his impact starts reducing as post interval he does less of talking. Anushka Sharma is completely natural as far as acting is concerned. Her quality of speaking with eyes is outstanding. But, somehow her skinny look doesn't appeal much. Newbie Parineeti Chopra is a rockstar. She, at times overshadows the other characters in the film with her energetic performance. Dipannita Sharma impresses at some places but looks slightly uncomfortable during the beginning. Aditi Sharma plays her part well.

Direction: Maneesh Sharma yet again proves his filmmaking prowess. Ladies vs Ricky Bahl isn't an out of box subject like Band Baaja Baraat, considering its uncanny resemblance with films like Bachana Ae Haseeno, Khalnayak. The director is good at his job, but falls prey to its slightly vague story, where for instance, one wonders what makes Ishika fall in love with Ricky, when she is aware of his identity. Lastly, in the end, it is to be assumed that Anushka must've dreamt about Ricky eventually mending his ways, when none of other three ladies inform her about it.

Music/ Cinematography/ Dialogues/Editing: Music doesn't ring a bell at all, except for the song 'Aadat Se Majboor', which is the saving grace. Cinematography is commendable and adds on to the suspense element in the film. Dialogues are strictly okay with the editing matching up to the standards of the cinematography.

3 Ups and 3 Downs: Good performances, direction, cinematography, screenplay are the high points. Dialogues, music, story and a clich end deters the film to become a flawless venture.

On the whole, Ladies vs Ricky Bahl is surely a one-time watch, but will need some good word of mouth publicity to sustain.

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Posted: 13 years ago

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India Masala

Bollywood and culture in an emerging India

See all analysis and opinion

Ladies vs Ricky Bahl: One-time fun

Dec 9, 2011 06:32 EST

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Anushka Sharma | Bollywood | comedy | Ladies vs Ricky Bahl | Ranveer Singh

You cannot help but feel that Maneesh Sharma's "Ladies vs Ricky Bahl" is a mash-up of past Yash Raj films like "Badmaash Company", "Bunty Aur Babli" and even "Bachna Ae Haseeno".

The story is one you've seen before — a smart-talking con man takes off with suitcases of money after tricking three very gullible women.

When the women decide to exact revenge, they hire the equally smart-talking Ishika (played by Anushka Sharma), to trap Ricky, whose name they don't even know. The trio find him in Goa and unleash Ishika on him — posing as a rich heiress out to open a restaurant.

Ishika lures Ricky with the promise of a 5 million dollar investment and he agrees to make an initial investment in her venture — not knowing the money is actually going to the three girls he had conned.

The film has a nice, breezy pace and the first half, which chronicles how Ricky cons the three girls, is snappy and interesting. Parineeti Chopra, who plays the spoilt, outspoken Delhi girl Dimple sparkles throughout the film and has some of the best lines. Dipannita Sharma as the no-nonsense Reva and Aditi Sharma as the demure Lucknow girl are memorable and it is the scenes between these three, as they banter while planning revenge, which are the high points of the film.

Sharma manages to keep the tone light and the length isn't too draining on your nerves but the film never rises beyond these two points. Ranveer's character is just shown as a con man, with no back story and no reasoning about why he is the way he is. The ending of "Ladies vs Ricky Bahl", without giving too much away, is too neatly tied up and very predictable.

I wish Sharma had been a bit more adventurous with this film, given he was riding on the success of his last film "Band Baaja Baaraat".

Ranveer Singh exudes some serious charm and shows off his chiselled body for the benefit of audiences. Anushka Sharma looks stunning, and her chemistry with Singh is intact.

This isn't a film that will stay with you once you've left the theatre, but as it stands, this is a good, fun, one-time watch.

http://blogs.reuters.com/indiamasala/2011/12/09/ladies-vs-ricky-bahl-one-time-fun/

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Posted: 13 years ago

#45

Showbiz

Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl (Review)

By Arnab Chakraborty/IBNS

The charming con man

Ranveer Singh - Anushka Sharma Jodi is back in theatres after Band Baaja Baarat in the latest instalment from the Chopra house- Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, and this fun filled paisa vasool movie is a must watch for Ranveer fans and also for a certain black bikini scene.

The background

Ranveer is the con man with stunning abs, lots of sweet words and a factory of names. He preys on females ranging from the hapless damsels to the powerful tigresses of the society making a lot of money with his innovative schemes. After one particular heist three of his victims try to elicit revenge by hiring Anushka Sharma to con the con man.

