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<b><i>Ishkq In Paris</i> also marks the re-introduction of Rhehan Malliek as a main lead. However, was it a conscious decision on your part to bring him to the audience only closer to the release? </b><br><br>
Yes, that was the idea. He is now an integral part of the promotion and has starting talking to the media. I am sure that now the film has been released, he would be received very well. He is a very committed actor and what you would see on screen is a lot of sincerity. I think he is going to be a very good surprise package for all. <br><br>

<b>What also surprised was the new theatrical promo that was cut for the film and unveiled three weeks back. What was the idea there? </b><br><br>
I have personally cut the trailer and know where my film stands. When we released our first teaser six months back, there were so many things being spoken about, many of which were not right. There were so speculations and rumours that it all numbed me eventually. I knew that I had a job in hand and that was to deliver the film to theatres. Now that the promos are being liked, I can see that the world has been kind to me. Trade is positive about the film and I have been receiving some flattering calls. While all this is good, I don't know what were people thinking earlier on (laughs). <br><br>

<b>What do you feel has worked with the audience as far as the new line of thought w.r.t. the film's promotion is concerned? </b><br><br>
I believe a couple of lines spoken by my characters are quite integral to the film's narrative. See, my film is not about eternal love but basically about relationships as they are in today's times. This is what is going in the film's favour. So today when people are calling me to say that they like what they see, I am keeping my fingers crossed. I have seen comments which have been negative and now I am hearing things which are positive. The irony though is that the film is the same which I had made then. <br><br>

<b>Amusing, isn't it? </b><br><br>
But then that's fine. I am humble enough to accept positive as well as negative stuff. I am just glad that it is the positive side of affairs that I am looking at now. <br><br>
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<b>Now that the film is releasing today, you must be indeed charged to see it get a respectable release, especially after all the troubles that it faced six months back? </b><br><br>
We are excited and happy. We are in a phase where we are feeling better. These are still early hours. Audience needs to love the film and I am curious to see the feedback pouring in. I am very happy though that there are people close to me who are joining me in this journey now. I am thankful to God and for the fact that I am doing the work that I want to do. <br><br>

<b>The film too has a lot of work to do in theatres though. After all, it is arriving now when the last two matches of IPL are being played. </b><br><br>
Well, IPL is huge and popular across the globe. In fact before finalising today for the film's release, I had discussions with people who matter. On the brighter side, IPL is only for four hours in the evening. Leave that aside and the entire day is up for grabs. Of course these four hours will affect the film but then that's fine. If people want to watch the film and have made up their mind, they would step in nonetheless. <br><br>

<b>There isn't much competition though... </b> <br><br>
Exactly. The situation is definitely much better than what it could have been last year. If we would have stuck to our September timelines, we would have been in the midst of so many movies. Today we have an almost solo release. It is a good day to arrive. People want to watch cinema and a good movie would be definitely accepted.<br><br>


<b><a href="http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/features/type/view/id/5026" target="new">Click here to read Part 1</a></b>

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Love, as the sages say, is a many-splendoured thing. You can look at it as an occasion for stress and heartbreak (which is why we FALL, never rise, in love). Or love can be a celebration of life.<BR><BR>
Director Prem Raj's debut film <i>Main Aur Mrs Khanna</i> took a quaint capricious look at love during times of adultery. On this occasion he takes flight in a Parisian paradise where two strangers, both single attractive and commit-phobic, spend the night together. <BR><BR>
No, not doing what you think in your dirty minds. They roam the cobbled mysterious pleasurable lanes of Paris in pursuit of a good time and then decide "never" to meet again. <BR><BR>
If you've seen how Kareena Kapoor affects the sober staid and repressed Shahid Kapoor in <i>Jab We Met</i> you'd know that feminine exuberance is a hard aphrodisiac to resist, especially if you are a closet-romantic like Akaash (Rhehan Maliek) who in no time at all (first 5 mins of this crisp and delightful slice of love-life comedy) is eating out of Ishkq's lovely hands. <BR><BR>
Ah, Ishqk! She is that kind of a girl. Half-French and fully <i>desi</i>, Ishqk fills up the frames with an unbridled joie de vivre. I can't think of a role better written for Preity Zinta. Missing from the screen for a couple of years, she bounces back with a performance that derives its zing and sparkle from the actress' inbuilt zest for life. <BR><BR>
Preity takes her character Ishqk beyond her own personality. From Frame 1 we see Ishkq as a girl trapped in self-deceptions that leave her unnecessarily wary of relationships. Ishkq hides her real emotions in romantic nonchalance. This is not the first time Preity plays a repressed character. In Nikhil Advani's <i>Kal Ho Na Ho</i> Preity had to make a 'spectacle' of her character Naina to bring out her commitment phobia in the absence of a father-who abandoned her when she was young. <BR><BR>

