Victory is for all cricket lovers

Film's Sri Lankan producer says it would be released all over the world

Bollywood film "Victory", based on cricket and featuring many cricketing greats, is expected to do well in South Asia where the game is a passion and an obsession, says a Sri Lankan producer.

Chandran Rutnam, who handled the Colombo leg of the shooting and is in-charge of marketing of the movie in Sri Lanka, told IANS: "We hope to get the main market of the South Asian region, where cricket is a passion, obsession and a religion."

He said the film would be released all over the world with English subtitles.

The film had its grand global premiere in Colombo on Friday, a day before the second one-day encounter between the visiting Indian and host Sri Lankan cricket teams.

"Victory", directed by Ajitpal Mangat, stars budding Bollywood actors Harman Baweja, Amrita Rao and Gulshan Grover. It was released at the Regal cinema hall, Colombo.

The film combines genuine on-field sporting action with international cricket stars.

"Shot in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Australia, the movie is aimed at all the cricket lovers in the world. It is about a young village boy who wants to be a cricketer and the travails, stimulations and the problems he faces to become a cricketer and after becoming a legend," Rutnam told IANS.

Rutnam described the film as a "nice fairly tale about a cricketer in India featuring over 40 international cricket stars, including Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Harbhajan Singh, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Kartik, Brett Lee, Mike Hussey, Graeme Smith and Shoaib Malik, to name a few".

The film, based on current happenings from the world of Indian cricket, portrays the challenges and dilemmas that almost every aspirant for the Indian cricket team faces and had to undergo.

A special screening is being held exclusively for the Indian and Sri Lankan cricketers who are in Colombo for the ongoing five ODI series, he said.

Victory has Sri Lankan premiere

Special Victory premiere tonight for Indian, Lankan cricketers playing there

Post Chandni Chowk to China's seven premieres around the globe, having an overseas premiere has become quite the rage. Keeping with the trend, director Ajit Pal Mangat is having a Victory premiere in Colombo (Sri Lanka) for the Indian and Sri Lankan cricketers.

Since the movie is based on cricket and on a cricketer's life, director Ajit Pal Mangat was keen to have a special premiere for the Indian team. Initially, it was supposed to have a premiere in Australia, but since the entire Indian cricket team is in Sri Lanka playing in the Wealthsurance Cup ODIs, Sri Lanka was an obvious choice."

A source reveals, "After the Mumbai premiere yesterday, the cast flew down to Sri Lanka early today morning for the premiere to be held tonight."

The source further adds, "A lot of cricketers from the Sri Lankan team like Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya feature in the movie. Indian cricketers like Praveen Kumar and Yusuf Pathan also feature in the movie and are also playing in the one-dayers in Sri Lanka.

Apart from the cricketers who have featured in the movie, Hurman especially wanted Sachin Tendulkar to watch the film. The cast will stay back for the Indian team's second one-dayer and pray for their victory."

Hurman says, "I am very excited as I will be watching Victory with the Indian and Sri Lankan cricketers; some have also featured in the movie. We will also be having Sachin Sir and Yuvraj Singh watching the movie."

B.O. update: 'Luck By Chance' & 'Victory' start slow

The two new releases, LUCK BY CHANCE and VICTORY, had a slow start on Friday in India. What comes as a surprise is the fact that the two films were well-publicized prior to their release. LUCK BY CHANCE started on a 25% - 30% note at plexes, while VICTORY was 10% to 20% at several screens.

LUCK BY CHANCE has an advantage of a strong word of mouth and glowing reviews by the English media in India, which should help the film consolidate its position over the weekend. The exhibitors are hopeful that the business should pick up from Friday evening onwards.

VICTORY isn't carrying positive reports and the word of mouth is strictly average/below average. Also, the reviews are far from flattering and that makes its survival chances remote, unless a miracle occurs.

Victory - Movie Review

By Taran Adarsh

LAGAAN and IQBAL are landmark films on cricket. The response to LAGAAN specifically was so electrifying [and emotional] that theatres turned into stadiums during the penultimate cricket match in the film.

VICTORY traverses a different route altogether: This one revolves around a cricketer, talks of the highs and lows in his life, how greed, arrogance and lust almost ruin his career, but how he regains his lost form and becomes a hero all over again.

The difference also lies in the fact that the sportsmen in the film aren't actors, pretending to be cricketers, but real-life cricketers. And that makes the goings-on identifiable.