The story- 3/5

A tad predictable but still has some real conviction to it. It seems that after months of lacklustre scripts (and a certain disastrous science fiction attempt) Bollywood is finally able to create proper story lines. For the first hour of the movie the innovative schemes will keep you hooked but the story gets a little predictable in the second half with reminiscences from a dozen other loves stories.

But don't let the obvious happy ending prediction let you down, because Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl still has a lot of goodies and gags to keep you occupied.

The characters itself are believable and ladies beware, this suave "chor" will surely catch your attention with his moves and looks while boys Anushka makes up for the lack of stellar intellect with some steamy hot scenes.

The rest of the characters, especially Dimple (Parineeti Chopra) are believable and absolutely enjoyable.

The direction and technique – 2.5/5

It's the Band Baaja Baaraat(BBB) team and director who have gathered together to make another enjoyable rom com and to most extents they have succeeded. What director Maneesh Sharma also reused apart from the cast and crew was Ranveer's energetic image, only this time there is the obvious slickness that revamped Ranveer's previous image from BBB.

The only flaw apart from the slightly predictable romance was his inability to recreate the fantastic screen chemistry of Ranveer and Anushka that had made his last venture such an endearing watch.

Also the pace of the movie is rather erratic and it slows down quite a bit in certain parts making it a tad boring. On the whole however half thumbs up!

The acting – 3.5/5

Ranveer is a find. He is brand new exploitable merchandise for our future viewing pleasure and for this flick he appears on screen to blast your senses away. This conman wants to win and he does so in style (with all of his packs blaring).

Ranveer doesn't bore you as the protagonist and manages to exude the right amount of flair to make his character come alive on screen.

Anushka however pales in comparison to the dude when it comes to the screen presence department but she doesn't fail in the oomph department. Still she will not leave as lasting an impression as she had left during her last venture with Ranveer.

But it isn't only about the cool boy so "Ladies" don't fret. Show's not over until we mention the trio- Parineeti Chopra as Dimple Chaddha, Dipannita Sharma as Raina Parulekar and Aditi Sharma as Saira Rashid. These three occupy a fair share of the screen time and with mesmerising effects. They keep the gags rolling and make the movie much much more eventful.

The music – 2.5/5

The songs are mostly dance masti type party tracks that will get you feet tapping in no time but apart from that they are forgettable.

The background scores work and flow smoothly with the storytelling.

On the whole

Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl is a movie to enjoy and forget. There are no hidden meanings and so no use in searching for them but on the whole the movie is a nice watch.

So if you are in the mood for trying out something light with an amusing storyline and believable cool characters then this movie is for you.

If not then you can give this romantic con man a skip.

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you2

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Posted: 13 years ago

#46

Review: Ladies vs Ricky Bahl

By: Shubha Shetty-Saha

Date: 2011-12-09

Place: Mumbai

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Ladies vs Ricky Bahl
U/A; Rom-com
Dir: Maneesh Sharma
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma
Stars: Two and half (**1/2)

Sometimes a director's own film works against him. Maneesh Sharma's debut Band Baajaa Baaraat was such a delightful little surprise packet that expectations were bound to be high. But then Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl proves that it is difficult to match the standards of a fun riot like BBB, even by its own director.

Ricky Bahl (Ranveer Singh) is a con man who specialises in conning gullible young women. He has one simple modus operandi. He sweet-talks, flirts, earns their trust and then disappears with their money, breaking their hearts in the process. Amongst many victims are three, Dimple, Raina and Saira, who get together to con the 'bloody kameena' cheater and get their money back. They hire the help of a smart salesperson Ishika Desai (Anushka Sharma). Their plot is fool proof, except that they didn't anticipate a development, which cost them

The script should have been as clever as it is trying to portray its lead man to be. For Ricky, cheating comes naturally, but disappointingly, it seems like he doesn't even have to exercise his brain cells to cheat any of them. Ricky gets so lucky every time that things easily fall into place or his victims are so foolishly gullible that they are more than willing to fall into his trap, again and again. Also, the track where he becomes an art dealer, Deven Shah and cheats Raina (Dipannita Sharma) seems highly improbable.

However, the movie manages to keep you engaged, more so when the ladies are busy plotting and working furiously to carry out their sinister ideas against their common enemy.

Maneesh Sharma's forte is capturing the life in Delhi (as he did so brilliantly in BBB) and one track which involves Sunny cheating the pampered daughter of a building contractor, Dimple (don't miss the wicked names) in Delhi is excellent.