Here in this Parisian homage to all things romantic, Preity's character blossoms before us without props and yet looking immensely fetching. It is a non-accessorized performance, very basic and liberated from humbug. Preity brings out the highs and lows in her emotionally awash character without taking flamboyant leaps of on-camera conceit. It's a beautifully written and directed part, replete with restrained resonances that give the actress a chance to show her skills in subtle ways. <BR><BR>
Rhehan Malliek as Preity's 'Other' gives the actress just the right cues. Confident and yet not cocky Malliek seems poised for a satisfactory innings in Hindi films. <BR><BR>

Looking at how well Malliek partners the screen-filling Zinta on screen one wonders if this big-hearted rom-com would have worked with any other two actors! These two may not be mad for each other (at least, not until we leave them at the end of the film). But by Cupid, they are definitely made for each other! <BR><BR>
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Director Prem Raj allows the couple plenty of space to let their feeling breathe freely and easily into the narration. The two protagonists may be in a hurry to get somewhere. The film is not. The exquisite camerawork by Manush Nandan sweeps languorously through the neon-lit seductive night-life of Paris and the daytime bustle of the street side cafes without getting into touristic awe. <BR><BR>
One shot where Preity treats Malliek to the wondrous sight of all the lights coming alive in the Eiffel Tower stays with you. If only love could be captured and frozen in its most majestic manifestations! <BR><BR>
But the tribute to Bollywood with Salman Khan shaking hip and lip to a desi Bhangra beat looks forced into the narration. <BR><BR>
Happily, throughout this brief 1 hour 35 minute excursion into the inviting arms of amour director Prem Raj focuses on the two people who meet and like what they see and feel, but are hesitant to get into a commitment. Interestingly the narration is fashioned like a fable with the legendary French actress Isabelle Adjani telling us about Ishkq's brief encounter with Akaash and its aftermath without letting us in to her own role in the romance. It's a cute little secret kept away from us for a while in a film where the main protagonists play out their emotions in full view and with disarming transparency. <BR><BR>

Preity, Paris and Prem Raj whip up a soufflé romance. Fresh frothy feel good and, yes, look good, and with a solid undercurrent of emotional frisson to guide the love story to its heartwarming culmination <i>Ishkq In Paris</i> makes you thankful for that thing called love. The tone of narration is unmistakably European. The lead pair's styling and the speech patterns suggest that the couple for all their professed love for all things desi, are emotionally anchored to a Western way of responding to the love-stimuli. <BR><BR>
And yet there is that inherent conservatism in their conduct which is very heartwarming. The couple spends their first night together without sex. And when Akaash trying to play the global Lothrio suggests they "do it" Preity stares him down. "<i>Indian ho Indian hi raho</i>. Don't try to act French." <BR><BR>
Cheers to that! Though set in Paris and inured to a European style of romance this film doesn't try to "act" French. It just lets the two people in love be themselves. That the lead pair gets some super-smart lines to speak certainly helps their cause. Preity and Rhehan Malliek are surprisingly compatible as an on-screen couple. Somehow their love feels oh-so-right. <BR><BR>
Welcome back, Preity. And yes, bon appetite to all moviegoers. Go, tuck in.

