Aisha – Movie Review

Genre: Comedy, Romance
Director: Rajshri Ojha
Producer: Anil Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor, Ajay Bijli, Sanjeev K. Bijli
Banner: Anil Kapoor Film Company, PVR Pictures
Music Director: Amit Trivedi
Lyricist: Javed Akhtar
Star Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Abhay Deol, Ira Dubey, Arunoday Singh, Cyrus Shahukar, Lisa Haydon, Amrita Puri, Anand Tiwari, Vidhushi Mehra, Sameer Malhotra, Anooradha Patel, Yuri, M. K. Raina, Masood Akhtar
Release Date: 6 August 2010

From the dodgy underside of Bombay, portrayed in ‘Once Upon A Time In Mumbai’, that wooed the audience last week to the uptown romantic comedy ‘Aisha’, Bollywood is roaring high on tide. And why not, the Kapoor clan has made sure that ‘Aisha’ joins the bandwagon of successful films in Bollywood. The movie is a perfect rom-com, what with its aesthetic looks, super stylish avatars and not to forget the ‘ah! so adorable’ characters. So, for all those who went head over heels with the chicks in ‘Sex and The City’, mind it, we finally have our very own desi damsels who are sweeter, sexier and sassier. Out from the pages of Jane Austen’s Emma, ‘Aisha’ depicts the life of an upscale Delhi girl, whose life revolves around the cosmo concerns of today. However, mind it, amidst everything what takes up most of her time is getting people hooked, come what may! An obsession which she terms as ‘social service’!

Aisha finds her latest project in Shefali (Amrita Puri), a downtown behenji, who is looking for a suitor for herself. In comes the social service instincts, and we have Shefali undergoing a makeover and ending up looking like a clone of Aisha, all because the latter feels it is her duty to get the girl a match. So, we have numerous suitors, stage-managed situations, forced romance and everything to play. What captures attention is the pertinent characterization in the film, so while we have the gooey girls on one side, the dashing dudes do not leave any stone unturned. Abhay Doel plays the chuddy-buddy of Aisha, a corporate slave who criticizes Aisha of her whimsical approach to life and asks her to stop meddling in other people’s love affair. Who Shefali gets married to finally and how Aisha realizes that love can’t be forced, forms the crux of the film.

Tons of accolades need to be given to director Rajshree Ojha for his stylish storytelling. An out-and-out uptown multiplex flick, the treatment of ‘Aisha’ is what gives the film the oomph factor. Every bit of the canvas is brimming with oodles and doodles of fashion and style. Kudos to stylist Pernia Qureshi and costume designer Kunal Rawal who have managed to create a whole new aesthetics for Indian cinema, which can make even the most stylish of gals go green – a real treat for the eyes and soul! Diego Roderiguez also need to be congratulated for the coming up with the never-seen-before look of our saddi Delhi and Manhattan-Mumbai. As for the dialogues, we have crisp lines expertly interspersed between drama and humor. However, what makes the writing all the more appealing and entertaining is the attitude with which they are delivered.

Coming to the performance, we have nothing but ‘meethi meethi bol’ for everyone. Right from the hoity-toity Sonam to the simpleton Amrita Puri, it’s a perfect act put together. After a couple of duds, Sonam has finally come out of the shell, proving her mettle as an actor. However, the nasal touch cannot be ignored. Ira Dubey is fab and so is Arundoy Singh. Nonetheless, what comes as a bolt from the blue is the performance of debutant actor Amrita Puri. Right from her mannerism to her accent and style, she is completely in control of her skills and has the capability to give even the plushest of actors a run for their money. As for Abhay, all that we can say is what else could we have expected, other than an impressive and notable performance. Cyrus looks bright and bubbly and so does Amit Trivedi. Last call, ‘Aisha’ is compelling! Be it for the costumes or the treatment or the acting, ‘Aisha’ lends out a perfect rom-com movie. Just pick up the popcorns and the colas and rush down to the nearest multiplex to have a ball!

Aisha Pre-release Review
AishaApparently adapted from the famous British novel ‘Emma’ written by Jane Austen, ‘Aisha’ is the latest Bollywood venture from the Kapoor family. Presented by Anil Kapoor Film Company and PVR Pictures, this romantic comedy is produced by Rhea Kapoor, the younger sister of ‘massakali’ Sonam Kapoor and daughter of Anil Kapoor, along with Ajay Bijli and Sanjeev K. Bijli. Directed by debutant Rajshri Ojha, the lyrics of the movie have been written by the renowned Javed Akhtar, while the refreshing, peppy and stylish music has been composed by Amit Trivedi of the ‘Dev D’ fame. ‘Aisha’ is slated for a 6th August, 2010 release.

Aisha Kapoor (Sonam Kapoor) is a young upper class girl living in Delhi amidst its own set of social rules. She is a simple girl engrossed in her own world of style and great optimism, with only one problem – everyone’s business is her business; which is why she ends up creating a lot of confusion and fuss. We then have Arjun Burman (Abhya Deol) who simply believes that Aisha should mind her own business. Rich, wild and flamboyant Pinky Bose (Ira Dubey), Aisha’s best friend, the small town girl Shefali Thakur (Amrita Puri), West Delhi boy Randhir Gambhir (Cyrus Sahukar) and the hot hunk Dhruv Singh (Arunoday Singh) too are not spared from the entangled web that Aisha has created.

The movie revolves around Arjun making numerous efforts of getting Aisha out of an approaching sticky mess. Now, will Arjun be able to resort the matters and get Aisha out or will he succumb to Aisha’s beliefs? With big failures like ‘Saawariya’ and ‘Delhi 6’, Sonam Kapoor has finally managed to get herself noticed with ‘I Hate Luv Storys’. Now with ‘Aisha’, she hopes to get another breather that can put her in the big league. The movie targets the youth-savvy genre that is successfully making a mark in Bollywood with great prominence. Wait till 6th August, 2010 and check out who succeeds and who succumbs to their set of beliefs.