09 August, 2004 - Ash & Vivek: Two much! (hindustantimes.com)

Ever thought how Vivek Oberoi has this uncanny knack of shelling out the right soundbytes when you quiz him about Aishwarya Rai? He never tires of talking about this “utmost professional” who is “probably the nicest and most humble human being you’ve ever met”. Well, that’s Ash for you, seen through Vivek’s love-drenched eyes.

Vivek, who met Ash for the first time on the sets of Samir Karnik’s Kyun! Ho Gaya Na..., remembers having struck an “instant rapport” with her, and after shooting together for a cola commercial they ended up as “great friends”. A year later (a period that reportedly saw 41 threatening calls on Vivek’s mobile and Ash’s affair with Salman Khan going bust), the ice-maiden has melted. Says Vivek: “Though I’m serious about the relationship, it’s too early to think of more. I’ve just begun my career in films. Marriage isn’t a priority.”

The picture-perfect Ash gave shutterbugs a tough time (she took more than two hours to get ready after she returned to the hotel after receiving an award from the President) when she was in town for the promotion of Kyun!... with Vivek. “Professionally I’ve got a lot to look ahead to, including a film with Michael Douglas, my first negative role in Shabd, and Kyun!..., where I am a GenNow woman in search of the perfect man.” Has she met someone like that in real life? The reply comes with a giggle: “I’d want my man to be sensitive, witty and nice. Arjun in Kyun!... is witty, cute and yes, loveable too.”

And now that ‘good friend’ Vivek has been roped in by Shah Rukh Khan for a co-production with Karan Johar, she has also made up with King Khan (the two fell out after she was dropped from his earlier production, Chalte Chalte). Ash takes a diplomatic line over the issue. “It’s good to have friends in the film industry,” she says. For now, she’ll hope her chemistry with Vivek sets the cash registers ringing.

Mush update

Vivek owns two Boxers (Duke & Ivy) and he’s gifted a Boxer pup to Ash. She calls it Sunshine.

Vivek enjoys going on adventure trails in and around Mumbai and had a great time skydiving for Kyun!... Ash, on the other hand, “was screaming”.

Vivek and Ash may work together again in Indra Kumar’s next film. Ash has “agreed” while Vivek is “checking dates” right now.

09 August, 2004 - Catching Kyun! Ho Gaya Na… (telegraphindia.com)

You first heard the rumours. Then you saw him take on Salman Khan — from a safe distance — over her. Then you saw them together in promos. Then you saw them dancing together...

And now you can actually catch Vivek Oberoi and Aishwarya Rai cuddling up on screen in their first film together, Kyun! Ho Gaya Na... releasing on Friday the 13th at the three multiplexes, Priya, Paradise, Navina… Just in case their on-screen romance turns out to be thanda, there’s always the Big B to fall back on.

09 August, 2004 - Boney has his fingers crossed! (newkerala.com)

Filmmaker Boney Kapoor, whose four films yielded turkey last year, and for whom this year has been no better, is keeping his fingers crossed for his next big release, "Kyun! Ho Gaya Na" starring Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberio and slated for release Friday.

Kapoor, who has given a series of flops, "Run", "Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche", "Shakti" and "Khushi", has now gone corporate and will bring out a public issue to raise money for his future commitments that include "Bewafaa" starring Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Manoj Bajpai, Kareena Kapoor and Sushmita Sen, "Milenge Milenge" with Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor, "No Entry" and distribution of "Matrubhoomi".

"I seriously need to hit the jackpot. My pockets are burning. I plan to go to Vaishnodevi for Mata's (God's) blessing," he told the press. "In today's competitive times, going corporate is the only way out."

Kapoor seems to have a winner in hand with "Kyun! Ho Gaya Na..." that stars the real-life star couple. The Samir Karnik film has lively music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and also stars Suniel Shetty.

Though its first week will be unchallenged, it needs to get off to a flying start to consolidate its position before "Fida", starring another real-life couple Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapur along with Fardeen Khan, goes on the marquees.

09 August, 2004 - August augury: Dhoom or bust (hindustantimes.com)

Bollywood's August basket is brimming over. Proof of how sweet the fare really is will be available in the next four weeks. So, all ye Bollywood buffs buckle up for a roller coaster ride starting this Friday. The month has the makings of an August to remember.

Abbas-Mustan's Taarzan - The Wonder Car is already off the blocks with a couple of greenhorns, Vatsal Sheth and Ayesha Takia, aboard. Even if the mean machine cranked up by car designer Dilip Chhabria does not reach its intended destination, the Mumbai film industry has three other guided missiles tucked away in its armoury - Kyun Ho Gaya Na (August 13), Fida (August 20) and Dhoom (August 27), the last two of them handiworks of second-time directors who have a thing or two to prove.

Do they really possess the horsepower that is needed to hit the bull's eye? The buzz has reached a crescendo. Two of the upcoming films, Samir Karnik's Kyun Ho Gaya Na and Ken Ghosh's Fida, have real-life lovebirds (Vivek Oberoi and Aishwarya Rai in the first, Shahid Kapur and Kareena Kapoor in the second) providing a demo of their on-screen chemistry. Dhoom, the newest arrow from the Yashraj Films quiver, is a strange mish-mash of influences: the film weds Hollywood style with Bollywood conventions and is, rather oddly, woven around the sort of soccer mania that could do the Barmy Army proud. Bollywood goes bananas, shall we say?

All said and done, Dhoom, a film about two biker gangs that are sharply divided by their passion for rival English Premier League clubs, Manchester United and Chelsea, promises to be unlike anything Hindi cinema has ever produced. But then, the theme is unlike anything you are ever likely to encounter in this part of the world. Will the novelty factor then guarantee the film box office success? After all, the strength of Dhoom obviously hinges on borrowed propellants.

A pointer to which way Dhoom is headed could well be provided by the box office fate of Taarzan - The Wonder Car, which, as a contraption, is an obvious rip-off of Hollywood's Herbie, the adventurous Volkswagen with a mind of its own. If the concept of an automobile-hero clicks with the Indian film going masses, there might be reason to believe that hunky hellcats on high-velocity bikes, too, will find their mark as they hit the road.

That raises a pertinent question: when, pray, will Bollywood get off its cannibalistic mode and come up with something that is startlingly original for a change? If you are expecting the August collection to do that, you've got another think coming. These are films that have a single-point agenda: please the crowds by all means, even if that means brewing a broth that reeks of mustiness.

Apart from banking on the obvious potential of the Vivek Oberoi-Aishwarya Rai romantic pairing, Samir Karnik's maiden directorial venture, Kyun Ho Gaya Na, will draw upon the multiplex crowd' s never-ending obsession with vacuous boy-meets-girl plots. The film's storyline is, of course, badly frayed at the edges, but the stars could just make a miracle happen.

Karnik might actually be on to a good thing - strictly from the point of view of his career that is. The facile battle-of-the-sexes formula has already yielded handsome dividends in the form of Hum Tum, helmed by the once down-and-out director, Kunal Kohli, who authored the super dud, Mujhse Dosti Karoge. If the Vivek-Ash magic works on screen - they have the ubiquitous Amitabh Bachchan supporting them in the garb of a guardian angel-cum-troubleshooter - Karnik could actually go one better on Kohli: prove lucky with his very first shot at fame.

In need of a similar kiss of life is yet another Yash Chopra protege, Sanjay Gadhvi, who made an infinitely better debut than Karnik and Kohli with Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai. The middling success of the film did not however catapult him into the big league. Dhoom, thanks to the aggressive and sustained promotion campaign unleashed by Yashraj Films, could. Most of its stars - Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Uday Chopra, Esha Deol and Rimi Sen - are also in desperate need of a hit. If Dhoom goes bust, they could find themselves in the middle of an unfriendly town called Helldorado.

No such worries for Ken Ghosh, Shahid Kapur, Kareena Kapoor and the Tips production Fida though. They are on an infinitely stronger wicket. Ghosh and Shahid had teamed up to deliver one of the biggest hits of 2003, the Riverdale High romance, Ishq Vishk. Kareena, on the other hand, hasn' t had a hit for a while, but she is one Gen X favourite who seems to be blessed with the sort of potluck that places her beyond the vagaries of the box office. The industry, like Shahid Kapur, is fida on her. But it's about time that the spunky actress translated the goodwill she commands into solid performance. Fida could her biggest opportunity yet to silence her critics once and for all.

She is in August company, and the competition will be cutthroat. So, no matter what the box office has in store for Kyun Ho Gaya Na, Fida and Dhoom, it would be safe to assume that there won't be a dull moment in all of August.

09 August, 2004 - Ash on MTV Houseful (indiantelevision.com)

This past Saturday, MTV Houseful weekend special presented Aishwarya Rai and Kyun? Ho Gaya Na… director Samir Karnik. The new version of MTV Houseful had VJ's Cyrus Sahukar and Sophia chatting up with Ash and Karnik.

While Karnik confessed to being initially scared of talking to the former Ms. World, Aishwarya revealed all the pranks Vivek Oberoi played on her.

The show has been revamped to provide the viewer with complete entertainment. The new version is packed with everything from cover story, latest movies trailers, music videos, to weird filmi facts and celebrity guest coming on the sets every week.

09 August, 2004 - Rain dance & distress (telegraphindia.com)

Aishwarya Rai shook a leg with Vivek Oberoi and children splashed their way to school. But for the rest of the city, it was a crawl back to its feet after battling continuous rain for seven days.

For Aishwarya and Vivek, however, the rains turned into a reason to celebrate. The much-discussed couple, who were in Amravati to promote their film Kyun! Ho Gaya Naa..., did so in open air, breaking into a song and dance. With the hundreds who had gathered to see the stars, it became a roaring rain party.

04 August, 2004 - Real chemistry, reel life (hindustantimes.com)

Suddenly, real-life romances are spilling onto the big screen. The buffs are in for a bonanza over the next couple of weeks – first, Aishwarya Rai will smooch real life loverboy Vivek Oberoi in Kyun! Ho Gaya Na…, opening all over on August 13. And a week later on August 20, Kareena Kapoor has a filmi fling with Shahid Kapoor in the romantic thriller, Fida. Salman Khan too has signed up brother Sohail Khan’s next production opposite girlfriend Katrina Kaif, though the David Dhawan-directed film is still some time away.

If the mantra is to make hay while the sun shines, Bollywood never had it so good. Ask Vivek, who could do with a hit after the no-show of Yuva and the average show of Masti. “If there’s hype garnered because Ash and I come together for the first time in Kyun! Ho Gaya Na…, it can only be good for the film. Who’s complaining!” quips the actor. In a business where you are as big as your last hit, Vivek knows very well that Kyun!…, otherwise just another romantic comedy directed by a debutant (Samir Karnik) and costarring the omnipresent Amitabh Bachchan in a cameo, is primarily worth all the hoopla generated over his pairing with his ex-Miss World girlfriend.

It will be interesting to see if Kyun!… and Fida, given their back-to-back release dates, clash at the box-office, though Shahid would downplay his pairing opposite Kareena. He insists his criterion for signing up Ken Ghosh’s Fida was the role. “Fida, like Boney Kapoor’s Milenge Milenge (which again casts Shahid and Kareena together), has an interesting script. After the mushy Ishq Vishk, a thriller like Fida (we hear the Fardeen Khan-costarrer has shades of The Truman Show) was an ideal follow-up,” he says.

But then, Shahid, a little bit of real-life chemistry always helps.

03 August, 2004 - Dressing Down (expressindia.com)

Been seeing the promos of Kyun! Ho Gaya Na...? Thought Aishwarya Rai has finally got over the overdone Cannes and Kuch Naa Kaho look? Well, that’s what Delhi-based designer Aki Narula has tried to do in Samir Karnik’s forthcoming film, which is expected to be released on August 13. Besides Rai, Narula has done the wardrobe for Amitabh Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Om Puri and Rati Agnihotri in the film. Some of Rai’s traditional outfits have also been designed by Mumbai-based designer Vikram Phadnis.

Narula, whose brush with tinseltown began with Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding, says he has tried to give a very casual look to the actors in Kyun.... "It’s a fun movie and I have tried to keep it as realistic as possible. You will see Aishwarya wearing jeans, T-shirts and kurtis. In fact, there’s a scene where Aishwarya is playing football, and she is wearing shorts," he says. For Oberoi too, Narula has settled for a "street clothing" look, with a lot of flip-flops and sneakers for footwear.