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Shammi and Priyanka, played by newcomer Dev Goel and semi-newcomer Adaah Sharma, are <i>chaddhi</i> buddies. To prove it, he even flashes his <i>chaddi</i> in her face. Thankfully he isn't wearing it when this occurs.<BR><BR>
This is one of the many irreverent scenes showing the couple's comfort level that keeps recurring with discomforting frequency in this film with the potential to make us laugh out aloud. Alas, the laughter is often waylaid.<BR><BR>
This film comes from a banner that has given mainstream Hindi cinema such blockbusters in the past as <i>Dus Lakh</i> and <i>Ek Phool Do Maali</i>. Devendra Geol who made these successful films is much respected. And when his grandson Dev Goel makes his acting debut in a film directed by Devendra Giel's son Jyotin we expect something special to happen.<BR><BR>
<i>Hum Hain Rahi Car Ke</i> doesn't quite deliver the kind of juicy punch-filled material that would showcase the Goel scion's talents. What we see here is a film that tries very hard to be "young" (read: plenty of below-the-hip jokes, and conversations preamble by 'Hey Dude', 'Kewl' , 'Check This out' and 'Waddever').It also in the same bustling breath tries to pay a backhanded homage to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's love classic <i>Hum...Dil De Chuke Sanam</i>.<BR><BR>
Ambitious, yes. But not quite up to the task.<BR><BR>
In the midst of trying to be hip/cool and attempting to a salute a classic the narration packs in two hours of crazy out-of-control adventures that take our protagonists through a ziz-zag of zonked-out adventures that involve a notorious computer hacker on the prowl, a gorilla who chases our hero while he is relieving himself in the jungles, suitors dressed in Spiderman suits, a goon named Alamadi who is supposed to be the son of the alleged Common wealth scamster Kalmadi, and 5 different roles for Chunky Pandey. Playing a Parsi employer, a Sikh <i>dhaba</i> owner and so on and so forth Chunky certainly seems to have fun.<BR><BR>
Its Juhi Chawla's cameo as a paan-chewing Lucknowi doctor trying to explain herself to a South Indian nurse that brings the house down. Wish the rest of the film conveyed the same sparkle.<BR><BR>
<i>Hum Hain Rahi Car Ke</i> is a fun-filled road movie zestfully driven by the director, but alas the road is littered with too many sleeping dogs. Dev Goel makes a confident debut. Hopefully he will be provided with better material next time. Maybe a remake of <i>Dus Lakh</i> upgraded to <i>100 Crore</i>?

<img src="http://images.bollywoodhungama.com/img/feature/13/may/preityzinta1.jpg" class="mfr" alt="Preity Zinta" align="right"/>
Producing her first film <i>Ishkq In Paris</i> has not been an easy task for Preity. But it has been a great learning curve for the actress. "My director Prem Raj fell ill. And that delayed the film by six months. My actor and director friends advised me to get someone else on board to do the post-production while Prem was away getting medical treatment. But I was adamant. I wanted only Prem to complete his film. Getting someone in the final stages of productions would have ruined his career. And I am glad I waited for Prem to come back healthy to complete the post-production. Yes, <i>Ishkq In Paris</i> has become an expensive film because of the delay. I am now looking forward to just being an actress on my next film <i>Bhaiyyaji Superhit</i>."<BR><BR>
On top of all the crises, Preity also lost her dog recently. "She was like my baby. And losing her was really hard on me. Thank God for my mother who taught me something really wonderful during those trying times, 'When we are going through happy times we don't question God, so why do so when we've to face hard times?' That made sense to me." <BR><BR>
Preity's mom is today closer to her than ever before. "When we're younger we don't appreciate our parents. It's only as we grow older do we understand how much they mean to us. Today my mom is my best friend. And no, I don't miss a man in my life. I feel if there was someone we'd be constantly fighting because of all the work-related stress." <BR><BR>
<b><u>Watch Promo: Ishkq In Paris</u></b><BR><BR>
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History was created last Eid when Salman Khan's <i>Ek Tha Tiger</i> broke the opening record by a huge margin. Now that Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan are coming up with their <i>Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai 2</i> and <i>Chennai Express</i>, all eyes are on to see that by what distance does Salman's record finally get broken this year.<BR><BR>
"Salman's <i>Ek Tha Tiger</i> had collected close to 33 crores on just the day of Eid last year. Those were unheard of collections since not just Eid record was broken, even the highest day ever scored by Hrithik Roshan's <i>Agneepath</i> (22 crores) was quashed by a major distance," informs a trade source, "Later, the film went on to score the quickest century ever (in 6 days) and then also ended it run just a little before the 200 crore mark. While one waits to see whether Akshay or Shah Rukh achieve that with their films, the first target would be for the combined collections to cross the 33 crores mark." <BR><BR>
Given the fact that releases are getting bigger with every passing month and Eid 2013 is being seen as a lucrative time period for the double bill, what with Akshay as well as Shah Rukh coming together on the same day, there is huge deal of positive anticipation around newer records being created. <BR><BR>
"This is the first time that a major actor other than Salman is arriving on Eid," says a source, "Salman has a very loyal fan base so it would require some good push by both Akshay and Shah Rukh to pull them in for a film of theirs. Having said that, since they individually have an extremely loyal following, courtesy more than 20 years each that they have spent in the industry, there is expectation of an unheard and unseen mad rush indeed on August 8." <BR><BR>
While one waits to see which of the two films ends up taking a lead on Day One of their arrival, one thing is for sure that a target of 33 crores would be definitely in the mind of both camps as they set the stage for a battle of supremacy.

