Somashukla Sinha Walunjkar (HT)

It's been four years since showman Subhash Ghai directed a film. But some things still haven't changed. Considering his last outing as a film director, Yaadein, was a commercial disaster, you would expect Ghai to be more cautious. But instead of signing up commercially `safe' stars, Ghai has chosen to make Kisna with newcomers including British actor Antonio Bernath and dancer Isha Sharvani. Vivek Oberoi is possibly the only saleable name in the film's cast.

In town to launch the film's music that releases on January 21, Ghai sounded optimistic: "Kisna is a period romance and has an international feel to it. We shot the film in two versions. It is a love story set in the '40s. For the Indian notes, we used Ismail Durbar's songs, and for the western songs, A.R. Rahman's." Durbar, who was also in the Capital with his wife Ayesha, ("the woman behind the music I make") seemed suitably glad "having worked with someone who knows so much about music. I had always wanted to work with Ghai saab." Isha Sharvani expressed her "delight" at getting an e-mail for an audition by Ghai. "I knew I would be a performing artist but never realised that I had it in me to be a star." Star? We thought she was an aspiring actress! Vivek Oberoi, in a khadi tee and beaded neck-band, made sure he had his Kisna look on. Only the long locks were missing. "In a film where there is great music, a good script and a hardworking unit, nothing can go wrong." Let's hope the audience agrees with Vivek.

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the Isha gal looks quite pretty. Aur VO to handsome hai hi. film dekhni padegi kaisi hai.

<b>Isha dances her way through Bollywood</b>

<img src="http://202.131.142.25/Web/Photographs/2004/12/09/107/09_12_2004_107_003_010.jpg" align="right">First impressions can be deceptive. Svelte Isha Sharvani appears to be a mild mannered 19 year-old bright eyed about everything around her. So the safe soundbytes "I'm privileged to have found myself such a launchpad like Subhash Ghai's Kisna. It's a wonderful role for a newcomer like me," are predictable. But you sense the steely determination the minute you ask if she's game for a long innings as a Bollywood Barbie: "I know I want to continue as a performing artist for a long time. Kisna will decide my fate as an actress." Even the querries about her role meets with a diplomatic reply: "It's the role of a simple girl in love with Kisna, an affluent young man." Isha, a trained dancer and Daksha Seth's daughter says her training as a dancer has been of a huge help to her: "In Kisna, the dance sequences are not thrown in for effect but fit in the storyline perfectly." And yes, Isha also does her famous rope dance for Kisna.

Isha who's spent most of her growing up years in Kerala still sees herself as a "country girl at heart" who's loved doing movies have been a great experience"