But the designer is not going gaga over how the lead pair looks in his clothes. In fact, he says the people to watch out for in the movie are Bachchan and Puri. "I have given both of them a sporty look with cargo pants and bright pullovers," he explains. He considers Agnihotri’s wardrobe, which consists of ikkat saris from Orissa, as another highpoint of the movie.

03 August, 2004 - Stupid Cupid? Na! (mid-day.com)

This is one Cupid who doesn’t have to be married to know about that crazy little thing called love. We’re talking about the character that Amitabh Bachchan plays in Kyun Ho Gaya Na, a huge plantation owner called Raj Chauhan.

Only, everyone calls him ‘Uncle’, including the children in the orphanage that he has founded on his estate.

Constantly yelling in mock anger, Uncle is nonstop fun for those around him, including his good friend’s daughter Diya, played by Aishwarya Rai.

Beneath Uncle’s loner existence though, lurks an incorrigible matchmaker. Far cry from the mischievous, winged child that Cupid was, isn’t it?

02 August, 2004 - KHGN's haunting music (filmfare.com)

Kyun! Ho Gaya Na... has the cleanest and most captivating line-up of melody and rhythm in recent months. At first you may wonder what Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy hope to achieve in the alfresco ambience of the marching beats in Pyar mein sau uljhane. But it’s a totally new sound, done without any ostentatious self-congratulatory flourish.

Throughout this satisfying album we feel the invisible hands of destiny guiding the notes to a place where there can never be any strife or unrest. The quiet confidence with which Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy build up the rhythmic repository in Main hoon (rendered with ravishing relish by Shaan and Sunidhi Chauhan) is a sign of a talent that crosses conventional borders of creativity without getting daunted by the signposts or letting audience expectations bog down creativity.

The album wears a tidy and tempestuous look... as though the creator was in a mood to improvise without getting into areas of discomforting innovation. Two tracks No no and Baat samjha karo feature singer Chetan Shashital trying desperately to replicate the Bachchan baritone. I think Sudesh Bhosle did a much better job of imitating AB’s voice in songs that ranged from Jhumma chooma in Hum to Chali chali in Baghban.

Having said that, let’s be very fair. Kyun!... is the kind of musical experience that comes to us very rarely these days. As is their custom, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have created one long-lasting melody for the soundtrack. Aao naa is the kind of supple and silhouetted melody that earlier on would have gone unanimously to the mighty Lata Mangeshkar.

Today, one of the Nightingale’s chief disciples Sadhana Sargam (who earlier sang that haunting title song in Kuch Naa Kaho for the same composers) rises to the occasion. It’s a tune that nags at your brain, almost haunts you.

02 August, 2004 - Vivek: The joke’s on Ash! (filmfare.com)

Last week we told about how the official pranksters - Suniel Shetty and Vivek Oberoi - did a number on the sets of 'Kyun? Ho Gaya Naa'. Ever since, Vivek has become such a specialist at pranks that he's won the title of Badmaash Badshah.

And if you think he spared his 'good friend' Aishwarya Rai from the gags, you need to think again. The lad himself confessed that even Ash didn't escape an on-the-sets prank; even worse, it was planned for the first day of shoot, with the help of director Samir Karnik. Apparently, the lovely Rai just laughed it off, and that was the ice-breaking point for the co-stars. Not that Vivek or Ash are telling what the prank was all about. But that’s what we really want to know, huh Ash?

02 August, 2004 - A story about love and life (hindu.com)

This young man is keeping his fingers crossed as Friday the 13th approaches. And no, contrary to the usual superstitions and horror tales, he's just hoping that his love story will be a success.

"Everybody is saying that Friday the 13th is a day for horror tales but this is fortunately a love story! Actually, it is also a situational comedy -- a light hearted film. But at the end of the day, it is a love story," says first time director, Samir Karnik, referring to the upcoming release of "Kyun! Ho Gaya Na...".

And like every love story, Samir has promised a twist in this one as well. The tale revolves around Arjun Khanna and Diya Malhotra -- played by Vivek Oberoi and Aishwarya Rai. And not to forget, "Uncle", portrayed by Amitabh Bachchan. While Arjun is cool and trendy, Diya is a strong-minded girl, who knows exactly what she wants. But here's the twist -- contrary to the usual Bollywood masala movie, here Arjun despite his cool image believes in arranged marriages while Diya is looking for the right guy to settle down with.

"There were just too many movies with the usual theme and so I just thought why not flip the theme on its head. In this film, the boy's views are conventional while the girl wants to find her own life partner. This is a simple story about love and life. But then who said love and life are that simple?" says Samir who has also incidentally written the script.

Whether the film sets the cash registers ringing or not, will be decided on Friday the 13th but Samir has enjoyed his debut as a director. "Everything that could go wrong with the film has gone wrong. Both Aishwarya and Vivek had their accidents. It's been a roller coaster ride! But I am very satisfied with what I have seen in the end," say Samir.

The film apart, making "Kyun! Ho Gaya Na!" has been a dream come true for Samir. And the dream, he reveals, is not so much making the film, as it was making it with Big B. "I have always wanted to make a film with Amitabh Bachchan. And now I have finally done it! It was the most wonderful experience. I think the time that we had during the outdoor shooting was great. He is so experienced, so professional. He keeps the unit alive. And even though I am so much younger than him, he was so respectful towards me," says Samir.

And while Samir is waiting for the final verdict, he's already planned his next move. "I have two scripts that I have in mind. And while it's fun directing a script that has been written by yourself, I don't mind working on someone else's script as long as it's good. But immediately, as soon as the film is released, I am going for a holiday!" laughs Samir.

02 August, 2004 - Jodi No. 1? (timesofindia.com)

For every legendary onscreen successful pairing of yore—Raj Kapoor-Nargis, Amitabh Bachchan-Rekha, or Rishi Kapoor-Neetu Singh — there is a Katrina Kaif-Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai-Vivek Oberoi, Shaahid Kapoor-Kareena Kapoor and John Abraham-Bipasha Basu ready to recreate the magic of romance today.

With films like Kyon..! Ho Gaya Na, Fida, MilengeMilenge, Madhoshi and Sohail Khan's new film featuring these widely acknowledged real-life lovers hitting the marquee over the next few months, onscreen chemistry will find a new meaning.

Vivek and Aishwarya met on the sets of Kyon! ..Vivek's pranks melted Ash's heart and the effect is visible on screen. The actor believes that in this popcorn film era "economics comes before emotions and professionalism is placed before passion" but it helps when you share a close rapport. "Ash and I shared a great comfort level on screen. She has no nakhras."

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says it's a win-win situation for the filmmaker as well as the couples. "You get a 100 per cent opening. The work atmosphere is easy. Bulk dates from the couple, and in return, the couple gets ample time to spend together in outdoor shootings!" But he doesn't ignore the pitfalls. "There are several cases of couples falling out during the shooting."

Producer Boney Kapoor laughs, "The best thing is the producer doesn't have to look after the heroine. The hero takes care of that!" On a serious note, he feels, "However, mere star charisma doesn't ensure success if it is not backed by a good storyline and a great treatment".

Whether the screen sizzles or not, Mumbai is definitely gearing up for the the heat.

02 August, 2004 - Designers' show (hindu.com)

These are "designer times." As Bollywood productions are going in for a slick look, it is not just exotic locations or big stars that sell. Right from the perfect haircut to the stylised costume and the right colour, Indian movies seem to be becoming a designer show. Or better yet, the "designer's" show.

A trend that picked up with designer Manish Malhotra and continued with Rocky S now also has Aki Narula sharing the limelight as Bollywood becomes more fashionable. But with Bollywood productions beginning to resemble catwalk shows, it's the designers who seem to be acquiring the well-known temperamental star-attitude.

Setting the design trend for upcoming "Kyun! Ho Gaya Na", Aki is a busy man.

So busy in fact, that while the star-studded cast of the movie with Amitabh Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi and Aishwarya Rai may be busy planning their schedules for the release, Aki is too busy to explain the look he chose for the cast. Caught between photo-shoots, Aki couldn't spare more than "five minutes" to explain why Amitabh Bachchan is sporting a much younger look or why Aishwarya has done away with her usual straight hair.

So while the designers may be busy designing the perfect look for the stars, Aki seems to have slipped into the star-mode himself.

26 July, 2004 - The box-office draw of real life couples (keralanext.com)

The oh-so-human "Spiderman 2" has shattered all box-office records in the US, but in order to cast its web over Indian film connoisseurs, it will have to contend with real life couples sizzling on the big screen.

The Spidey sequel that made a weekend haul of $180.1 million in the US went into action in 300 theatres across India Friday backed by unprecedented hype unleashed by Columbia Tristar.

From distributing "Spiderman" masks at traffic lights to strategic tie-ups with phone companies, dailies and TV channels, the distributors left no stone unturned to ensure the superhero gets a warm welcome all over again.

Though its initial run in India would be left more or less unchallenged by Bollywood, in the weeks ahead, Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker will meet head on with Vivek Oberio and Shahid Kapur, who are the envy of the nation after having stolen the hearts of two of Hindi cinema's most beautiful women, Aishwarya Rai and Kareena Kapoor respectively, in real life.

Come August, Aishwarya and Vivek will live out their much-publicised off-screen affair onscreen in "Kyun? Ho Gaya Na...!" that is slated to release mid-August. The Narsimha Enterprises film by director Sameer Karnik also stars Amitabh Bachchan and Suniel Shetty.

The film's music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is average and the storyline about the meeting of a believer in love (Aishwarya) and a believer in arranged marriage (Vivek) does not seem path breaking.

Undoubtedly the film's USP is the first-time onscreen pairing of Aishwarya with Vivek. The former Miss World's rocky romance and melodramatic break-up with actor Salman Khan had made it to front page of national dailies.

Salman and Aishwarya were a dream team when they worked together in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam". When Aishwarya broke up with Salman, she told a roomful of reporters, "I'm glad the Salman chapter is over in my life. I have long endured the indignity, the physical abuse and the alcoholism."

Previously, Vivek had called a press conference to tell the world that Salman had threatened him against seeing Aishwarya.

Ironically, the public posturing worked in favour of Salman whose first release after the break-up - "Tere Naam" - was a hit fuelled by rumours that it was a take on his real life romance and got him the tag of a jilted lover.

Though there is nothing official about Aiswharya and Vivek's affair, at a recent promotion of "Kyon! Ho Gaya Na...", the pair enthralled fans by dancing together.

Asked about his onscreen chemistry with Aishwarya, Vivek said: "The chemistry was exactly like what it is when we are not acting - perfect!

"The fact that we are friends did help. We share a certain comfort level with each other, a rapport that is essential if you are to produce quality work."

26 July, 2004 - Bachchan plays a matchmaker! (apunkachoice.com)

In Samir Karnik’s "Kyon? Ho Gaya Na", Amitabh Bachchan will be seen in a marginal but interesting role of a fun loving uncle.

After some serious roles, Bachchan will be seen doing some comedy in this film that stars Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi in the leading roles.

The movie has Bachchan playing an interesting character of an uncle, who is an easygoing man with a knack for humor. He is a man who helps the leading characters Ash and Vivek in getting over misunderstandings.

In the words of the movie’s director, Big B plays “a jolly-hearted character of an uncle who sorts things out and tries to get the couple together.”

“People will have a blast seeing Bachchan ji in the film,” adds Karnik.

26 July, 2004 - Here & There (expressindia.com)

He called her ‘‘pretty, pretty lady’’ and she giggled. Quite predictable, from Vivek Oberoi to Aishwarya Rai, right? But the caramel couple did something unpredictable on July 19 at Malad’s plush Inorbit Mall - they danced for an exited crowd.

Of course, the jig to the song, No No, was a promotion for their forthcoming film Kyun! Ho Gaya Na. To the crowd’s disappointment, the lovers kept their real-life affection under wraps, except when Ash backslapped Vivek, as he ribbed her about her bad throw (she was distributing CDs). But otherwise, Ash and Oberoi were totally thanda.