Ranveer and Anushka's chemistry is intact. Ranveer is subdued and pretty impressive but knowing his potential, could have been far better. But guess he needed the support of a sharper script for that. Anushka is good too, but it is Parineeti Chopra who stands out with her performance. She is a natural and almost manages to outshine everyone else.

And then there are few unnecessary typical Bollywood clich s that spoil the flow of the film. Why does Bollywood continue to think that every smart girl also needs to be bubbly enough to be dancing in the middle of the street or playing cricket with kids? And why this compulsory need to introduce her with a song where she is moronically jumping up and down?

Overall, a decent entertainer but also a bit of a disappointment. So much could have been done with this plot, but sadly wasn't attempted.

http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2011/dec/091211-Ladies-Ricky-Bahl-movie-review.htm

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theprince

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Posted: 13 years ago

#47

Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl Has Low Opening

Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl had a low opening of 30-40% and the film will have to pick up through the weekend to make a mark. The best opening came in the multiplexes of North India where select multiplexes managed a 40-50% start. Mumbai was 25-30% while Ahmedabad was a bit better.

Multiplexes in places like Indore and Nagpur were 20-25% and The Dirty Picture was better on its opening day in week two.

Overall if the film manages to improve it is likely to do best in North India multiplexes and possibly Mumbai city and Bangalore multiplexes.
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3788&nCat=

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532095

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Posted: 13 years ago

#48

I hope Ranveer becomes a one-hit wonder with the low opening! 😈

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Posted: 13 years ago

#49

^^^If Dirty picture had a better Friday than LVRB...TDP may cross 80 crores, to become a blockbuster on ROI

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The After Hrs review: Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl

Published: Friday, Dec 9, 2011, 18:00 IST
By Soumyadipta Banerjee | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

A Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl poster

Film: Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl
Director: Maneesh Sharma
Cast: Anushka Sharma, Ranveer Singh, Parineeti Chopra, Dipannita Sharma
Rating: ***

Anushka Sharma doesn't impress, Ranveer Singh doesn't excel, the songs aren't a rage either but yes, Uday Chopra has definitely penned a good story. The hero of the film is actually the script — well done Uday Chopra and Jugal Hansraj who perfectly executed the story into a good screenplay.

Right from the first shot to the last shot, the film has stayed real without the usual loopholes that draw it away from reality. And yet, the film has stayed on top when it came to the entertainment quotient. It has been edited well which doesn't let the pace slacken and engages you till the last moment. It seems that the film has been developed after consulting a lot of DVDs of Hollywood rom-coms, but who cares? Everybody does that and yet comes up with a shoddy film. This time, all the home-work seems to have paid off.

The storyline of this film is relatively simple — Ranveer Singh plays a conman who makes girls fall in love with him before zooming off with their money. He does whatever it takes to be a conman — he is suave, good looking and impressive and has an effect on every 'victim' that he decided to con. He even impresses the girl's dad by saying "boyfriend hoon main iski, koi galat kaam nahi karunha…aapke upar daag nahi lagne dinga." When the girls and in some cases, the families get impressed by him, it's time for him to make up a sob story, make them pay money to him and zoom off without a trace. The conned girls finally gang up against him to teach him a lesson by hiring a smooth-talking saleswoman (Anushka Sharma) to con him back. So, the story-line is relatively simple and moves from one city to the other as Ricky leaves his 'footprints'. Haven't you heard about the story before? We bet you have! But please don't bother about that.

Among the actors, Ranveer Singh does his usual job and certainly he doesn't excel from his last outing Band Baaja Baarat. He is okay, does his job as an actor and keeps the movie going. Anushka Sharma could have done better but she hasn't disappointed to be honest. Unfortunately, the only supposedly good song that she had and which was so heavily promoted by the producers, could have been shot better. The song seems out of place.

The real star of the film is of course the trio of conned girls out there seeking revenge —Parineeti Chopra, Dipannita Sharma and Aditi Sharma. The three do a fabulous job. The three girls have perfected their roles and have actually stolen the limelight from the lead pair of the film. The two Sharmas, Dipannita and Aditi have also done really well while playing two diametrically opposite characters — one from Mumbai and the other from a small town. The three are the three aces in the movie who can be collectively called the 'hero' of the film.

If you have to rate among the three of them then Parineeti Chopra with her portrayal of a loud Delhi girl definitely takes the cake. She has been most convincing in the film.

The film is definitely worth a watch because it is high on the story-telling factor. It tells you a good and a gripping story which seems real to you. We don't need we could ask for more from a Bollywood masala film.