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Things are looking up for Kunal Khemu. With his new film being very well-received by critics and his performance coming in for special praise, Kunal feels more confident in his private

space.<br><br>
He has lately moved in with his steady girlfriend Soha Ali Khan. But Kunal says they haven't really had the time to enjoy each other's company under the same roof. "We've both been

shooting out of Mumbai non-stop for our respective films. So we haven't really had a chance to feel like a live-in couple. Now we will. We decided to move into one place to save on

diesel and petrol prices." <br><br>
Kunal is aware that a lot of people would frown on the couple for "living-in sin". But he is unfazed. "We were bothered about what our parents would think. I come from a conservative

background. Initially my mother was shocked. But she trusts my judgment. So she just asked, 'Are you sure this is what you want to do?' My father was more liberal. I've always been

given the freedom to exercise my own options. As far as staying with Soha is concerned, we are not here to set an example for society. We are not endorsing live-in-relationships by

being in one ourselves." <br><br>
Marriage is certainly not ruled out. "We were very open-minded on the topic. If we feel the need and if we want to start a family we will get married. Until then we're quite happy doing

what we think is right." <br><br>
More than marriage, it's filmmaking that excites Kunal at this point of time. He has been hands-on in his new project <i>Go Goa Gone</i> not just writing the Hindi dialogues for the

directors Krishna DK and Raj Nidimoru but also serving as an uncredited chief assistant during the film's making. <br><br>
Says Kunal, "Krishna and Raj can't speak a word of Hindi. They only converse in English and Telugu. So yeah, I did the Hindi dialogues. Even some of Saif's lines like 'I kill dead

people' were my idea. I've been on this project from the word Go. In fact I feel a sense of ownership over the film. Not too many believed one could pull off a zombie film in India. It isn't a

genre that's been done here before. So initially when Raj-Krishna and I thought of it, there were lots of question marks. Finally we had to cut a trailer to show to prospective producers."

<br><br>
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Not only did Kunal help prepare the trailer he also got Saif Ali Khan's production house interested in it. "Initially when we showed Saif the concept, he was very kicked. He wanted to

come on board. We always had a star in mind to play the zombie killer. But all that about the zombie-slayer being blonde and a fake Russian from Delhi came in when Saif came on

board." <br><br>
Kunal refuses to get pissed off by insinuations that he got the role in Saif's production house because of his relationship with Soha. "Saif has never produced a film to accommodate his

own sister Soha. Why would he do it for me? And honestly if I had to ask Soha's family for a film, I'd go for a solo-hero not a 3-hero film." <br><br>
Kunal being on board from the script stage had the choice of all three protagonists. "I chose to play Hardik because he is an anti-hero. Quite a cheesy character. I've so far played

mostly the good boy. I liked the challenge of playing a bad boy. I was relieved when Soha liked my character and performance and even agreed to make a guest appearance as my

love-interest in a fleeting flashback." <br><br>
The initial plan was to get a 16-year old girl to play that role. But Kunal suggested Soha. "Why not? She's my real-life love-interest. And the audiences' connect was instant. Soha was

supportive from the start when most people thought we were crazy to make a zombie film. She was okay with it and continued giving her feedback as the film was made. She remained

on the project throughout and even agreed to make an appearance." <br><br>
So galvanized is Kunal with the <i>Go Goa Gone</i> experience that he feels ready to take the plunge into direction. "Right from the start I've always been interested in filmmaking.