VICTORY may not be a true-life account of any one person, but you can't help but draw parallels with people who led a wild life off the field. Also, any sports-based film works if it arouses the right emotions and VICTORY does so towards the final moments. But there's a hitch. The film could've done with a shorter running time [instead of approx. 2.35 hours] and a tight script. More on that later!

Final words? A few interesting moments don't really help. This one tries to hit a boundary, but ends up taking a single.

VICTORY tells the story of Vijay Shekhawat [Hurman S. Baweja], who hails from Jaisalmer. Soon, he becomes India's latest world-class batting sensation and is catapulted to superstardom.

However, the glam and glitter makes the young, vulnerable Vijay stray from his true vocation of cricket. Unfortunately, this leads to a loss of focus and to a miserable drop in his performance. But by the time Vijay realizes his mistake, he finds himself thrown out of the Indian cricket team. Suddenly, the hero becomes a villain in everyone's eyes. His father [Anupam Kher] suffers a paralytic stroke.

This tragedy awakens Vijay's conscience. He wants to redeem himself in the eyes of his father and every Indian. Against great odds, he once again makes it back to the Indian team and gets to play in the finals of the Champion's Trophy against Australia, where he plays a stellar role in enabling India to win the Trophy.

Ajitpal Mangat chooses a difficult subject for his directorial debut. Placing immense trust on a newcomer [Hurman] and casting real-life characters could be tough and demanding, besides being expensive [cricketers' fees and paying for the various stadiums]. But Ajitpal achieves the required results.

The initial moments are very mediocre, but the pace picks up when Hurman goes astray, when he can't digest success, when he falls into wrong hands [Gulshan Grover]. The graph is erratic; sometime interesting, at times boring. However, what rescues the film from failing are the penultimate moments, especially the one when Hurman faces the final ball.

On the flip side, the writing isn't convincing at several points. The first 30 minutes of the enterprise makes you break into a yawn, frankly. Also, the film is stretched in the second hour for no reason and could've done with some tight editing. The songs in this hour are a big deterrent.

Ajitpal Mangat makes a confident debut as a director, but VICTORY would've made a stronger impact if the writing [screenplay: Ajitpal Mangat, Kannan Iyer] would've been watertight. Anu Malik's music is listless. Barring 'Balla Utha' and 'Money Money', the remaining songs are of the fast-forward type. Cinematography is excellent.

Hurman S. Baweja displays the required confidence. He gets the body language right, looks dapper when required and conveys the required emotions well. Only thing, he needs to control his expressions at times. Amrita Rao does very well, although this isn't her film actually. Anupam Kher gets it right yet again, especially towards the second hour when he suffers a paralytic stroke. Gulshan Grover is very effective.

On the whole, VICTORY is a strictly average fare. Barring a few moments in the second hour, there's not much that you carry home.

"Harman has a great sense of humor" - Amrita Rao

By Joginder Tuteja

2008 was an eventful year for Amrita Rao. She started off with My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves which in spite of not doing well at the box office, at least helped showcase a different (read glam) side of hers. A special appearance in Shaurya followed but the role was so small that it went relatively unnoticed. However, she bounced back with Welcome To Sajjanpur where in her 'gaon ki gori' role, she went on to win hearts all over again. From a village setting, she graduated to playing a small time girl in Victory which is now finally getting ready to hit the screens this Friday.

Even though the film primarily belongs to Harman Baweja and the dozens of cricketers who have consented to be a part of the project, Victory does promise to have something meaty for Amrita Rao also to showcase her acting skills. The pretty girl with a characteristic laugh gets on a free wheeling chat with Joginder Tuteja as she talks about Victory being primarily a Harman Baweja film and how he was fully prepared for the role before facing the camera.

Amrita, first things first, there have been quite a few talks about real life references for Harman's character in the film. Yuvraj, Dhoni - number of names have been thrown around! Do you want to shed light on this? Also, were you too given any reference points when you read through the script?
Let me say that Victory is a Vijay Shekhawat story that could speak of every cricketer who hails from a small town and goes on to be a part of the Indian cricket team. The film talks about any aspiring cricketer who rises to the top. And no, even I didn't receive any reference points before the shoot. I play the character of a medical student from a small town who is a friend of this young boy who goes on to be a cricketer. However, in the process of getting rich and famous, he starts losing his bearings. I act as his conscience when he is down in the dumps.