22 July, 2004 - What's in a name? (expressindia.com)

Once upon a time in Bollywood, there was Raj, the romantic. Then came Vijay, the angry young man. Soon came Rahul — a little like Raj, he was a do-gooder and a Casanova. Then there was also Prem, the eternal boy-next-door. In this long list of popular names in Bollywood, comes Arjun.

Whether it’s Vivek Oberoi playing an ‘I-know-what-I-want’ yuppie, Arjun Balakrishnan in Yuva, or Salman Khan as ACP Arjun Ranawat, the cool cop in Garv: Pride and Honour, our hero has a new name.

Punit Isarr, director of Garv says he decided to name Khan as Arjun because of symbolic reasons. ‘‘Arjun means a warrior and in the film that’s what Salman does. He takes up arms to clean the corrupt system,’’ he explains. Perhaps Isarr still suffers from a Mahabharata hangover (he played Duryodhan in the television epic), but Samir Karnik (who’s directing Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi in Kyun! Ho Gaya Na,) faces no such dilemma. He christened Oberoi Arjun Khanna in the film because ‘‘its a cool sounding name.’’

Oberoi’s punchline in the film is very filmi: ‘‘Pyaar aur haar Arjun ki dictionary mein nahin hai.’’ (Love and defeat are not included in Arjun’s dictionary). And though Oberoi likes the name, he’s wary about being stereotyped as Arjun. ‘‘It’s only in two films. I will change it now. I want to play different names and different characters,’’ he says.

Incidentally, Arjun is most synonymous with Sunny Deol. He played the title role in Rahul Rawail’s film and was also Arjun in Lakeer. It seems all that Bollywood wants is yet another Arjun.

22 July, 2004 - Ash-Vivek: Dancing couple! (filmfare.com)

This dashing couple has been dancing around town these days. And it’s not as if Ash has slipped into her dancing shoes to paint the city scarlet - she's too propah for that. But she and beau Vivek have been doing the 'tango' to promote their film of late. Recently, at a surburban shopping mall, an activity was planned to promote the Ash-Vivek starrer, 'Kyun? Ho Gaya Na' - a song from the film was performed live by Kunal Ganjawala and Dominique Cerejo, who have sung the song in the music album, too, and if that was not enough, Ash and Vivek danced to the tune for a few minutes. Needless to say, the multitudes gathered there went frenzied-mad. Kyun, are you surprised? Yeh toh hona hi tha!

22 July, 2004 - Ash and Vivek differ over marriage (hindustantimes.com)

Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi may not be the reel hot couple we all thought. While the doe-eyed beauty swears by love, Vivek is a great believer in arranged marriages.

Fortunately their marital disagreement is only the plot of Boney Kapoor's 'Kyun! Ho Gaya Na...' The film, which brought together tinseltown's most talked-about pair, promises to be memorable in more ways than one. Rumour has it that the two met while shooting and eventually became more than just good friends.

Aishwarya admits 'Kyun! Ho Gaya Na...' is close to her heart. According to the former Miss World: "Vivek and I signed the film a long time back and it will always be very memorable for me. We had two accidents while shooting and it therefore means a lot to see 'Kyun! Ho Gaya Na...' finally headed for release. The film still holds the same kind of excitement for us as it did when we first decided to act together."

Vivek too has something similar to say. "The film is special to me and I really want to thank all my fans for their tremendous response."

In 'Kyun! Ho Gaya Na...' Ash plays the role of Diya, a woman who believes in marrying for love. She is beautiful, sensitive and emotional. Although she is fun loving, Diya also has a mind of her own. Says Aishwarya, "Vivek's character in the film is called Arjun and he is all for arranged marriages. But the idea of taking the vows with a complete stranger is abhorrent to Diya. The two main protagonists in 'Kyun! Ho Gaya Na...' therefore have very different philosophies of life and you have to watch the film to see how they eventually come together. Diya is unlike any character I have played so far. After a series of very serious roles in films like 'Devdas', 'Chokher Bali' and 'Khakee', it's for the first time that I am doing something really light-hearted and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Hopefully that should show on the screen," she gushes.

Her reel-life mate defies everything Diya stands for. According to Vivek: "My character is a cool guy who thinks a marriage works only if it's arranged. In fact 'Pyar aur haar Arjun Khanna ki dictionary mein nahin hai' (Arjun Khanna's dictionary doesn't have words like Love and Defeat) is my favourite catchline in the film. Arjun's worldview is rather simple - if his parents and their parents before them had an arranged marriage and were happy with the outcome, then why should he be the one to risk all in the name of love?"

But will audiences get to see the famous off-screen chemistry that has taken the industry by storm? Aishwarya certainly isn't telling. "I can't say much about the chemistry, philosophy or mathematics that went into 'Kyun! Ho Gaya Na...' However both Vivek and myself had a very good time while making this film. Besides a couple of accidents, both of us shared a lot else as well and I am hopeful our effort will be visible in our performance on screen," says Ash.

In fact she doesn't want her pairing with Vivek to be seen as opportunistic. "I think it's the audience which decides a film's lead pair. I'm thankful that people have liked my co-stars and myself in most of the films I have done so far. Often the audience must like both the film's narrative and characterisation in order to appreciate the on-screen chemistry between the hero and the heroine. It didn't matter when Shahrukh and I were cast as siblings in 'Josh' or when I appeared as a spirit in 'Mohabattein' - the people liked the characters. Going by the initial response, I'm sure they will like Vivek and me as well," she claims.

Vivek is a little more forthcoming. "The chemistry was exactly like what it is when we are not acting - Perfect!" he mischievously retorts. "The fact that are friends did help. We share a certain comfort level with each other, a rapport that is essential if you are to produce quality work. I believe an actor should have good rapport with every member of the unit, be it his co-stars, cameraman, producer or director. Therefore my sharing good vibes with Aishwarya Rai is not the only thing that matters. You can make a successful film only if you have the support of the whole unit and it's certainly true of 'Kyun! Ho Gaya Na...' We were all more like friends than anything else," Oberoi Jr. is quick to add.

While sources close to the 'Kyun! Ho Gaya Na...' unit insist the film has Vivek and his beau locking lips, Aishwarya handles the question with great élan. "I think you will have to see the film before I can comment on this. But please remember that a lot of rumours occupy newsprint and there are things that I cannot substantiate. The only recourse is to find out for yourself when 'Kyun! Ho Gaya Na...' comes to the theatres in August," she says.

Ash however doesn't deny the possibility of pairing up with Vivek in future. According to her: "There are quite a few offers and talks are going on. As long as our fans want to see us together, we are happy."

20 July, 2004 - Ash, Vivek dance to KHGN (rediff.com)

Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi promoted their first film together, Kyun! Ho Gaya Na..., in the suburban Inorbit Mall in Mumbai.

Though the stars were running late by an hour, thousands of fans waited patiently to catch a glimpse. To keep the audience entertained, [singer] Kunal Ganjawala sang No no from Kyun! Ho Gaya Na... while some dancers joined him.

As soon as the lead couple arrived on the podium, Ash and Vivek said they were happy to see the huge response to their film. "You guys are just amazing. You have seen us together today. Now I hope you all will see us in theatres on August 13," Vivek yelled.

"This is an amazing experience," Ash cried after the event. "The crowd is very enthusiastic about Kyun! Ho Gaya Na... We had to cut short our function because we feared a stampede."

About her role in the film, Ash said, "I play a girl who does not believe in getting married to any person without any reason. I will marry only that person whom I love and understand."

Vivek added, "And I play someone who believes that if my great grandfather, my grandfather, and my father went for an arranged marriage, why should I be any different? Why should I have a love marriage? All of them led happy lives, so why should I risk a love marriage?"

The actor continued, "We went through some bad times [while shooting]. First, I met with an accident. Then, Ash also had an accident. The film kept getting delayed. Luckily, it is complete now and ready for release."

Ash said the couple, who are currently dating, have more films together in the pipeline. "But I never announce new projects," she asserted. "The producers do that. After all, he is the person who is putting his money in the film. So we will announce our next film at an appropriate time when the producers are ready with their statements."

Apparently, Kyun! Ho Gaya Na... includes a kissing scene between Ash and Vivek, a first for both.

Asked about it, Ash said, "It's you [journalists] who write in the newspapers. And you only want me to confirm it."

But when pressed, she said diplomatically, "If that is the case, then you must watch Kyun! Ho Gaya Na... to confirm it!"

The actress refused to comment on whether the offscreen chemistry between the stars would work for the film. "I don't know about chemistry, philosophy, and mathematics," she joked. "Any film will do well if it is made well. I played Shah Rukh Khan's sister in Josh. Then I played his love interest in Devdas. These were contradictory roles, but people still enjoyed watching me in these films."

20 July, 2004 - No Salman-Ash & Amitabh-Abhishek Clash (planetbollywood.com)

The much touted Salman-Aishwarya and Amitabh-Abhishek clash will not take place on August 13th as the Salman-Abhishek-Shilpa starrer ´Phir Milenge´, which was supposed to clash with ´Kyun ! Ho Gaya Na..´ (as per the tentative schedules) will release later this month or maybe in August.

The Aishwarya-Vivek-Amitabh starrer "Kyun! Ho Gaya Na," will definitely come on the above mentioned date.

20 July, 2004 - Vivek, Ash dance in public (indiafm.com)

It was film promotion with a difference. To promote Kyun? Ho Gaya Na!, the lead stars of the film, Vivek Oberoi and Aishwarya Rai, enthralled their fans at the newly-opened, plush shopping mall, Inorbit, at Malad, Mumbai on Monday, July 19.

Two giant screens were placed at the foyer of the mall, which beamed the songs and promos of the film back to back.

Why Inorbit?

"I fell in love with the mall when I came here first. That's when I decided I must do something here," Kyun? Ho Gaya Na! director Samir Karnik informs me.

The promotion coincided with the premiere launch of the song, No No. Kunal Ganjawala and Dominique Cerejo, who have rendered the song, gave a live rendition, while Ash and Vivek shook a leg on the catch number.

The crowd went into raptures every time the two stars spoke. The stars also flung the audio cassettes at the crowd, which resulted in a mini stampede.

Vivek and Ash interacted with the media subsequently.

"Kyun? Ho Gaya Na! has shaped up wonderfully well. With the right promotion, it should work wonders," Vivek tells me.

And how is the on screen chemistry with Ash? "Exactly like off screen. Perfect," he smiles.

Kyun? Ho Gaya Na! releases worldwide on August 13.

20 July, 2004 - Aishwarya & Vivek Oberoi mesmerize fans (glamsham.com)

Producer Boney Kapoor's 'Kyun ho Gaya Na' in a strategic tie-up with toothpaste major Close-up organized a unique promotion for their upcoming film's premier of the song 'No No…' at the newly opened posh shopping mall, Inorbit, in the suburbs of Mumbai. The mall was packed to full house right from early evening to have a glimpse of their favourite close-uped couple - Aishwarya Rai & Vivek Oberoi.

The stars made their entry pretty on time and were amazed to see the enthusiasm and their fan following. Kunal Ganjawala and Dominique Cerejo, who have rendered the song in the film, did a live performance with a dance troupe, while Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi did a boogie on the number. Both the actors enthralled the crowd by their sheer presence and what with them waving at each and every one. They did the promotion gig by hurling the film's Audio Cassettes and CDs and posters in the crowd.

The premier of the song was followed by a press conference. Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi both looked pretty confident about the outcome of the film. "I am playing a different character this time around, after films like Devdas, Choker Bali, Khakee, etc. It's a very live character and would be a pleasant surprise for the audience," commented the beauty. Adding to it she said, "It's a completely fun film", and in the same breath she added, "and the biggest prankster is here", pointing at Mr. Bachchan in one of the posters". It is heard that Big B is playing a comic role in this film after his characters in the past. Incidentally Amitabh has played a number of comedy (hilarious) characters in the past like Amar Akbar Anthony, Namak Halal, etc.

Vivek Oberoi was seen with a Dev Anand style cap on and seemed quite confident too about the film. When asked about his on-screen & off-screen chemistry with Ash, he said, "When I did my first film with Antara Mali, people said I have a good chemistry with her, followed by Rani Mukherjee in Saathiya, Kareena Kapoor in Yuva, every time they said I had good chemistry with that particular heroine. Well, I would rather say, that I am the common factor so I have the best chemistry, please ask the ladies about their chemistry with me."

