Aisha 2010 trailer

The trailer for Aisha ( the Bollywood version of Emma) is finally here! I must say it looks like a fun romp, very akin to the American style chick flicks. Which, I am obliged to say, is pretty different for India. Chick flicks have never been a dominant genre in Bollywood, for the simple reason that they don't rake in as much cash as the supposedly "family" oriented films do. The Bollywood chick flicks that are out there are mostly indie; I remember the Phooja Bhatt-directed Holiday, which is one of my personal favourite B'wood films, and a sweetly satisfying chick flick.

Female-dominated films are not very popular in India sadly to say, and most of the pop-corn "block-busters" are actually aimed at largely middle-class young men who have money and an apparent aversion to depth and substance in films. Not that I'm defending chick flicks, but I would like to see more female-centric B'wood films.

Anyway, back to Aisha! Abhay Deol looks so freaking adorable. I guess I never paid him much attention until Dev D, when I realised that he was deviating from the normal Bollywood star route and opting for more interesting films. I'd watched his first film, and he didn't leave a lasting impression on me. Now, however, I can  sense an added maturity and depth to his acting that was previously hidden beneath the easy-going smile. And his dimples don't hurt either. He and Sonam seem to have great chemistry, based on the trailer.

As for Sonam herself, she  appears to have grasped the spirit of Emma. I'd previously only seen her in her first leading role in the lush and haunting Saawariya, and her character was one of those sweet, vulnerable types with hauntingly dark doe eyes . Aisha, of course, is a completely different role, and I'm curious to see how Sonam will handle it. Emma has always struck me as a difficult character to play, and while Gwenyth Paltrow remains my favourite Emma, I think Romola Garai has been the most successful in showing her transition to maturity in the 2009 BBC version. I also enjoyed Alicia Silverstone's portrayal in Clueless, so now I'm waiting to watch Aisha before giving my verdict. Sonam seems to have it together though, as she's actually read the novel and recently remarked in an interview that she hated badly done movie adaptations of books.

I've already spotted the people who I think are going to be Harriet, Jane Fairfax and Mrs. Elton. As Aisha is a Bollywood film ( unlike Bride and Prejudice), this movie will be mostly in Hindi. Didn't really care for the dancing in the end though, it looked too American and very un-Bollywood.

Oh, well. I guess this is all just enjoyable speculation until I get to actually watch the movie. Aisha is set to release in August.