So how did you go about approaching the role?
It was quite interesting because I could easily identify with Vijay's character here. In real life, I have some shades of him because I have gained reasonable popularity and hence have to watch every step that I take in my life. I come from a profession which is so challenging and demanding. The whole world judges you on every move of yours and I realize that how important it is to be surrounded by good company of real friends. There are chances of fake people around you who could be responsible for you being pulled down.

You sound emotional about the importance of real friends...
That's right, because there are only a few who could call one. These are the real friends who matter most to you because eventually they bring with them positive influences. How eventually you are going to transfer such positive influences in your work is something that is of utmost importance. In this sense, I am playing that other side in Vijay's life who tries to bring to him those positive influences. Since I could identify Vijay's situation very well and empathize with what he was going through, it became an interesting experience.

So what was that strong factor in Victory that made you sign the film?
Its script and the canvas. For the first time in Bollywood history, there is this film coming which literally has 45 international sportspeople coming together. In Manmohan Shetty, we have one of the biggest producers associated with the project. And then of course there is Harman. Clearly, Victory had number of reasons for me to go for the film.

You have worked in around 10 odd films while for Harman it was just his second film. Did you two have a mutual bond that allowed you to give him suggestions or point out areas of improvements due to your prior experience?
I didn't actually have to come up with suggestions since Harman himself comes from an industry background. He has assisted his father and wasn't a newcomer at all when he worked in Victory or for that matter Love Story 2050. He was very much aware about the whole operation and the works. He was fully prepared when he stepped in to shoot for Victory. This is why, never once did I feel that I had to interfere or help him.

You seem to be impressed with your co-star…
I truly am because he is so very good. I will give him 100% marks for his act in the film; he is just so correct there. I didn't once find him conscious or nervous. I have worked with so many established actors but even when I was working with him; it all seemed just the same. He is very energetic and has a great sense of humor. He keeps everyone laughing on the sets but once the director begins to call the shots, he knows when to get serious and perform.

Victory - First Look

Harman says V for Victory

Indians are crazy about two things - Bollywood and cricket. Bring them together and you have what one calls a winning formula. Films like Iqbal and Lagaan with cricket as the central theme are still fresh in our minds. Similarly who can forget the IPL extravaganza last year where Bollywood made its presence felt in large numbers on the cricket field?

It is this very winning formula of combining cricket and cinema that the makers of Victory seem to banking on. Starring Harman Baweja and Amrita Rao in lead roles along with Anupam Kher, Dilip Tahil and Gulshan Grover, Victory (directed by Ajit Pal) tells the story of a small town boy, who like millions of Indians, dreams of making it to the Indian cricket team. How he achieves this dream forms the crux of the story.

However, apart from the lead cast, it's the presence of the who's who of the cricketing world that forms the highlight of the film. So get ready to see superstars like Brett Lee, Mike Hussey, Simon Katich, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas, Muralitharan, Graema Smith sweat it out with Harman Baweja on the cricket field. As for all you Indian cricket fans, don't fret as yet because you have the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Dinesh Karthik, R.P.Singh, Yusuf Pathan and Praveen Kumar making an appearance in the film.

With the coming together of so many cricketers in one film, Harman surely must be hoping that this film starts his 'Victory' march in Bollywood sooner than later.

Watch The Trailer of 'Golmaal Returns'

Amrita Rao goes glam

Amrita Rao may have had the girl-next-door image, but that’s a thing of the past.

Post My Name is Anthony Gonasalves, Amrita has been seen in a very glamourous look, be it in her movies or real life.

Even in the music video that she has shot for the band ‘Jal’, Amrita has sported a western look. And we must say that it suits her just fine, right Amrita?

TNN

Shreyas and Amrita caught in a burqa!

Actors are known to do all kind of things to hide from fans or from getting mobbed...

Recently, while shooting for a film in Hyderabad, Amrita Rao together with Shreyas Talpade and his wife, went to the market because the ladies wanted to buy some bangles. So, donning burqas, the three set out.

Now for Amrita this was a comfortable proposition. What Shreyas had not bargained for was how uncomfortable it would get in a jeans, shirt and burqa.

Shreyas looked extremely funny in this attire – with his physique, jeans and shoes that were peeping out. Apparently, Amrita and Shreyas’ wife just couldn’t stop laughing looking at him and teased him a lot.

An embarrassed Shreyas then removed his burqa and preferred wearing a cap and sunglasses and go shopping. Now that’s what we call paying a heavy price for stardom, what say?

