Kannada film, Aishwarya, directed by Indrajith Lankesh, sees the debut of stunning model Deepika Padukone.
Aishwarya is packed with well-dressed, beautiful people in palatial surroundings and against colourful backgrounds. It takes you to the world of the rich and famous; not often seen in Kannada films.
To this, add Upendra, sporting a different hairstyle and snazzy attire.
And there's, of course, Deepika!
She will floor you with her looks, dress sense and screen presence. The three songs shot on Deepika (the title song, Manmatha and Hudugi Hudugi) are visually spectacular. Audiences will immediately see how different they are from other films.
The movie rests upon a wafer-thin plot. Indrajith, who usually makes films based on his own stories, weaves together multiple story ideas fore this film. It is a mix of the Telugu hit, Manmathudu, and the recently released Surya-Asin starrer Ghajini in Tamil.
Yet, Indrajith, who has earlier made winners like Thutaata and Monalisa, has tried to present an ordinary story with a difference.
While the first half is non-eventful, the second is packed with comedy and suspense. And takes off.
Aishwarya tells the tale of ad executive Abhishek Hegde who hates women. Aishwarya (Deepika) joins his firm.
Aishwarya, a middle-class, fun-loving type is irritated by Abhishek's cranky behaviour. The two need to travel to Europe on a business trip. In Europe, they get to know each other better and, voila, Abhishek has a change of heart.
But then comes the twist. Abhishek learns Aishwarya is already engaged...
Upendra turns in a subtle performance. Deepika has a very good screen presence. She will definitely go places. But she needs to work on her emotional scenes.
Model-turned-actress Daisy Bopanna is another highlight of the film. She too turns in an excellent performance.
Krishnakumar's lighting, choice of locations, sharp editing and the peppy music make Aishwarya a very pleasing watch.
Rediff Rating: 
