Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh had a whopper hit together in “Band Baaja Baaraat,” which marked Singh’s debut. The film released Dec. 10 last year and the same team soon launched “Ladies Vs. Ricky Bahl,” to be released on the same Friday week — Dec. 9, 2011. Seldom is a complete principal team repeated, and the last such examples were usually to cash in on the success of the first film. This team, however, is proud of the fact that their second film is completely different from the first, and that the only superstitious angle is the release date for the new Yash Raj Films and Aditya Chopra production that repeats director Maneesh Sharma, writer Habib Faisal, lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya, music directors Salim-Sulaiman and maybe some technicians besides the lead pair.

“Ladies Vs. Ricky Bahl” is a very desi look at a smart conman (Singh), who robs girls of their money, shifting from town to town and handpicking his “victims.” On the fourth such expedition in Goa, he meets his match in a Gujarati girl from Mumbai (Sharma). The film also co-stars debutant Parineeti Chopra (a cousin of Priyanka Chopra) who was a part of the YRF press relations team; Dipannita “16 December” Sharma; and Aditi Sharma, who was recently seen in “Rockstar.” At Yash Raj Studios, the two-film-old Ranveer and Anushka (she is now into her fifth release in a little under three years), speak to India-West. Excerpts from an interview:

Q: You are romantically linked even off-screen. 

Ranveer: Anushka is that friend and confidante on whom I can depend for anything! I can go to her for any problem and guidance. A lot of my performance in “Band Baaja Baaraat” was all because of her. Though I took away the Best Debut awards, it was because Anushka, then a veteran of two films, guided and helped me. It was she who chided me for being nervous, for example, when I was supposed to directly look into her eyes. I could not, fearing that I would forget my lines, and it was she who told me to turn a bit spontaneous, because unlike her, I cannot act if I have not workshopped for a film! She’s an extraordinary actor who can surprise you even after rehearsals during the final take. She is the best girl in the world and she deserves the best! 

Anushka: The media created Ranveer’s link with me. Then it got Sonakshi Sinha between us and said that we had split. So you media guys should decide whether we are still seeing each other!