All in all both the actors have claimed that the response they have received after the promos and trailers is pretty promising, but finally it will be the Friday that will decide.

20 July, 2004 - Close Up ties up with 'Kyun! Ho Gaya Na' (glamsham.com)

Close up, one of India's leading toothpaste has tied-up with Boney Kapoor's forthcoming movie 'Kyun! Ho Gaya Na', a romantic comedy, to reach out to its consumers through a joint promotion. Starring Vivek Oberoi, Aishwarya Rai and Amitabh Bachchan, 'Kyun Ho Gaya Na' is releasing in August 2004. To promote the movie, Vivek and Aishwarya made a special appearance at the recently opened 'Inorbit Mall' at Malad, Mumbai and enthralled the fans with their performance.

As part or this unique promotion, Close up will not only get branding opportunities in all the movie promotions and communications, but also showcase their latest ad before the movie commences. Close up's association with the movie is very real and in line with its brand attribute of 'imparting confidence to bring people together' as is the storyline of 'Kyun! Ho Gaya Na' - a story of two individuals with contrasting ideas on marriage.

Speaking on the association, Debjit Rudra, Marketing Manager, Oral Care, HLL, said, "Our tie-up with this movie provides us with a great opportunity to connect with the youth and movie audiences. The joint promotion highlights the values of the brand by bringing alive 'Kya Aap Naya Closeup Karte Hain'. For the promotion, we are jointly conducting branded TV promos, Outdoor and Retail activities. The on-air promos are integrated into the theme of the movie as well as bring out the brand proposition. We believe this association will help the brand connect in a unique and innovative manner with our consumers". He further added, "Closeup is a vibrant, youth brand and has always been innovative. We have just re-launched Closeup with the benefits of Strong, White teeth and Fresher breath. We have added "Vitamin Fluoride System" to deliver the proposition to our consumers. This is the only brand in India with "Vitamin Fluoride System".

Producer Boney Kapoor stated, "A tie up should compliment each other that is the film & the Brand. This association will result in a perfect fit for the Brand Closeup with Kyun! Ho Gaya Na. We look forward to our future tie ups also with Lintertainment & hope to achieve new grounds in merging the Film Industry & the corporate sector".

"Lintertainment has brought together a legendary and popular brand like Close-up with a mega multi-starrer like Kyun Ho Gaya Na, in the process creating a benchmark of applying a scientific approach in the business of associating brands with films. This historical step taken by Lintertainment will completely revolutionize the entertainment marketing industry," said Ashish Bhasin, Director-'MAG, Lintas India.

17 July, 2004 - Salman vs. Ash, Big B vs. Son (indiafm.com)

It's battle royal on August 13, 2004. As things stand today, the two biggies - KYON! HO GAYA NA… and PHIR MILENGE - are scheduled to hit the screens on August 13. What's so special, did you ask? Well, read on…

It's a special week because the date will witness the clash of a Salman starrer [PHIR MILENGE] with that of a Vivek - Ash starrer [KYON! HO GAYA NA]. The ex-lovers - Salman and Ash - may not have clashed in real life, but expect the [reel-life] fireworks on August 13.

Similarly, it's the first time when two films of the Bachchans - father and son - are pitted in the same week. While the father is an integral part of KYON! HO GAYA NA…, son Abhishek plays a stellar role in PHIR MILENGE.

Incidentally, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are the music composers of the two films.

Await Friday the 13th… let's see who wins the race!

17 July, 2004 - Cupid attack (expressindia.com)

Director Samir Karnik hopes the Vivek-Ash link will bring the crowds in.

Bollywood churns out love stories every week. What’s so different about Kyun! Ho Gaya Na?
It is the presentation that will make all the difference. I am very sure whoever watches the film will wish his/her lover was like this.

What’s the conflict in the film?
It’s between the theories of the two characters: Arjun and Diya. Arjun is naughty and adventurous. His view on marriage is quite simple: he believes in arranged marriage. Diya, on the other hand, can’t comprehend how one can get married to a picture. She wants to meet the person, understand him and fall in love with him. How they find a meeting ground is what my film is about.

What’s Amitabh Bachchan doing in here?
He plays a very interesting character. He doesn’t have a name, he’s called Uncle. And he isn’t anybody’s father—he plays Cupid. He sorts things out and tries to get the couple together. After a long time, he is doing a comic role.

Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi will be seen together on screen for the first time. Will expectations be too high?
Well, the film started two years back, so the plot was already in place. We did not add anything extra. My characterisation is strong, yet both Aishwarya and Vivek have bettered whatever I’d written. I think the chemistry is working well—and I know the audience will come in to see how they look together.

The film has been bogged by controversies: Dia Mirza’s unflattering comments on Oberoi’s attitude, and starlet Payal Rohatgi crying foul after being axed from an item number. What’s up?
Whenever a newcomer is making a film with big stars, these things are bound to creep in. People are just jealous. Vivek and I want to make a film without much fanfare, but people are not letting us do that. We don’t want to make a rai ka pahad (mountain out of a mole hill), so let it be.

What about the music?
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have scored six wonderful tracks. We have six themes for the songs. There’s a bar song, a friendship song, Diya’s realisation, the No No No title track, Uncle’s song and Arjun’s realisation.

15 July, 2004 - Love Actually! (rediff.com)

He doesn't believe in love. She is all for it.

He believes in arranged marriage. She detests it.

He is a prankster. She is sensitive.

He is Arjun Khanna (Vivek Oberoi). She is Diya Malhotra (Aishwarya Rai).

They share nothing in common. And yet, they fall in love with some help from cupid disguised as Uncle (Amitabh Bachchan).

To take a chill pill from the histrionics and dramatic set-up of Devdas, Aishwarya Rai decided to sign on for a light comedy. That's when Kyun! Ho Gaya Naa..., a peppy romance, was offered to her.

In an interview with rediff.com, the actress, who sports a demure, curly hairdo in KHGN, explained, "You cannot say yes to all the comedy films that come your way. Only one out of 10 works out. I am happy Kyun! Ho Gaya Naa... worked out."

The buzz is that the Scorpio star has also locked lips on screen with Vivek Oberoi, who is reported to be her boyfriend in real life, but is appearing together with her in a movie for the first time.

Kyun! Ho Gaya Naa... has three firsts for Vivek Oberoi.

#1: Of course, it is the first time he is working with Ash. This is what he has to say about her: She is a wonderful star and a great person to work with. She is very professional. We had a great time shooting the film.

#2: It is the first time he is working with Amitabh Bachchan, to whom he paid a tribute by performing to a medley of the latter's hit songs at the fifth International Indian Film Academy Awards function in Singapore in May.

#3: And it is the first time he is playing a racing car driver in a movie.

Films, commercials and endorsements - Amitabh Bachchan leads one hell of a hectic existence.

His popularity remains unquestioned; but the hits are just not coming in.

The Big B featured in Khakee, Aetbaar, Dev, Lakshya and Deewaar: Lets Bring Our Heroes Home. All of them were hugely hyped, but none hit the jackpot at the box office.

But after a spate of emotionally charged performances in these films, Kyun! Ho Gaya Naa... sees the actor play a fun character who loves to utter the phrase 'Come on Charlie'.

Produced by Boney Kapoor, who desperately needs a hit after Shakti, Khushi and Run, Kyun! Ho Gaya Naa… is Samir Karnik's first film as a director.

Karnik assisted filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra on the Bobby Deol-Neha starrer Kareeb.

He also happens to be Vivek Oberoi's buddy from his school days. Oberoi worked with another school friend Shaad Ali's directorial debut Saathiya.

Shot extensively in the UK and Austria, Kyun! Ho Gaya Naa... is slated for an August 13th release.

15 July, 2004 - An Exclusive on Kyun! Ho Gaya Na... (eros)

Eros International is proud to announce the theatrical release of Kyun! Ho Gaya Na, the debut feature from writer-director Samir Karnik, on August 13th 2004. The film is produced by Boney Kapoor and boasts an all-star line up of Bollywood talent. Heading the cast are Aishwarya Rai, Amitabh Bachchan and Vivek Oberoi, with strong support coming from Om Puri and Rati Agnihotri.

Kyun! Ho Gaya Na… is a situational romantic comedy that follows a simple story about love and life. Diya (Rai) is an idealistic and sensitive girl, lovingly raised by her widowed father. She is committed to her work at the orphanage that is run by her father's best friend Raj (Bachchan). However, her life takes a turn for the unexpected when, in unusual circumstances, she meets Arjun (Oberoi), a seemingly free spirited, fun-loving and adventurous young man. She discovers she will be living under the same roof as him when she visits Mumbai to study for her Masters degree, as his parents (Puri and Agnihotri) are also friends of her father. The film follows the friendship that develops, despite their very different views on love and marriage!

To create a truly memorable launch, the film will be premiered in Mumbai on August 11th and then Aishwarya, Vivek and Samir Karnik will be making special appearances at preview shows in the UK on August 12th and then in selected cities across the US on August 13th, 14th and 15th.

11 July, 2004 - Flash forward: Bollywood unlimited (hindustantimes.com)

The great celluloid dream is turning sour. Well, almost. In a summer of visual bonanzas this year where Rs 250 crore was at stake, movies which had evoked great expectations have curiously ended with a whimper at the ticket windows. And now with half the year over, predictably exhibitors and distributors are hoping that the second half just might give them enough reasons to pop the bubbly. If July’s first release, Garv opened to almost empty movie theatres in Delhi and the rest of India, luckily the great Bollywood dream isn’t over yet.

Gazing into the crystal ball can be tough especially when you think Bollywood. Leading the race is the year’s most hat ke film, Prawal Raman’s Gayab, where Tusshar Kapoor attempts an invisible act with sultry Antra Mali, releasing on July 16.

August is probably the month for cinebuff. Subhash Ghai is racing against time to wrap up Kisna, his period classic with Vivek Oberoi and Ishaa Sharvani for an August release. Oberoi who also romances real love Aishwarya Rai in Kyun Ho Gaya Na (August 13) confesses that movies “which have good content and the look are the only ones that’ll click now. Kisna and Kyun... have a very young at heart feel.”

Aamir Khan dons the pop patriotic outfit again in Ketan Mehta’s The Rising. Despite financial hiccups, The Rising, should “release in 2004 and is a film that recaptures a part of Indian history.” Vying for equal eyeballs if not more is Shah Rukh Khan’s Swades, shot in secrecy in Wai and Los Angeles, poised for a release this year: “With a film like Swades, the budget is irrelevant. The film has to look good and I know Swades is going to stay with our audiences,” feels producer Ronnie Screwvala.

Later in August, the biker boys (Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Uday Chopra) create Dhoom in the Yash Chopra production directed by Sanjay Gadhvi. “Most of the film has been shot on Harley Davidson bikes and this is one of the first films made in India about men and their mean machines,” elaborates John Abraham. Mahesh Manjrekar tries his hand at supernatural thriller, Rakht (Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Bipasha Basu, Dino Morea) which Manjrekar insists is a “dark, and gritty film.”

Revathy tries to do an Indian version of the Hollywood flick, Philadelphia in Phir Milenge (and despite the jaded cast, Salman-Shilpa Shetty) Revathy adds, “Phir Milenge has a rare sensitivity. Abhishek Bachchan is amazing in the film. ”Abhishek also has an “unusual role in Kiran Reddy’s Naach,” an intense romance hints producer Ramgopal Varma. Towards the year-end Aishwarya Rai might share a Raincoat with Ajay Devgan and a passionate romance with Zayed Khan in Shabd.

But by the end of 2004, will Bollywood finally get what it’s looking for that one big blockbuster which will rewrite history?

11 July, 2004 - Best music of the first half (indiafm.com)

Kyun? Ho Gaya Na…! (Movie to be released)
Classy music presented in a commercial mode - that's how one defines the music of Shankar Ehsaan Loy's Kyon Ho Gaya Na. Else how can one expect a number set in western classical mode like Pyaar Mein Sau Uljhane Hai to be accepted by one and all while Sadhana Sargam's 'Aao Na' transferring you literally to a fairy land! Watch out for the rocking numbers 'No No' and 'Main Hoon' that should be hitting the screen soon!