TNN

Workentine Day

It’s no-play for B-Town actors, at least, most of them as they get ready to face the cameras on a day for dilwaale

You see them sizzle the celluloid with their on-screen ardour.

Whether running around trees (old style) or singing of love and lust in a rain-drenched numbers, we think actors epitomize the perfect coo-some twosome.

Yet, on Valentine’s Day, most of them will do nothing more exciting than work. With shootings eating up their entire day, our Bollywood love bugs will be whispering sweet nothings, only to the camera though.

Aishwarya Rai
I’ll be attending the premiere of Jodhaa-Akbar in Delhi on Valentine’s Day. But Abhishek will be with me. So no complaints.

Bipasha Basu
We’re going for a short trip to Cape Town. For the last three years on Valentine’s Day, John and I have been in different countries. I’m looking forward to this flash holiday.

Amrita Rao
I’m shooting all day and attending a birthday party in the evening. I wish all those people in love remain so forever. And those who don’t, may they please find love this Valentine’s Day.

Koena Mitra
Since I don’t have anyone special in my life, I’d do the usual things, like watching a movie with my girlfriends, shopping till I drop and some harmless male-bashing with my girlie pals. And hmmmm, I may do some serious flirting. Is that allowed?

Priyanka Chopra
I don’t believe you need a reason or a particular day to say you love someone. When you’re in love, every day is special.

Celina Jaitly
Though I’m working on Valentine’s Day, I have a special show for the day on MTV for the singles. I’ll watch it and have a good laugh

Riya Sen
Nothing exciting. I’ll be working. I’m in Delhi on the 14th for an appearance.

Malaika Arora
I want to spend the day with all my loved ones. I don’t anyone to be alone on Valentine’s Day.

Amrita Arora
Will be shooting on Valentine’s. I wish to have my loved ones with me forever.

Tanushree Dutta
I’m shooting on Valentine’s Day. So no Valentine plan. I wish I’d be in Paris for the next Valentine’s Day.

And the guys…

Zayed Khan
It was on Valentine’s Day, five years ago, that I proposed to Malaika. So it’s a doubly special day for me. I think I’m going to try my hand at being a chef, and have a go at some fine wine that I’ve been saving up for us for a special day. We’ll be at home since we don’t want to leave our son Zidaan alone.

Neil Mukesh
Will be going out with a secret Valentine to a secret place.

Kushal Punjabi
Besides shooting, I’ll be doing what all other lovers do on Valentine’s Day. Exchang-ing cards and listening to romantic songs. What did you think?

Dino Morea
Since I’ve no love life, I’ll be doing some good for society. Will be meeting cancer patients who are couples and helping one another through life. Then I’m off to Delhi for an event.

Aryan Vaid
My Valentine’s Day plans are open. I’m single so nothing’s happening.
I want to celebrate love. It’s such an amazing time and with the Mumbai weather being so romantic, this Valentine’s Day will be special even without a play-mate.

Muzammil Ebrahim
It’s my mother’s birthday on Valentine’s Day, so there’ll definitely be lots of celebrations.

Manoj Bajpai
I don’t believe in Valentine’s Day. You don’t need one special day to show your partner how much you love her.

Farhan Akhtar
Since I’m shooting for Rock On, it’ll be a very routine Valentine’s Day for me. But the night gets exciting when I get to see an intensely romantic film, Jodhaa-Akbar.

Salman's call to Amrita

Amrita Rao received a surprise call from, hold your breath, Salman Khan on Friday night. Amrita, who’s shooting in Jaisalmer for Anil Kapoor’s film, flew to Mumbai to partake in the music launch celebrations of MY NAME IS ANTHONY GONSALVES. Looking radiant, the pretty actress received compliments aplenty during the music launch.

Salman, who was shooting in Hyderabad for Boney Kapoor’s film, was watching the music launch on television and promptly called Amrita, showering generous compliments on her. “I was pleasantly surprised when he called. In fact, Boney-ji, who was also with him, also spoke,” Amrita reveals excitedly.

Amrita’s glam look in MY NAME IS ANTHONY GONSALVES is surely creating ripples!

Taran Adarsh, IndiaFM

Amrita Rao is 'not' doing an item number

While Bollywood actresses are going ravishing to raunchy, Amrita Rao has been an exception. She has always maintained this ‘girl-next-door’ image ever since her first film. Her homely image only got amplified with Sooraj Barjatya’s Vivah which went on to become a big hit and gave Amrita a simple-sober stamp.

