Band Baaja Baaraat


Band Baaja Baaraat is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Maneesh Sharma in his directorial debut, written by Habib Faisal from a story by Maneesh, and produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. The film stars Ranveer Singh in his debut along with Anushka Sharma and follows the story of Shruti and Bittoo, two young entrepreneurs who launch a wedding planning business in Delhi and navigate the ups and downs of partnership and romance.
The film was released theatrically on 10 December 2010 to widespread critical acclaim. Reviewers praised its fresh setting, sharp screenplay, vibrant music, and the lead pair’s energetic performances. Despite stiff competition from contemporaneous releases, the film emerged as a commercial success. Band Baaja Baaraat grossed approximately ₹96 crore worldwide against a modest budget of ₹10 crore.
At the 56th Filmfare Awards, Band Baaja Baaraat earned six nominations including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actress, and won two awards—Best Male Debut and Best Debut Director. The film was later remade in Tamil as Aaha Kalyanam, also produced by Yash Raj Films.

Plot

A young college graduate, Shruti, launces a wedding planner business with Bittoo, a rowdy collegian who gatecrashes weddings for free food. Together, their 'Shaadi Mubarak' venture becomes a big hit in local neighbourhoods of Delhi, as they gain fame for planning great weddings on tight budgets.
Wanting to grow their business, Bittoo and Shruti convince an industrialist couple to give them their wedding contract. The wedding takes place at Delhi's high-end Sainik Farms location, and goes off better than planned. Overjoyed by their success, Bittoo and Shruti celebrate into the night. The party ends with the staff's departure, and the two end up sleeping together, despite Shruti's strict rule against mixing 'business with pleasure'.
The next morning, Bittoo acts cold and distant. He is happy to shrug off the encounter as a one-night stand, but Shruti has started to develop feelings for him. On seeing Bittoo's changed behaviour, she feels rejected. After an uneasy few weeks, Shruti formally ends their partnership and Bittoo is forced to launch a rival business, Happy Wedding.
Neither solo venture is able to capture the success of the original Shaadi Mubarak. Vendors and clients are left unhappy, and debts rack up for both. In the wake of this, Bittoo and Shruti are offered a large contract for a destination wedding in Rajasthan, but they must work together. Despite unresolved differences, they agree to the contract to save their respective companies.
In Rajasthan, wedding preparations are underway, as both Bittoo and Shruti resolve issues with their characteristic flair. Bittoo finds out that Shruti is talking to Chetan, a Dubai businessman whom she has agreed to marry. He does not receive the news well, and this causes them to have frequent arguments. When Bittoo learns that Shruti will relaunch Shaadi Mubarak after marriage in Dubai, he calls up Chetan without her knowledge.
Shruti confronts Bittoo over his actions, but he confesses to having feelings for her. They make up and kiss, and Shruti calls off her engagement. The wedding contract goes off as planned, and Bittoo rejoins the newly revived Shaadi Mubarak. Their next contract is to plan their own wedding in typical Shaadi Mubarak-style.

Cast

  • Ranveer Singh as Bittoo Sharma
  • Anushka Sharma as Shruti Kakkar
  • Neeraj Sood as Maqsood, florist
  • Puru Chibber as Mika, Bittoo's best friend
  • Manish Choudhary as Sidhwani
  • Manit Joura as Sunny, cameraman
  • Sushil Dahiya as Brigadier Brar
  • Manu Rishi as Inspector
  • Govind Pandey as Bittoo's father
  • Vinod Verma as Shruti's father
  • Nirupama Chopra as Shruti's mother
  • Pushvinder Rathore as Shruti's sister
  • Shena Gamat as Chanda Narang, a famous wedding planner
  • Manmeet Singh as Rajinder Singh, caterer
  • Shireena Sambyal as Sonia

    Production

Development

Band Baaja Baaraat marked the directorial debut of Maneesh Sharma, who had previously assisted on Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. The project was produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. The film’s narrative focused on a youthful romantic storyline set in Delhi’s wedding planning industry. Early media reports speculated titles such as Shaadi Mubarak and Shaadi Mubarak Ho, but Yash Raj Films clarified in late April 2010 that the film was still untitled. The official title, Band Baaja Baaraat, was announced in July 2010.