11 July, 2004 - Will they or won't they? (expressindia.com)

It’s the season of smooches. While Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi are still playing the we-won’t-tell-whether-we-will-or-won’t-lock-lips in Kyun! Ho Gaya Na, Neha Dhupia and Sanjay Kapoor have gone and done it already for Julie. Not to miss, even Dia Mirza and Emraan Hashmi have given it to each other in Tumsa Nahin Dekha.

After playing the title role in countless films, the latest being Dev, here comes a surprise from Amitabh Bachchan. In Samir Karnik’s Kyun! Ho Gaya Na, Bachchan plays a loveable uncle to Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi and his name is also Uncle. Karnik didn’t want to give him any name because he wanted Bachchan to play the role of a nameless Cupid. Okay uncle!

11 July, 2004 - Vivek & Ash together in "Kyon Ho Gaya Na" (smashits.com)

'Kyon... ho Gaya Naa' is a movie starring Vivek Oberoi playing as Arjun and Aishwarya Rai as Diya. According to the story, Arjun is a carefree young man but has his own views about love and marriage. Like today's young men he doesn't believe in love, and wants to marry according to the advice of his parents. That's why he always says, 'Pyaar and Haar' (Love and defeat do not exist in my dictionary). On the other hand, Diya is a beautiful and modern girl. Her views are quite opposite to those of Arjun. She thinks that love is a nice feeling and every girl passes through this stage. Diya believes that she will marry with the person on her own choice. She will not marry a person on the advice of her parents.

Incidentally, Arjun and Diya meet one day. However, they don't pull on with each other. Their every meeting ends with a small quarrel. So nobody imagines that both of them will get married. Enters Amitabh as an uncle and brings Arjun and Diya together. This is a miracle indeed!

Vivek Oberoi and Aishwarya are working together for the first time in this movie. Similarly, Amitabh and Vivek are also seen together for the first time. The movie is ready for release on August 13th. Bonney Kapoor produces the movie and Samir Karnik has directed it. The movie is made under the banner of Narsimha Enterprises with Javed Akhtar as lyrist. The trio of Shankar Ehsaan and Loy has given the music.

11 July, 2004 - Lucky 13! (filmfare.com)

Remember the infamous cellphone skirmish between the Khan and the Oberoi?

Well, though it's a thing of the past now, Salman Khan and his ‘rival’ Vivek Oberoi are heading for another showdown...very soon. The only difference this time around is that it won't be cellphones that will 'ring' the battle royal, but the BO cash registers.

Both Salman's 'Phir Milenge' and Vivek's 'Kyun! Ho Gaya Naa’ (co-starring Aishwarya), are slated to release on the same day - 13th August. Considering their infamous tug-of-phone-war, it will be interesting to see who will win the most territory at the box office a few weeks from now! 13 is bound to be lucky for one at least.

07 July, 2004 - "Close Up" in Kyun? Ho Gaya Na (indiafm.com)

In vein of the ever-expanding field of in-film promotions, the latest one is Boney Kapoor's Kyun Ho Gaya Na.

The film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi will promote Hindustan Lever Ltd's popular brand 'Close Up'. The promotional activities will include on-line promotions, in-theatre activities and ground activities also.

07 July, 2004 - Smooch of the season (indiafm.com)

The Kareena-Fardeen lip-lock in Dev was the buzz of May while Sameera's smooch to Anil Kapoor in Musafir was the talk of the town in June. Now Abhishek Bachchan and Antara Mali have repeated the act.

Yes Aby's baby smooches the sultry hot-n-wet Antara Mali in Naach directed by Ram Gopal Verma and Kiran Reddy. Though this is Antara's first onscreen smooch, Abhishek has been there and done that before to the seductive Lara Dutta in Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost.

And just don't be surprised if this byte too becomes the buzz of the month!

Other Bollywood smooches coming your way are: one between Shamita Shetty and Manoj Bajpai in Bewafaa, but the most awaited one is between love-birds Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi in Kyun? Ho Gaya Na…!.

06 July, 2004 - Romantic comedy with good music (newkerala.com)

"Kyun! Ho Gaya Na" is a love story revolving around how its two main protagonists Diya Malhotra (Aishwarya Rai) and Arjun Khanna (Vivek Oberoi) meet. Divya has had a rough childhood and has been brought up by a close family friend.

She meets a friend of the Malhotras, Raj Chauhan (Amitabh Bachchan), when she goes to Mumbai where she ends up staying in Arjun's home with his parents - who are friends of both Raj and the Malhotras.

Standing at the opposite end of the spectrum on many things but closely identifying with their amore for each other, these main protagonists will end up asking, "Kyun, Ho Gaya Na Pyar".

Vivek plays the lovable happy-go-lucky guy next door, 21st century in everything except on the issue of arranged marriage. Like his forefathers, he wants one. Aishwarya likes Vivek but doesn't agree with his old-fashioned views on love.

It's a romantic comedy with great music.

For the film, Aishwarya had to get her hair curled, which took about two hours. "I had to endure it and my hairdressers worked hard as a wig looks like a wig and we did not want that," she said.

"At times it is not possible, like I settled for a hairpiece for Binodini in 'Choker Bali' as she needed long till the knee. Right from my first movie I have never used any wig and even tried to avoid a hairpiece," she said.

01 July, 2004 - Ash’s kissing kissa (mid-day.com)

The ice-maiden has melted! It seems Aishwarya Rai has shed her inhibitions and indulged in a kiss, and other passionate scenes with her ‘good friend’ Vivek Oberoi for Samir Karnik’s film Kyun! Ho Gaya Naa…

Coming from the usually reserved Rai it is a surprise, as she is said to have turned down other kissing offers earlier.

Karnik when quizzed about the kissing remains non-committal. “Is there?” and then relents, “Even if there is, we have not crossed the line anywhere.” But that’s all he is willing to reveal and refuses to divulge further details. It’s supposed to be a surprise.

Wasn’t Ash uncomfortable doing the intimate scenes? “Of course not,” he denies. “It’s a simple love story with humorous moments and at no point was the comfort zone eroded. We narrated the script to her and right from the beginning she knew and was comfortable with what she had to do.”

The film is awaiting censor certificate, but Karnik is confident of getting it because “it’s a clean, family entertainer.”

Both Rai and Oberoi were unavailable for comments.

29 June, 2004 - Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy inch toward immortality! (ians)

Gradually and confidently, Hindi film music's only trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is inching towards immortality.

It's astonishing what wonderful work they do with first-time directors: Farhan Akhtar's "Dil Chahta Hai", Honey Irani's "Armaan", Rohan Sippy's "Kuch Na Kaho", Nikhil Advani's "Kal Ho Na Ho..." and now debutant Samir Karnik's "Kyun! Ho Gaya Na", which has the cleanest and most captivating line-up of melody and rhythm in recent months.

After turnips like "Garv" and "Mujhse Shaadi Karoge", this one comes as a breath of fresh air.

At first you may wonder what the trio hopes to achieve in the alfresco ambience of the marching beats in "Pyar mein sau uljhane". But it's a totally new sound, done without any ostentatious, self-congratulatory flourish.

Throughout this satisfying album we feel the invisible hands of destiny guiding the notes to a place where there can never be any strife or unrest.

The quiet confidence with which Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy build up the rhythmic repository in "Main hoon", rendered with ravishing relish by Shaan and Sunidhi Chauhan, is a sign of talent that crosses conventional borders of creativity without being daunted by the signposts or letting audience expectations bog it down.

The album wears a tidy and tempestuous look as though the creator was in a mood to improvise without getting into areas of discomforting innovation.

Two tracks, "No, no" and "Baat samjha karo", feature singer Chetan Shashital trying desperately to replicate the Bachchan baritone. Sudesh Bhosle did a much better job of imitating Bachchan's voice in songs like "Jumma chumma".

Having said that, let's be very fair. "Kyun! Ho..." is the kind of musical experience that comes to us very rarely these days. As is their custom, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have created one long-lasting melody for the soundtrack.

"Aao naa" is the kind of supple and silhouetted melody that earlier on would have gone unanimously to the mighty Lata Mangeshkar. Today one of her chief disciples Sadhana Sargam rises to the occasion. It's a tune that haunts you.

One member of the composing trio, Shankar Mahadevan, makes himself vocally conspicuous several places. He shines every time he sings.

There's a quality of enduring joy in the album, heightened by Javed Akhtar's conversational yet poetic lyrics.

29 June, 2004 - Big B plays Cupid (timesofindia.com)

As Amitabh Bachchan's AB Corp launches Viruddh, to be directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, the legend is once again paired opposite Sharmila Tagore. The last time they acted together was in Desh Premee, 22 years ago.

And if you thought the Big B's too old to play a premee at 61, think again! Coming up he's taking his romantic leanings one step further by playing the messenger of love himself — Cupid! Bachchan's excited about the role in Boney Kapoor's Kyon? Ho Gaya Na where Cupid comes in the form of Aishwarya Rai's uncle, who unites a traditional thinking Ash and a modern thinking Vivek Oberoi.

Bachchan, who's shone in many romantic roles, believes that we survive on love. "I am a strong believer in love. It's commitment, respect, sharing and devotion. It's also doing things to keep the other person happy," he says.

Bachchan says he's been fascinated by Cupid, but never got to play one. "I wish I did, but every time others ended up playing Cupid for me," he grins.

26 June, 2004 - The power of love (rediff.com)

What makes Kyun! Ho Gaya Naa... special? For one, it stars Vivek Oberoi and Aishwarya Rai together for the first time. The duo is reportedly seeing each other.

The film also features Amitabh Bachchan, who has had a flurry of releases hitting the marquee in 2004 -- Khakee, Aetbaar, Dev, Lakshya and Deewaar - Let's Bring Our Heroes Home.

Kyun! Ho Gaya Naa... marks the directorial debut of Sameer Karnik, who formerly assisted Vidhu Vinod Chopra on Kareeb.

As the title suggests, the film is an unlikely love story between a boy who is all for arranged marriages and a girl who is a diehard romantic.

"We had a great time shooting the film," says Oberoi.

Ash's reason for signing on Kyun! Ho Gaya Naa... is simple. "I wanted to do comedy," she says. The actress, incidentally, began her career in Hindi films with a romantic comedy ...Aur Pyar Ho Gaya. Ash sports a curly hairdo in the film.

The soundtrack is composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Javed Akhtar pens the lyrics.

The romantic tale is slated for an August 6 release.

22 June, 2004 - KHGN Movie Preview (planetbollywood.com)

Boney Kapoor’s marathon run combined with Amitabh Bachchan’s relay of film releases continues this summer with debutante director Sameer Karnick’s “Kyun, Ho Gaya Na”. Karnick, a protégé of film maker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, which should say enough, had supposedly bowled over cast members Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai with his script alone, having them supposedly accepting the film without discussing anything else. With the soundtrack being just released on the now elusive Tips label, Kyun Ho Gaya Na is another one of this summer’s highly promoted and anticipated films.

An out and out romance flick, Kyun, Ho Gaya Na pairs up Vivek Oberoi with Aishwarya Rai amidst hullabaloos of a potential romance surrounding the aura of the film. And unlike their previous films, Amitabh is nor father or brother to Aishwarya this time, but a mere friend.

Kyun, Ho Gaya Na (the Pyar being dropped) is a love story revolving around the way its two main protagonists meet, Diya Malhotra (Aishwarya Rai) and Arjun Khanna (Vivek Oberoi). Divya has had a unique and rough child hood and spent her life being brought up by a close family friend. Divya meets a family friend of the Malhotra’s, Raj Chauhan (Amitabh Bachchan) when she heads to Mumbai. In Mumbai, she ends up staying at Arjun’s home with his parents who are chummy with Raj and the Malhotra’s in general. Standing at the opposite end of the spectrum on many things but closely identifying with their amore for each other, these main protagonists will end up asking, “Kyun, Ho Gaya Na Pyar”.

13 June, 2004 - "Kyon Ho Gaya Na" postponed! (aishwarya-forever.com)

Fans clamoring to catch an eyefull of the reel-life chemistry between Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi will have a wait in store.