So it came as quite a surprise to us when a leading daily reported that Amrita Rao is all set to change her image and turn sexy with her next film My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves where she performs a hot and happening item number. But much to her surprise, Amrita denied the news saying, “There is a misunderstanding over here. There is an item number in the film but I do not feature in it. It’s done by Hrishita Bhatt”.

So then what is she dancing to? “I just have a dance number. The song is the only romantic song in the entire film. It has been shot in Goa and is choreographed by Bosco and Ceaser. They have given the song a new look and have given us scope to experiment. It’s a groovy number where you can throw loads of attitude to the camera. The romantic song is a dream sequence and is one of my best romantic songs ever”

So is that entire buzz on Amrita Rao attempting to change the girl-next-door image from Vivah false? Amrita retorts, “I haven’t tried to defy any image, especially the one in Vivah . My image in Vivah has helped me find a place amongst the masses which I don’t want to destroy’.

The petite actress goes on to add, “I believe I have always had distinct looks in my films. May it be Vivah or Main Hoon Na or even Masti. I have always managed to surprise the audience”.

But does her role in MNIAG have glamourous shades to it? “Not at all! In fact it’s a complete non glamorous role. I play an assistant director in the film and they don’t have the time to dress up”.

Indiatimes Movies

Amrita attends Farah's special screening

Farah Khan wanted Amrita Rao to be part of her latest venture and make an appearance in the song that features 31 actors.

But, Amrita was caught up with shooting and couldn’t quite adjust her dates, so she had to give her cameo a miss. However, what she wasn’t going to miss was the special screening of the film.

Farah invited her for it, and as luck would have it, the actress was shooting for Anil Kapoor’s Short Cut, but fortunately, within the city.

So, Amrita quickly dropped in during the interval, said a quick hi to everybody, and quickly dropped out as well.

That’s because she had shooting the next day. And SRK or not, she too has to be professional, na?

TimesOfIndia

Don't nag your husband

This pretty damsel is unmarried, unattached and single, alright. That doesn't mean Amrita Rao can't give us a tip or two about marriage, right?
Well, after having done one comedy like ‘Masti', which is about philandering hubbies, and ‘Vivah' we can pretty much trust her words of advice.
The first tip of the day is , “Don't nag your husband. Let him be. The more you nag him, the more you'll be pushing him away from you.”
Wonder, if the gal will have the same advice to give once she's hitched.

Shahid and Amrita selling tickets of their latest film 'Vivah'

Actors Shahid Kapur and Amrita Rao were seen selling tickets of their latest film 'Vivah' at Fame Cinemas here.

It was a golden opportunity for their fans who thronged the venue. Many were excited seeing their favourite stars at such close quarters.

Shahid and Amrita shared some of their experiences while shooting for 'Vivah'. Personally autographed CDs and posters of the duo were also distributed.

The event was organised by Fame Cinemas and Inorbit Mall in Malad.

Vivaah - Movie Review

Urban themes with style and attitude are the order of the day. And with the multiplex junta in India as also NRIs zealously giving their mandate to these movies, metro-centric themes/issues are being dished out by dream merchants relentlessly. The tide tilts towards contemporary themes concerning the urban Indian, while paarivaarik issues are consigned to television soaps. That’s the trend of late!

Sooraj R. Barjatya’s VIVAH does a complete about-turn. It is reminiscent of the cinema of yore. It re-introduces you to a world many of us may have forgotten thanks to the barrage of modern themes. It re-introduces you to the traditional side, without getting orthodox.

VIVAH is very desi, very Indian at heart, seeped in Hindustani emotions. It talks of familial bonding. It packs in loads of desi sentiments in those 2.48 hours. It faithfully follows the tradition of Rajshri movies of providing unadulterated entertainment. But VIVAH is not without its share of blemishes. And since this is a Sooraj R. Barjatya film, you just can’t overlook the flaws: Its slow narrative [in the first half especially] and sub-standard music [Ravindra Jain].

Like all Sooraj R. Barjatya films, the best is reserved for the penultimate reels and VIVAH is no exception. Deep inside, you know that a storm is brewing and it explodes in the second hour. You have a nagging feeling that one of the characters might create problems. But the twist in the tale is completely unexpected. It’s unconventional, yes, and therein lies its strength.