Casting

was cast as the female lead, fulfilling the final film in her three-film contract with Yash Raj Films after Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. Describing the role as challenging, Sharma noted that speaking in a fast-paced, colloquial Delhi dialect was the most difficult aspect of the part. Director Maneesh Sharma, a longtime friend, described her as “feisty” and a natural performer who disliked multiple takes.
Ranveer Singh, a newcomer with no prior experience in acting or modeling, was selected for the male lead after impressing Aditya Chopra in his first audition. Singh underwent acting training and spent time in Delhi to understand the culture. On landing the role, he said, “I’m the first solo hero Yash Raj is launching. It’s a huge deal for me. I guess I happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

Filming

began in Delhi on 4 February 2010. Singh was reportedly nervous on his first day, but completed his initial scene in three takes. Filming locations included Janakpuri, Subhash Nagar, Delhi University, Ring Road, Mehrauli Farms, and Akbar Road, as well as Hansraj College—Maneesh Sharma’s alma mater. Some scenes were later filmed in Mumbai and Rajasthan.
During a shoot in West Delhi’s Subhash Nagar, Singh’s unfamiliar face led onlookers to confuse him for actors like Ranbir Kapoor or Riteish Deshmukh. Police were called in to control the crowd. The shoot also included a kissing scene between the leads, reportedly done in a single take, and an intense scene in which Singh accidentally hit Sharma.
Aseem Mishra handled cinematography, having worked on films such as New York and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai. Choreography was led by Vaibhavi Merchant, known for Lagaan and Devdas. Costume design was done by Niharika Khan, with production design by Sonal Choudhry and T. P. Abid. Assistant directors included Akshat Kapil and Rohit Philip.
Rumors of a romantic relationship between Sharma and Singh circulated during the shoot. Singh later 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!”

Soundtrack

The soundtrack and background score for Band Baaja Baaraat were composed by the duo Salim–Sulaiman, marking another collaboration with Yash Raj Films following their work on Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, with lyrics penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya in his first mainstream endeavour. The album features vocals by a diverse group of playback singers, including Sunidhi Chauhan, Benny Dayal, Shreya Ghoshal, Natalie Di Luccio, Himani Kapoor, Harshdeep Kaur, Labh Janjua, Shraddha Pandit, Master Saleem, Sukhwinder Singh, Bhattacharya, and Salim Merchant.
The soundtrack consists of nine tracks, including two remix versions. It was first unveiled on 3 November 2010 at Yash Raj Studios in Andheri, Mumbai, and was officially launched on 10 November 2010 at a promotional event held at the Reliance TimeOut store in Bandra.

Marketing and release

As with previous Yash Raj Films productions since Mohabbatein, publicity design for Band Baaja Baaraat was overseen by Fayyaz Badruddin, with stills photographed by Abhay Singh and Zahir Abbas Khan. The film’s official trailer and website launched on 19 October 2010, featuring the synopsis, promotional images, downloadable wallpapers, a press kit, and e-cards branded as “Band Baaj-O-Grams.” The studio expanded its digital outreach through dedicated Facebook, Twitter, and Blogspot channels, as well as exclusive video content on YouTube, including music videos for "Tarkeebein" and "Ainvayi Ainvayi".
To promote the film, lead actors Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma, along with director Maneesh Sharma, made appearances at IIT Delhi's annual festival and at the GIP Mall in Noida. However, promotions briefly drew media attention following an incident aboard Kingfisher Airlines flight IT 331 on 26 October 2010, when the actors confronted a passenger who allegedly took unsolicited photographs. The altercation was resolved without formal complaints after police intervention upon landing in Delhi.
Despite skepticism regarding its commercial prospects due to the absence of a male star and Sharma's perceived lull in popularity post her debut contract with the studio, Band Baaja Baaraat gradually built momentum through word-of-mouth and targeted promotions. The film was theatrically released worldwide on 10 December 2010, coinciding nearly two years to the day with Sharma’s debut Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi —a strategic choice by the studio aiming to replicate that film's success trajectory.

Reception

Box office

Internationally, Band Baaja Baaraat had a limited release. In the United States and Canada, it grossed $43,820, while in the United Kingdom, it earned £63,200. The film's worldwide gross was approximately ₹300 million.
With a production budget of ₹130 million, the film was declared a "Hit" by Box Office India.

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 is crisp, the execution of the material is worthy, and the lead actors steer the film to the destination smoothly... Band Baaja Baaraat is honest, fresh, youthful, and extremely entertaining. 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... 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.com 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."
File:Ranveer at filmfare.jpg|thumb|right|Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh received widespread praise and won several awards and nominations for their performances.