It seems that the pair's first onscreen venture together has been pushed back from the original release date of July 2nd to August 6th, 2004.

While fans may cry a collective yell of "NOOOO!" this may actually be a good step by the producers of the film. To date, only two promos have been released, the weird yet catchy "Pyaar Mein" and the teaser promo which shows Ash and Vivek engaging in some rain dancing as well as snuggling up with the sunset in the background. As well, the music is yet to be released. Add to that the fact that the month of July is packed with biggies that Kyon would do well to avoid.

All in all, the decision to postpone is a very good one. It will provide the makers with more avenues for promotion of the film, which have been lacking so far. I for one can't wait to catch this flick; the wait just makes it all the more exciting.

01 June, 2004 - Additional song in "Kyon? Ho Gaya Na!" (indiafm.com)

While the film is already in its post-production stage, director Samir Karnik is all set to picturize an additional song for his film Kyon? Ho Gaya Na…

No! It's not an item number, but a song will be picturized on the lead stars Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi by choreographer Raju Sundaram.

30 May, 2004 - Dia Mirza in Kyon! Ho Gaya Na… (indiafm.com)

Kyon! Ho Gaya Na… Well, not really. Director Samir Karnik just doesn't seem to be getting enough with the cast of his film. The last time we informed you Suniel Shetty is in the Vivek Oberoi - Aishwarya Rai starrer apart from an extended special appearance by Amitabh Bachchan. And now the latest addition to the film is the fragile Dia Mirza.

Both Dia and Suniel turn out at the climax of the film and are said to have important cameos. And despite the suspense being leaked out, they still promise to be the surprise factor of the film.

28 May, 2004 - Dance to this tune (mid-day.com)

Promos today have become the name of the game. Each one is trying to grab attention as to how innovative they become. And Samir Karnik is one director admits this frankly. Take his Kyon Ho Gaya Naa for example starring Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi.

He specifically asked Javed Akhtar to compose the lyrics in such a way that “the viewpoints of the two characters Diya (Aishwarya) and Arjun (Vivek) are introduced like this: Vivek sings ‘pyaar mein sau uljhan pyaar mat karna’ while Ash says ‘Bhool ke bhi pyaar ko inkaar mat karna,’” Samir says. “This way I am trying to build the relationship between the two of them.”

But ask him if the off-screen chemistry between Ash and Vivek added helped him shoot the romantic sequences and he plays duh.

“No comments,” he smiles enigmatically. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

The best part in his promo is the Big B popping up at the end to say ‘Kyon ho gaya na?’ He is called Uncle in this love story. “He’s the one who makes all the love happen,” says Karnik.

28 May, 2004 - Kiss & tell a reel tale (hindustantimes.com)

Locking lips is suddenly fashionable in Bollywood and we aren’t referring to kiss-n-tell girl Mallika Sherawat. And most of the time even without that mandatory ‘A’ tag attached, the Censor Board doesn’t even blink!

Rani Mukerji who shared a smooch with Kamal Haasan in Hey Ram kisses Saif Ali Khan in Hum Tum, hitting screens today. Kareena Kapoor gets up, close and personal with Fardeen Khan in Govind Nihalani’s Dev. “The kiss was filmed aesthetically,” says Kareena.

Aishwarya Rai and real life sweetheart Vivek Oberoi share a reel kiss in Kyon! Ho Gaya Na.... “As professionals sharing a kiss or doing an intense love scene is fine if the script demands it,” reflects Vivek.

Shamita Shetty had uncomfortable moments when director Dharmesh Darshan made her smooch Manoj Bajpai in Bewafa, as Bajpai tells you: “Shamita was initially not confident but then she’s a good sport.” For Bipasha Basu who’s kissed Dino Morea (Gunaah) and John Abraham (Jism and the forthcoming Mumkin) in reel life, smooching’s “okay as long as you share a good rapport with your co-star.”

Meghna Naidu’s kissing scenes in Husn are “vital to the film”. Sameera Reddy shares passionate kisses with Sanjay Dutt and Anil Kapoor in Musafir. “The scenes carry the story forward,” she says. And as long as the audience gets that extra excuse to visit the theatres, locking lips is also fine!

18 May, 2004 - Bollywood frantically reschedules releases (ians)

Distributors and exhibitors all over the country seem to have been thrown off-guard by the cyclone of releases lined up for June and July.

Virtually every producer with a ready release wanted to bring forward his film to the summer holiday months. But the problem is, there aren't enough theaters.

Right after Boney Kapoor's "Run" and debutant Ahmed Khan's "Lakeer" this Friday, Mani Ratnam's prestigious multi-starrer "Yuva" competes with the Rajshris' teenaged love story "Uuf Kya Jaadoo Mohabbat Hai!" on May 21 for viewers' attentions.

Gaurang Doshi, who was earlier scheduled to release his whopping war drama "Deewaar" along with Yashraj Films' Saif Ali Khan-Rani Mukherjee romance "Hum Tum" on May 28, decided to move his film forward by a week to June 4.

But now, keeping in mind the sure-shot opening of Feroz Nadiadwala's huge cops movie "Aan: Men At Work" on June 4, Doshi has decided to move his film to the end of June.

"What's the point getting into this bottlenecked situation? I'd rather go to the last week of June and get two clear weeks before any big release."

With this strategy in mind, Doshi has requested Boney Kapoor to change the release date of his Amitabh Bachchan-Vivek Oberoi-Aishwarya Rai-starrer "Kyon Ho Gaya Na".

But will Boney Kapoor oblige? After "Run", he has "Bewafaa" and "Kyon Ho Gaya Na" on hand.

June seems specially chock-a-block, with prestigious star-studded releases.

Right after Madhur Bhandarkar's "Aan" June 4, featuring Shatrughan Sinha, Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Raveena Tandon and Lara Dutta, it's Govind Nihalani's taut drama about cops and communal riots "Dev" June 11, with Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor and Fardeen Khan.

June 18 is reserved for Farhan Akhtar's eagerly awaited war drama "Laskhya", Hrithik Roshan's only film this year, followed by "Deewar" June 25 and Boney Kapoor's "Kyon Ho Gaya Na" on July 2 or July 9.

16 May, 2004 - Bollywood's tangy twosomes (timesofindia.com)

Aishwarya & Vivek: The beauty queen and the new pin-up boy are tinsel town's latest couple, who keeping with Bollywood's age-old tradition, cite each other as "very good friends."

Both have a broken relationship behind them (she was dating Salman Khan while Oberoi was engaged to model Gurpreet) and the going has been tough for the costars beginning with Salman Khan's alleged threatening phone calls and the subsequent accidents. But that has not stopped Vivek from being at Aishwarya's side, be it the Cannes festival or at film parties.

However, it remains to be seen whether the interest in their off-screen relationship will also spark interest in their first film together Kyon...Ho Gaya Na?

16 May, 2004 - Ash: "Working with Vivek was a lot of fun" (bollyvista.com)

'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?' will be Aishwarya Rai's twentieth film as an actor. Believe it or not, till date nineteen films of hers have been released. They are, 'Iruvar' (Tamil), 'Aur Pyar Ho Gaya', 'Jeans', 'Albela', 'Aa Ab Laut Chalen', 'Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke', 'Kuch Naa Kaho', 'Josh', 'Kandukonden Kandukonden' (Tamil), 'Mohabbatein', 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', 'Taal', 'Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai', 'Shakti', 'Dil Ka Rishta', 'Hum Kisise Kum Nahin', 'Devdas', 'Choker Bali' (Bengali) and 'Khakee'.

Interview Excerpts:

What lured you to say yes to the offer to act in 'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?'?

The main reason why I agreed to work in Sameer Karnik's 'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?' is that I was keen on taking up a project, which is light hearted, breezy entertainer. As an actor, one tends to listen to ten different good scripts but it is not humanly possible to accept each and every one. I thought it would be a challenge for me to do three different roles and hence I accepted 'Choker Bali' in which I had to work in a Bengali milieu, 'Bride And Prejudice', which had an International milieu and hence a new experience for me and 'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?', which offered me a big relief after doing intense and serious roles like in 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', 'Devdas' and 'Choker Bali'.

How was the experience of doing a negative role in 'Khakee'?

Working in 'Khakee', in a negative role, was an eye opener for me. I learnt something new after doing the role, which was different from the parameter of what a typical Bollywood heroine gets to do.

To what extent did you come to terms with playing a comedic role in 'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?'?

It felt like it did the first time I did the negative role in 'Khakee'. It was the first time, perhaps in my career that I have done a comedy like 'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?'. I feel that it is difficult for an actor to do comedy because you have to be creative, since it is very difficult to evoke a smile.

What kind of homework did you do to prepare yourself for your role in 'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?'?

I had a blast working in 'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?'. I have a good sense of humor. As a person, I often tend to look at the flip side of life, though it does not necessarily mean that I am flippant. I had an absolutely good time working in the film because I enjoyed being a part of the project, which also had Amitabhji in it. He kept Vivek and me in stitches throughout the making of the film. If I am not having a good time, it shows in my performance.

How was it working with Vivek as a co-star?

Working with Vivek was a lot of fun. It was the first time that I worked with him. Earlier, I had worked with experienced and senior actors like Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor, and Ajay Devgan. It was also the first time that I worked in a film, for which there was sync sound, whereas Vivek had already done 'Saathiya'. The highlight as far as KHGN is concerned is since we were all on the same level when on the set, it brought out the right spirit in each one of us, including Amitji.

Can you elucidate about your role in 'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?'?

I play the role of Diya, a regular girl next door who believes in the concept of love. She is a die-hard romantic who believes in the concept of seeking her Mr. Right whereas Vivek in the film believes in having an arranged marriage. How the two, who are at opposite poles come together forms the crux of the subject, which is different from the usual stereotyped scripts.

How was it working with Amitabh Bachchan in KHGN?

It was a joy working with Amitabh Bachchan. It is actually my fourth film with him. I've done 'Mohabbatein', 'Hum Kisise Kum Nahin' and 'Khakee' with him. Amitji has always been nice towards me. We have shared a nice camaraderie right from the time I did 'Mohabbatein' with him. I can feel his affection for me. It is always a big honor to work with Amitji. The best thing about him is whether he is working with Rajji or a second-generation director like Sameer, his approach towards his work is wonderful.

What is your personal relationship with Vivek Oberoi?

I have never made an attempt to conceal my relationship with Vivek. We like each other. We are supportive of each other. What's more, he respects me and I respect him too. As a true friend, he has stood by me whenever I have faced crisis of any sort. It's an honest relationship and we enjoy our association but at this stage I do not want to give our relationship a fixed definition.

09 May, 2004 - Ash: Maza aa gaya na? (bollyvista.com)

For all those people who think that Vivek and Ash had a real good time while doing Sameer's film 'Kyon? Ho Gaya Na', they're absolutely right. Ash herself admits to having a blast. "I had a blast working in 'Kyon? Ho Gaya Na'. I have a good sense of humor. As a person, I often tend to look at the flip side of life, though it does not necessarily mean that I am flippant. I had an absolute good time working in the film because I enjoyed being a part of the project, which also had Amitabhji in it. He kept Vivek and me in stitches throughout the making of the film. If I am not having a good time, it shows in my performance." A thorough professional of course, but also human.

02 May, 2004 - "Kyon? Ho Gaya Na!" trailer clinches the deal! (bollyvista.com)

The trailer of Boney Kapoor's 'Kyon? Ho Gaya Na..!' starring Amitabh Bachchan, Vivek and Aishwarya, impressed the Bombay trade so much that Bombay distributor Ramesh Sippy was able to clinch an excellent deal for Surat and Baroda. And this just soon after the exhibitors of the two 'A' class centres saw it!

Incidently choreographer Sandip Soparrkar has put together a spicy international dance number for Kyon? Ho Gaya Na. If you are wondering the flavor of spice...it will be a hot sizzling Latin number!

29 April, 2004 - A sit down with Vivek

Vivek Oberoi had made his debut with 'Company', and followed it up with 'Saathiya', 'Dum' and 'Darna Mana Hai'. In the news because of the rave reviews he has garnered for his comic performance in 'Masti', Vivek is now all set to follow up 'Masti' by bouncing back with not one or two but three more releases this year. They are 'Kyon? Ho Gaya Na?', 'Yuva' and 'Kisna'. On the sets of 'Kyon? Ho Gaya Na?', Vivek tells Jyothi Venkatesh that he is pained by rumors, which insisted that he was cheeky towards Amitabh Bachchan for whom he has the highest regards.