To sum up, VIVAH is not in the league of Sooraj’s first two films [MAINE PYAR KIYA and HUM AAPKE HAIN KOUN] in terms of content and music. Nonetheless, it has a strong second half and an equally strong emotional quotient to appeal to the Indian junta that tilts towards paarivaarik films, especially the family audiences.

Prem [Shahid Kapoor] may be an eligible bachelor, but he is not yet ready for marriage. He agrees to meet Poonam [Amrita Rao] just to please his dad [Anupam Kher] and finds a woman he can really grow to love.

An awkward, formal exchange of words grows into a deep, meaningful conversation as Prem and Poonam soon discover that they are soul mates. Poonam, an orphan, has grown up in a small town, where her Chacha [Alok Nath] has brought her up. Chachi [Seema Biswas], however, is jealous of Poonam’s beauty, simplicity and charm, as her own daughter Chothi [Amrita Prakash] is overshadowed.

Gentle, soft-spoken Prem, the scion of one of Delhi’s most prosperous business houses, may have studied abroad, but retains his respect for family traditions and values. Prem and Poonam are engaged and the marriage is scheduled to take place after six months.

Prem and Poonam now enter the most magical and romantic time of their lives. Just when everything is set for the wedding, a crisis puts their love through a trial by fire.

In terms of scripting, VIVAH is structured on the lines of HUM AAPKE HAIN KOUN. The first hour as well as the start of the second hour focuses on light moments and songs. But the film changes gears twenty minutes after the second half begins. While the light moments as also the songs of H.A.H.K. were magnetic, that’s not the case with VIVAH.

Sure, VIVAH starts off very well and the bonding between Alok Nath and the baby [Amrita Rao’s childhood] is indeed emotional. Everything is fine till Shahid and Amrita get engaged. Surprisingly, there’s no movement in the story thereafter. It wouldn’t be erroneous to state that the story comes to a grinding halt as the lovers indulge in romantic talk for the next 35 odd minutes. Besides, the songs are a complete distraction here. Not only are the tunes lifeless and belong to the fast-forward variety, even the placement of a couple of songs is inappropriate.

Thankfully, VIVAH strikes back in the post-interval portions. The twist in the tale is the highpoint of the enterprise and the dramatic events take the graph of the film to its peak. The emphasis is on emotions and the twists and turns in the concluding reels are sure to make you moist eyed. The sequence between Shahid and Amrita in the hospital is brilliantly executed. Note the dialogue that follows thereafter [delivered by Mohnish Bahl] -- that’s another clapworthy moment.

Sooraj R. Barjatya is back to his style of narrating simple stories, with emphasis on emotions. As pointed above, this may not be Sooraj’s finest effort, but the assets outnumber the liabilities this time. However, the film needs to be trimmed by at least 20/25 minutes and a few songs should be deleted instantaneously for a better, stronger impact.

Ravindra Jain’s music is archaic. Barring the ‘Mujhe Haque Hain’ and to an extent ‘Do Anjaane Ajnabi’, the remaining tracks are listless. Cinematography [Harish Joshi] is plain mediocre. Dialogues [Aash Karan Atal] are wonderful and the emotional lines do tug at your heart strings.

Shahid Kapoor performs like never before. If he was super-cool in ISHQ VISHK and showed flashes of brilliance in FIDA, you’ve to watch him in VIVAH to see his growth as a tremendous actor. He is exceptional in emotional sequences. Amrita Rao also gets a new lease of life with VIVAH. She looks the character and is splendid all through.

VIVAH has a host of characters, but the ones that stand out are Alok Nath [terrific], Seema Biswas [excellent], Anupam Kher [very good], Amrita Prakash [confident] and Master Ameya Pandya [first-rate]. Sameer Soni, Lataa Saberwal, Manoj Joshi and Dinesh Lamba are adequate. Mohnish Bahl [sp. app.] does well.

On the whole, VIVAH has an ordinary/routine first half, but the post-interval portions, notably the climax, compensate for the shortcomings. At the box-office, the rich emotional quotient [last 40 minutes] should appeal to ladies/families and help the film gather momentum slowly, but surely. The film may start on a slow note, but a strong word of mouth should help it consolidate its status in the traditional markets. Business may not be strong at multiplexes as much as in single screens, where the weekly run will compensate for the number of shows at multiplexes.