<i>Go Goa Gone</i> has given me the opportunity to take very active interest in the production."

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After playing a couple of serious roles in back to back films (1920, <i>Phhir</i>), Adah Sharma is happy playing a chirpy girl of her age in <i>Hum Hai Raahi CAR Ke</i>. As she gets ready for her madcap road comedy to hit the screens, Adah gets talking from nineteen to the dozen about the film which also marks the launch pad of newcomer Dev Goel.<br><br>

<b>Good to see you back on the big screen Adah. How have the reactions been so far?</b><br>
Well, no one expected to see me in fun movie so that's a high (laughs). See, you have only seen the scary side of me. Now <i>Hum Hai Raahi CAR Ke</i> too would shock you, though in a good way. On a serious note though, I am glad that people are reacting positively. <i>1920</i> is one of the most played films on satellite due to which thankfully I have always been there in the minds of people. Post that a couple of my ads have played forever. Of course it is a different thing though when you are in movies and that is something that I am looking forward to.<br><br>

<b>Well, audience is also looking forward to is how Adah gets into this cute-n-sexy avtar. </b><br>
Really? That's great (smiles). See, I don't want the lines to be so blurred while working in films that I end up just being myself. If that's the case then personally I won't feel like I am being an actor. That's because eventually I may just start living my own life on screen and in the process end up having a short life as an actress. <br><br>

<b>While you have started living your life as an actress, how about Dev Goel who is making his debut? Did you see any rough edges there?</b><br>
I will tell you something honestly, he is so confident and I have never met such a chilled out guy before. Most of my friends from school are boys and what I have noticed about them is that even if they are stressed, they don't show it much. On the other I go really hyper. This is where confidence of someone like Dev comes in handy. You will never find him thinking twice or being angry on the sets. <br><br>

<b>So how has the tuning between you and Dev turned out to be? </b><br>
We are there together in the film from start to end; there is not even a single scene when that's not the case. It is as simple as this; if you like us then you would love the film. Ours is a buddy film and the very genre requires that you have to play off each other. It can never be like this that you say your line and I will say mine. We worked hard to making it all look natural and this is the reason why our chemistry really works. People who love madness would definitely root for the film. Inherently it is a comedy and when you leave the film, there is this happy feeling that you would have. <br><br>
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<b>Time and again though, one hardly sees a girl having a major role to play in a comedy. Is it any different in <i>Hum Hai Raahi CAR Ke</i>? </b><br>
I agree that traditionally, this has indeed be the case. However it is different here. I am a part of all the comic episodes in the film and get to do a lot of funny things as well. Trust me; my comic timing has been fully put to test here (smiles). <br><br>

<b>You must be also happy with the fact that there is none less than Sanjay Dutt bringing on good comic elements in the film as well. </b><br>
Yes, and contrary to what some feel, his is not a special appearance in the film. He is there for a good 25-30 minutes in this two hour film. We needed a really strong cop to be chasing us; someone who an intimidating personality, and there was no one better than Sanjay Dutt to play that part. He has such a strong personality and ends up making a huge impact. <br><br>

<b>You too must be looking at making a solid impact with the film. After all, finally you have some 'naachgaana' against your name. </b><br>
(Sighs) As a matter of fact there is no real 'naachgaana' in there for me. There is this 15-20 seconds of the puppet sequence that I have in one of the songs but that's about it. (Perks up) I made sure though that in those 15 seconds, I killed it big time. Aakhir pehli baar mauka mil raha tha, main jaane kaise de sakti thi. I wanted to make sure that people take notice of what I was doing. Finally, I am this caged bird who has been let free.