Excerpts:

What is your role in 'Kyon? Ho Gaya Na Pyar'?
I play a happy go lucky character called Arjun. Words like love and defeat are not there at all in his dictionary. Arjun is a hard-core sportsman who is into racing, riding bikes, playing football and other games. In short Arjun is a 25 year old who does not take his life seriously. For him life is fun. He is a prankster who is bubbly and energetic. He is also pompous and sweetly egoistic. Though he is quite a modern guy, he believes in arranged marriage because his father, his grand parents etc have all had an arranged marriage and he does not feel anything is wrong as far as arranged marriage is concerned. However, Aishwarya Rai who is playing the leading lady opposite me in the film seeks true love before marriage.

Talking of true love reminds me, what is your view on love?
Love is the most beautiful emotion in the world. It connects you with some one else in the world and that in turn gives you connection to your soul. You will love even a bad film if you happen to watch it with your beloved.

Which bad film did you love when you watched it with your beloved?
I am sorry I do not want to talk about my personal life.

How was it working with Sameer Kulkarni who is the director of KHGN?
Sameer is a director on the sets. He is very strong on technical aspects. He should be lauded for making an attempt to make a film, which is scary for normal directors. In KHGN, there is no villain. In fact throughout the film, you will not find even a single negative character. Hardcore emotion or commercial masala will be conspicuous by their absence in the film, because Sameer has not tried to play safe.

How advantageous was it to have Sameer, a school buddy as the director?
Sameer happens to be a buddy of mine right from the school days. It did help me that Sameer was a buddy but then friends tend to grind you and take you for granted. Amitji, Aishwarya and all the other actors in the film got a better deal because they were not school buddies of Sameer, who was a slave driver on the sets. It is difficult for an actor to work with a friend of his because you have got to demarcate the line of demarcation between friendship and your profession.

Can you elaborate?
Whether I was working with Mani Ratnam in 'Yuva' or for that matter Ramu in 'Company' or Subhash Ghai in 'Kisna', I have always had the privilege of having the freedom to ask them if I could set out to interpret a particular scene in a different manner. They have been supportive to my suggestions too. However since Sameer has got to prove himself with this first attempt of his, I couldn't take the liberty of giving him suggestions.

Is it true that you and Ash were playing chess and making the unit wait for both of you while shooting for KHGN in Scotland?
It is a white lie. The day used to start at 3.30 am and end at 11.30 pm when we were shooting in Scotland. At times we used to work round the clock for as many as 16 hours. We were at the mercy of the lights there. Tell me where was the time to play chess when we had to complete the schedule and come back to Mumbai? I was pained when we were both dubbed unprofessional in spite of our having worked for 16 hours every day.

You have been cheeky to Amitabh Bachchan calling him a dude!
My gosh! How can you even think of me having done something as cheeky as calling Amitji a dude? When all these rumors emanated, I had never shot even a single scene with Amitji. I can never disrespect him. If today Bollywood had a temple, of its own, Amitji would have been an idol there. I am not an atheist as far as disrespecting God is concerned. Amitji who is playing the character of Jagat Uncle was wonderful as a co-actor. He bonded with us in spite of his age. He has this amazing capacity of making you feel comfortable as if you are talking to a peer. He never made me feel that he is the phenomenon called Amitabh Bachchan. Amitji is a livewire on the sets. I forgot all about my pain and agony after my accident when I watched him work tirelessly on the sets, inspiring every one of us.

How was it working with Aishwarya considering both of you are more than just friends?
She is a thorough professional. For instance, it takes amazing professionalism and discipline to sit and do what she does to her hair by reporting on the sets two hours before the shoot starts and leaving the sets only after the pack up.

What did you learn by observing both Amitabh and Aishwarya on the sets?
Both Amitji and Ash taught me patience as well as professionalism to be in control and not to let anything and everything upset you as a person when you are an actor on the sets. They taught me to be lively and have fun on the sets too. Ash would not stop giggling whenever she was with Amitji who used to keep regaling the entire unit with his jokes.

How challenging to you is your role in KHGN as Arjun?
I do not think that the character I am playing in KHGN is either a performance-oriented or a challenging one. It is a lighthearted film, which will certainly make you relax. It is not a role, which will change history.

Which are your films on the floors right now?
Among the films in which I am working right now are Subhash Ghai's 'Kisna', and Mani Ratnam's 'Yuva'. In fact this year, four of my films will be released including KHGN. 'Yuva' was thrown out of schedule because of my accident. But for my ill-fated accident, 'Yuva' should have been released by now. There were just 9 nine days left for the completion of 'Yuva' when the accident occurred.

Why are you very choosy as far as your assignments are concerned?
I want to give top priority to quality and not quantity. I am committed till mid-2005. I do not want to take up each and every project, which is dangled in front of me because making money isn't mission as an actor.

18 April, 2004 - Vivek dishes on "Kyon? Ho Gaya Na"

The actor talks passionately about the art of acting, praises his lady love Aishwarya’s professionalism, deifies Amitabh Bachchan and also clears the air on a topic or two! Giving you this Oberoi with a difference!

Kyon Ho Gaya Na sounds like an exciting project. Tell me more.

Yeah. The film is a light-hearted romantic comedy. I play Arjun, a racer and an individual who doesn’t believe in love. ‘Love’ and ‘Defeat’ are words which do not exist in his dictionary. He is a competitive sportsman, who doesn’t take life seriously. For him, everything in life is a joke and well, life is fun. He is an egoistic, pompous and energetic guy. He has a modern outlook towards life but as far as marriage is concerned his views are a bit outdated. He feels that the ‘arranged marriage’ is the perfect one because he does not believe in either love or in the term ‘soul mate’. On the personal level, I identify with the role a lot as far as playing pranks and having fun is concerned. But as far as love goes, I believe in it completely. It is the most beautiful emotion ever and it is that feeling that connects you to another person. And that connection gives you a link to your own soul. That person makes your ordinary day extraordinary and a simple moment special. That’s what love is.

The director of Kyon Ho Gaya Na, Sameer Karnik, is a friend too. On the sets, was he more a friend or a filmmaker?

He was more a filmmaker than a friend. Sameer is technically very strong and is making an attempt to make a film that is light-hearted. He is a hard taskmaster, a slave driver (laughs). When we go on an outdoor shoot, either here or abroad, we are at the mercy of natural light. So, while in Scotland, instead of being a friend to the actor, the sunlight favoured the director. The sun rose at 4.30 a.m. and stayed on till 11.30 p.m. So we were caught up in a frenzy of shooting, shooting and more shooting. We did all sorts of songs, in all kinds of clothes. In freezing weather I would be dressed in a shirt and pant, getting drenched by a sprinkler. It was by far the most difficult patch of shooting experiences I’ve had. When you work with friends they take you for granted and make you slog. All the other actors in the film got a better deal than I did (laughs).

Seriously, we all worked really hard and it was a good experience. If we started treating each other as friends and backslapped one another on the sets, the unit would follow our example and discipline would fly out of the window. So whatever discussions we would have, would be conducted after shooting hours. The film is well made. There is no shade of negativity in it, no villain. Circumstances propel the story forward, bringing with it twists and turns. Amitji (Bachchan) is working in the movie, playing Jagat Uncle, which is different from all the roles he has done recently. Working with him was a dream come true, a phenomenal experience!

How was it working with Aishwarya Rai?

Fantastic! This is the first time I've worked with her. I think it takes great discipline and professionalism to sit and curl your hair for two hours even before anyone else arrives on the sets in spite of stories being written about your unprofessionalism in the dailies! Just calculate! She has to be on the sets two hours before a shift, before her co-stars or anybody. So, for a 7.00 a.m. shift, she has to be there at 5.00 a.m. And for that she will have to wake up at 3.30 a.m. And mind you, she will leave the sets the same time as everyone else. And come early again the next day! Just to curl her hair!! I’d go mad if I had to do that every day. In Kisna I have an elaborate get-up, which takes me one-and-half-hour to put on. The realisation hit me when I had to go through a similar experience. So, it is unbelievable when people call her unprofessional. People even went to an extent of saying that in Scotland we would be busy having fun and not working at all. I want to ask them for their definition of professionalism! We worked for 16-18 hours a day, drove to locations, slept in cars, went without lunches and dinners to catch the maximum in the natural light. People who spread such stories should get their facts right.

What did you learn from Amitabh and Aishwarya on the professional front?

Both taught me patience, professionalism, to be in control of my emotions and to have fun while working no matter what the circumstances. Amitji and Aishwarya both are fond of each other and whenever you walk onto the sets with them you will hear her giggling really loudly with Amitji telling her a joke.

09 April, 2004 - Ash: “Real life is more dramatic than a film scene!”

Aishwarya Rai has had a big hand in bringing Bollywood to the fore, in Hollywood! With her appearance at the film festival in Cannes last year, which she will repeat this year too, Aishwarya was voted the most beautiful actress around, by ‘Hello’ magazine. She also bagged four international projects, sort of justifying her Miss World title. Between giggles and cups of tea, Ms Rai talks about all that she has done in the past year... with plans for the future.

Isn’t it a relief to do a Kyun Ho Gaya Na after heavy-duty films like Choker Bali and Devdas in the last two years?

Yeah, you could call it that. That was one of the main reasons I accepted Kyun Ho Gaya Na. Soon after Devdas, which was an intense film and experience, I wanted to choose films that were different from each other. Films that would give me an opportunity to do varied roles and also help me enjoy my work. I chose Choker Bali because it meant working in a new language and involved another discipline in terms of work. Kyun Ho Gaya Na because it was a light and funny film. Bride and Prejudice would be my first English film. And Khakee meant working with Rajji (Rajkumar Santoshi). We’ve been trying to work together for a few years but couldn’t, so I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity.

Kyun Ho Gaya Na is a romantic comedy. Was doing comedy, tough?

Yes, very! But I’ve done comedy before in Hum Kisise Kum Nahin and Josh. Sense of timing is important in comedy but it is the participation of your co-stars that brings out the best in you, besides the conceptualisation of the entire film i.e. dialogues, scenes etc. (giggles) It is so difficult to get a smile out of people. I have a good sense of humour and find a lot of things in life funny. I always tend to look at the flip side of things but it doesn’t mean I am flippant by nature. For example, at times when I’ve been part of an intense situation in life I find myself thinking whether this is for real? Real life is more dramatic than a film scene! It is reality. I try and smile about situations in real life.

Vivek Oberoi said that Amitabh Bachchan and you made him comfortable by cracking jokes, laughing and giggling on the sets!

Did Vivek say that I giggled? He’s making me out to be a giggle head. I think Amitji cracks jokes on every film set to lighten the situation at hand and reassure those around him. His jokes are funny and I think it is wonderful for him to go that extra mile for others. He wants everyone to be comfortable and even on the sets of a serious film like Khakee he’d suddenly crack a joke to break the tension on the sets.

After working with senior stars how was it working with a relative newcomer like Vivek Oberoi?

I always have a good time with my co-stars, be they freshers or veterans. Working with people with experience is always interesting ‘cause every time you do a scene, you learn new things from them. If I don’t have a good time, or am not relaxed on the sets, it will show on screen. Working with Vivek was a lot of fun because everyone was quite focused. This made work easier. This was the first time I did a film in sync sound while Vivek had already done it with Saathiya. So you could call him the experienced one, and I the fresher. He helped me a lot with this new technology.

This new hair-do of yours is already creating controversies. Why waste two hours on it while you could have opted for a wig of curly hair?

(giggles) Because a wig looks like a wig! Get it?! If my hair-dresser and I have to work really hard and endure the effort, then so be it. I feel natural hair looks much better, especially for this look. Of course, when I do a Binodini or a Paro, for a look with long tresses, I’ve to obviously wear a wig. Given a choice, I’m not a wig person and hate wearing ten wigs in a film like others do. But this is my personal opinion. Shooting in places like Scotland, Coorg and nights in Madh Island have been tough on my hair-do because the dew makes the curls go limp. Thus, in-between shots I’d have no rest but just go on curling and curling and curling!