“Kareena Kapoor is a rare film star,” said Amrita

“Kareena Kapoor is a rare film star,” said Amrita Rao on being asked about Kareena Kapoor’s opinion that she makes the best on-screen pair with Shahid Kapoor. Amrita added that in an industry when female co-stars seldom compliment each other it takes a large heart on Kareena’s behalf to have said such a thing. And, what about her chemistry with Shahid? “We started our career together in our first hit film ‘Ishq Vishq’ and we have acted in several films thereafter. We get along well and it reflects on screen too,” replied the chirpy actress.

Shahid and Amrita will be seen next in Sooraj Barjataya’s ‘Vivah’ releasing this Friday. The duo can be seen all over right now be it the television promos, huge print adds sponsored by a diamond company or interviews. Yes, the two do make a cute couple. Although they haven’t been able to give a hit after ‘Ishq Vishq’ yet their comfort level is palpable and who knows ‘Vivah’ may do the trick for them.

VIVAH is a simple film about 2 sensibilities coming together

Sooraj Barjatya's VIVAH starring Shahid Kapur and Amrita Rao deals with the concept of arranged marriage. It beautifully captures myriad moments cherished by a couple from engagement to marriage.

"VIVAH is a simple film about 2 sensibilities coming together and discovering each other to an extent that they know more about each other than themselves. It's going back to innocence for me. This film is based on a real life story and like all my films; VIVAH also has an emotional climax. It is my toughest film so far," enthuses Barjatya.

The role of Poonam seems tailor made for the beautiful Amrita Rao who plays a coy, demure bride in VIVAH. She is overwhelmed at the opportunity of working with Rajshri Productions. "VIVAH is God's gift to me. My long cherished childhood dream of working with Sooraj ji has been fulfilled," says Amrita.

And what is her take on love marriage v/s arranged marriage? "I think marriage is the most important decision of life. It's really not about love or arranged marriage. One needs to spend adequate time with the person, know him/her completely and faith in your partner is ofcourse very important," opines Amrita.

Barjatya's quintessential Prem is back but this time around it's Shahid Kapur. Playing Prem was an honour and a responsibility he says. "I had many questions in my mind when Sooraj ji narrated the script to me. The film is about arranged marriage, a concept very alien to a 25-year-old guy like me. I mean I've never formally met a girl for a 'rishta' or ever had that kind of a meeting in my life, though I've seen it around me in my family and friend circle. But that's about it."

"VIVAH traces the journey from engagement to marriage, an area completely untouched today. I'm sure after seeing the film people would identify with it. They'll be like 'Oh! This has happened to me or this is what I told you the first time we met," adds an elated Shahid.

Well we believe you Shahid...

The film is a heart-warming story of commitment and unconditional love and will take you through many magical moments.

VIVAH releases on 10th November.

VIVAH marks Shahid and Amrita's fourth film together

Sooraj Barjatya's VIVAH brings back the quintessential Prem, but this time around it's Shahid Kapoor. Earlier it was Salman Khan in Rajshri's MAINE PYAR KIYA, HUM AAPKE HAIN KAUN and HUM SAATH SAATH HAI.

The new Prem has lately developed a passion for carom. He is quite a carom champ. He has honed his skills in playing the game with Anupam Kher on the sets of VIVAH. "We made a perfect pair," grins Shahid who loves playing the game with his make-up man and Amrita Rao's make-up man. Kher plays his father in the film. "We bond very well, Anupamji and I," Shahid confesses. "It felt great playing his son in the film. And I have really learnt a lot from him."

Incidentally VIVAH marks Shahid and Amrita's fourth film together. The lovable couple has done films like ISHQ-VISHQ, SHIKHAR and VAAH! LIFE HO TO AISI earlier.

Amrita plays Poonam, a small town middle class girl engaged to a Delhi guy (Shahid) in the film. As for her real life, speculations surrounding her marriage just don't seem to end. First it was the April fool joke on her wedding and impending retirement. Next came the astrologer's prediction that 2006 would be the year of her tryst with marriage. "It took me a while to battle my aunt's want to try and match me with the most eligible men," grins Amrita. "And I told the astrologer, I have no intentions of marriage," she adds. "And suddenly, after the shoot, it struck me one day that actually, it was a year of weddings for me with VIVAH releasing this year. In his own way, the astrologer was right."

So as far as her real life marriage is concerned, nothing is reckoning for the next five years for this dedicated actress.

VIVAH focuses on the concept of arranged marriage and the courtship period.

It releases on 10th November.