This is your fourth film with Bachchan senior. You seem to share a special something with him!

It’s always a joy working with Amitji for the great person that he is. I first met him during the Ms World pageant and since then he has been very nice. We share a charming camaraderie of mutual respect and I dare say, I can feel his affection. There is genuineness to the bond that I have with him. The same came to the fore during my accident last year on the sets of Khakee. Apart from Akshay Kumar, Tusshar Kapoor and Rajji who were, of course, extremely helpful, Amitji was absolutely wonderful. He would be constantly on the phone giving them news about me. Sweet! He made arrangements with Sahara, getting the plane organized and insisting on me being flown that night itself. Being the victim of an accident, on the sets, he panicked more than I did. He was afraid I might have had an internal injury. It is an honour to work with him for the sheer discipline that he brings in, the daily approach to every role, whoever the director is. His dedication never wavers!

The Rising guys seem to have sent you feelers once again. True?

In December 2003 they sent me feelers urging me to once again become part of the film, the project being what it is (giggles). They were a fortnight away from start of the shooting, so I declined. There couldn’t be more vindication for an actress when you are told that there would be a public apology, my terms would be accepted, everything was going to be sorted out and I could have been back in the film. But the fact is that I received the final script three weeks before the mahurat and my agents were still talking to them so it was not possible to discuss my role at length. When Ketan Mehta approached me he told me about the role. He said if I agreed they would rework the role. But then I didn’t see the need to have discussions as my agents were doing the same. The next thing I know is that the media blew up the whole thing. As usual I kept silent and waited for things to blow over. I speak only when I want to be heard. In December, when they sent me feelers I told them honestly that if at this stage I once again insist on discussing the role, people would once again pass judgements against me. I told them that they had already signed on another actress, but their rejoinder was, “Well, you know how things work in the industry.” I said ‘God bless you’ and declined the role.

Can you tell us about your forthcoming releases?

Kyun Ho Gaya Na, Bride And Prejudice and Raincoat. I will also be doing a film with Pritish Nandy Communications but will speak about it and a film called Sinhasan, when the time comes.

What about the James Bond film? Is it happening?

Six months ago the Bond guys had reportedly come down to meet me. But that meeting never took place. My agents found out that the Bond guys were at the scripting stage and in case an Asian character cropped up, they would meet me. That’s where I left it. I was surprised at the hullabaloo it created in the media.

What is happening to your overseas’ films?

If I’ve to make myself available for films overseas I’ve to stop accepting work here to have more time in hand. I had slowed down my pace and am now going even slower, doing barely two films a year. Last year was the quickest in my seven-year-old career! I completed four films and had not my accident happened, Kyun Ho Gaya Na too would have been released last year. It was my best year! I’m glad that I can now do one film at a time. I’ve finished Kyun Ho Gaya Na and will be completing Raincoat. I’ll then proceed on my world tour with Hrithik Roshan and then be free for work after mid-2004. We are working out schedules for my overseas’ films which I’ll shoot in the latter part of the year.

08 April, 2004 - Vivek: "It's a privilege to have Ash in my life"

Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi. Two strong individuals with strong personas. She, of the stunning looks. He, of the hunky disposition. Sparks were bound to fly and when they did, they went on to script the hottest romance of this year.

The two have been spotted together umpteen number times enjoying each other’s company. They’ve spoken volumes about one other’s professionalism and expressed mutual admiration. But on no occasion did either of them credit their relationship with a verbal acknowledgement in print. So, a lot of people were taken by surprise when Oberoi recently talked about her as “my woman”.

What took him so long to accept something that almost everyone was aware of? “It was spontaneous. Main apni marzi ka maalik hoon. I have the right to do what I want, when I want to. I don’t owe an explanation to anyone,” he snaps.

There have been whispers, rumours and a deluge of stories about them. Didn’t he feel the need to dignify their relationship with an acknowledgement, when Rai was being advertised as arm-candy to Oberoi? “There are so many people with so many opinions. As long as something doesn’t harm her, it’s okay with me. But the day, I find something offensive written about my woman or my family, I’m going to sue the pants of the publication,” comes the fuming reply.

Multitudes of men in our country and others have been smitten by Rai’s charm. So, what was it that drew Oberoi to the former Ms World? “Frankly, I don’t want to talk about this,” he makes it clear, but is more forthcoming when asked about his opinion of her as a person.

“She is a wonderful human being. There are very few people like her. It’s been a privilege to have her in my life. Millions of people love her. People at the grassroots level love her for who she is, and not based on what is written about her or perceived by some,” he says.

One would assume that being part of the same industry, their personal lives would be weighed down by professional constraints. But if Oberoi is to be believed, “You have to take a decision to not allow your work into your home. If that is done, inter-personal relationships can be well-protected.”

Ask him what he thinks of her as an actress and the actor has ample words to extol her virtues. “She is excellent and has honed her skills over the years. I think she was amazing in Chokher Bali. I have tremendous regard for her and I’m looking forward to be with her in more movies. Irrespective of what people may say, she is an absolute professional,” states Oberoi Jr.

On-screen, they will be paired together for the first time in Samir Karnik’s Kyon Ho Gaya Na and later in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Timbuktu and Roland Joffe’s Singularity.

Even otherwise, both the lovebirds have their careers going great guns. Rai has Gurinder Chadha’s Bride and Prejudice ready for release. She is also doing Leena Bajaj’s Shabd and Tanuja Chandra’s untitled venture, apart from the four Hollywood projects seeking her approval.

On the other hand, Oberoi has Indra Kumar’s Masti, Mani Ratnam’s Yuva, Subhash Ghai’s Kisna and Shekhar Kapur’s Paani lined up.

20 February, 2004 - Love Bytes

Vivek Oberoi and Aishwarya Rai are the nation’s heartthrobs. We met them on the last day’s shoot of Samir Karnik’s Kyun Ho Gaya Na. Unmindful of the jostling press-photographers, hyperactive assistant directors and the sweltering heat, the duo fenced questions with aplomb. Excerpts...

Vivek Oberoi

In Kyun Ho Gaya Na you play a guy who doesn’t believe in love. What are your feelings on love?
I’m just an actor essaying a role. In another film I might play a hero who feels intensely about love or I might just be the anti-hero who hates the world. Love certainly is an important aspect of life but I guess you have to have loads of luck to find real love. I always envy my dad who’s found such a loving, caring wife.

How would you describe the film in a nutshell?
In a nutshell Kyun Ho Gaya Na is a romantic comedy. I have been both lucky and unlucky to have played intense roles in all my releases so far. I guess Kyun..., happened at the right time as I certainly needed to break the mould. To play a long innings in this field, you have to be versatile and with Kyun...I’ll prove my versatility.

Does comedy come to you easily or are you more comfortable doing serious roles?
I consider myself to be a director’s actor. In my first film, Company, Varma saab was able to extract the best out of me. With his collaboration I was able to get under the skin of Chandu and that intense, brooding look clicked. In Darna Mana Hai too, I had attempted comedy but it had darker shades. I played a ghost who had to respond poker-faced to Nana Patekar’s comments and only revealed my identity at the end of the segment. It was fantastic, to say the least. The present film too is more or less a situational comedy. I’ve not gone over the top. I guess the only film in which I’m doing out and out comedy right now is Masti.

After working with stalwarts like Varma and Mani Ratnam, did you find it hard to adjust to a first time director, Samir Karnik?
I was never apprehensive about Samir’s capabilities. He is a personal friend and I’m glad to be a part of his first project. He may have just started his career but believe me he will zoom into the big league soon. He was clear right from the beginning about what he wanted and it is important to have an unclouded vision. Then, don’t forget that apart from me and Aishwarya there is Amitabh Bachchan too in the film. I don’t think Boney uncle would have given Samir the helm if he found him incapable of directing Mr Bachchan.

How was it working with Amitabh Bachchan?
He is God. Unfortunately, a certain section of the press implied that I was rude to him on the sets. Let me clarify that it isn’t true at all. I called him up and we both had a good laugh over it. I have the utmost respect for him and it was a pleasure just watching him say his lines. He is a living, breathing institution who can teach so much to us youngsters.

Is your injury still bothering you?
No. Thank God for that. I must add that the accident I incurred while shooting for Yuva was quite a humbling experience. It taught me that you are a slave to destiny. You might think that you have it all, that you have the world at your feet and the next moment you can’ t walk properly. My parents stood by me all the time. They told me to fight the anxiety with my mind and not to encourage negative thoughts at all. The incident has made me mentally tougher. I have become more carefree and have learned to enjoy each moment as it comes.

You seem to be enjoying a dream run. After Ratnam, another industry magnate, Subhash Ghai has signed you for his magnum opus, Kisna.
I feel privileged that Subhashji selected me to play the title role in Kisna. I always dreamt about working with him and consider him as a revolutionary director. I hope this dream run continues.

Aishwarya Rai

It seems you have developed a habit of ‘rising’ out of controversies.
(Laughs) The media is to be blamed for that. Let me clarify that I walked out of The Rising because I felt that my role wasn’t important enough. It wasn’t central to the story. I received the final script of the film just three weeks before the muhurat of The Rising. And for me, it was too short a preparation period. They agreed to rework the script but never got around to doing it. They did come forward to re-negotiate the offer later but I’d heard that they were already talking to another heroine. When I asked them about it, they confirmed the rumour. After that it wasn’t possible for me to work with them.

What is the final score on the Bond front?
The final score is that I’m getting several interesting Hollywood offers but the Bond film isn’t one of them. If and when their offer comes, I’ll pick it up only if the role is meaty enough.

Do you feel that Bride And Prejudice will establish you as an international star?
I hope it does. To be frank, that isn’t my ultimate aim. I just want to work in films that will satisfy me as an actor. So, whether they are Indian or international projects isn’t an issue at all.

How was it working with Gurindher Chaddha?
It is great that I’m working with her because we sort of clicked from the start. She is a sensitive director and has brought out the best in me. Rituparno Ghosh’s Chokher Bali has been well received in Cannes.

Are you working with him again?
I have always been open to experiments. I could have landed any Hindi film but deliberately chose to work in Iruvar as it was a challenging role. Likewise, I chose Chokher Bali because the role was intense and required strict discipline. Rituparno did a splendid job and I’m a part of his next film, Raincoat.

Have you recovered completely from your injury?
Apart from minor pains and aches, I have made a complete recovery. My therapist has successfully guided me back to my feet. Just after my discharge from the hospital, I was caught up in a whirlwind of shoots and my therapist was dead against that. He would call me up ten times and fume at me. Luckily, that phase lasted only one week and after that I was in his good books again. He made me go through a number of exercises and slowly increased their intensity. It was a lot of hard work but it paid off. Here I’m, fresh and new.

What made you try your hand at comedy?
It is not easy to make other people laugh though God has blessed me with a good sense of humour. I don’t have to make an effort to see the lighter side of things. As I had said earlier, I always try out different things. I don’t want to get labelled in a particular slot. I chose Samir’s film because it promised to be different and also because it gave me a chance to work alongside two wonderful actors, Amitabh Bachchan and Vivek Oberoi.

17 February, 2004 - Aishwarya Had A Blast!

Vivek Oberoi and Aishwarya Rai starrer KYUN HO GAYA NA, being directed by Sameer Karnik and the entire shooting is over. It seems that Aishwarya had a great fun working for this company. Reason is obvious as the film also stars Vivek along with her. On the final day of shooting, the maker invited scribes over the sets and Aish couldn’t resist the fact that she had a blast during the shoot as she didn’t hesitant to accept it. The film is scheduled to release in the first half of 2004. So watch out for Vivek-Rai together for the first time on big screen.

16 February, 2004 - Vivek-Ash: Together Again!

A little uncomfortable. A little awkward. Are they trying to hide something?

Reportedly seeing each other, rediff.com caught up with Vivek Oberoi and Aishwarya Rai on the sets of their romantic film, Kyun...! Ho Gaya Na.

Far from forthcoming when quizzed about his lady love, Vivek says, "I don't want to comment on anything that is involved with my personal life." All he does say is, "She [Ash] is a wonde