Celina in 'Anarkali'

Celina Jaitley is all set to play a bar dancer in her next film. "The character that I play in the film is called Anarkali. She is called by that name because people feel that she is like Anarkali in Mughal-E-Azam. There are comparisons drawn between the two.

The Anarkali of Mughal-E-Azam was a courtesan in emperor Akbar's court, while I am dancer in the bar. It is one of the most challenging roles that I have bagged," she says.

When asked what had caused the delay, since it was launched two years ago, Celina said, "It is a role that requires dedication. I have decided to finish all the films I have committed to before I begin shooting for this one. It is a role that is going to sap me completely.

I want to give it my best shot because the entire concept of the film is very interesting. Also, the reason why we did not go ahead with the shooting of the film was because I knew that this film was one of those that needed to be shot in one go. Had I to take a break in between the shooting schedules, it would make me lose my concentration and focus.

And I did not want that." Celina said that this is the first film that will not have a male co-star opposite her. "I am the only lead in the film," she said. Celina is looking forward to Suneel Darshan's Shakalaka Boom Boom. "It's a very young romantic film," she said.

The actress has also signed two films with Mukta Arts. "Yes, it is true that I have signed two films with Subhash Ghai's banner, but I cannot talk about it now, it's too early" she said.

'Eklavaya' puts spotlight on princely state

New Delhi, Vidhu Vinod Chopra's much-publicised multi-starrer "Eklavya - The Royal Guard", released last week, marks his return as a director after seven long years. Starring the legendary Amitabh Bachchan in the title role, "Eklavya" is set in historically rich Rajasthan and was extensively shot in Devigarh and Jaipur.

It seems Bollywood is drawn towards the land of sand dunes in a big way. J.P. Dutta's "Umrao Jaan" was also shot in the same state, which provided a perfect ambience with its architectural splendour and cultural heritage.

Currently Ashutosh Gowariker and Goldie Behl are stationed there with the cast and crew of their films - "Jodha-Akbar" and "Drona", respectively.

The story goes like this:

Eklavya (Amitabh) is a royal guard and his ultimate aim is to protect the Devigarh dynasty and family secrets because for nine generations his family has been doing so.

Eklavya too carries forward the family tradition and spends his entire life serving the erstwhile royals and closely guarding their secrets. But slowly he begins to worry because of his age and weakening eyesight.

Prince Harshwardhan (Saif Ali Khan), who is the heir to the throne, stays in London because he can't cope up with the rigid customs of his land. But the sudden demise of queen Suhasinidevi (Sharmila Tagore) forces him to return.

Harshwardhan brings life and joy into the moribund fort. His mentally challenged twin sister, princess Nandini (Raima Sen) and childhood friend Rajjo (Vidya Balan) are more than happy to have him in the fort.

But the joy is short-lived as there is unrest due to the atrocities carried out on peasants in the name of king Rana Jaywardhan (Boman Irani). The king, however, is just a titular head and it his scheming brother Rana Jyotiwardhan (Jackie Shroff), who is calling the shots.

Amidst all this turbulence, the king receives a death threat and he immediately informs police. Pannalal Chohar (Sanjay Dutt), who doesn't have a good reputation, is asked to investigate the matter.

Then a rebellion breaks out, destroying the peaceful atmosphere and unveiling the safely guarded secrets of the fort. What follows is an edge-of-the-seat action thriller.

While Chopra produced super-hit movies like "Parineeta", "Munnabhai M.B.B.S." and "Lage Raho Munnabhai", he has gone behind the camera for the first time after "Mission Kashmir" in 2000.

All eyes are now set on "Eklavya" and Chopra is leaving no stones unturned to hit the bull's eye.

Movie Preview: Kya Love Story Hai ...

KYA LOVE STORY HAI is the story of a carefree and wayward youth, Arjun [Tusshar Kapoor], who experiences love-at-first-sight with Kaajal [Ayesha Takia]. It isn't a typical meet-cute situation - he follows her for some time before succeeding in breaking the ice.

For Kaajal, Arjun is a mere acquaintance, but the latter is in love with her and afraid of conveying his feelings. On befriending her, he learns that she lost her mother years back and that her father was busy traveling abroad on business.

A situation arises when Kaajal comes across a letter, which Arjun has written for the girl he loves, but she doesn't know to whom he is referring. Arjun deliberately asks her how she would reciprocate his love if she were the girl he was in love with? Kaajal's reply leaves Arjun self-introspecting, making him mysteriously disappear from the scene.

In the mean time, a successful and snooty entrepreneur meets Kaajal. Following some heated verbal scuffles with her, he concludes that she would make for an appropriate life-partner because she was a stabilizing influence and kept him mellow.

When Arjun returns to South Africa, during an astonishingly coincidental encounter, he finds Kaajal engaged to the entrepreneur! Destiny has entangled three hearts, but who will emerge victorious?

Who will make the grand gesture? KYA LOVE STORY HAI is a feel-good romantic comedy oriented at young love. It has been beautifully shot in exquisite South Africa and its OST features five chart-busting numbers.

Cast: Tusshar Kapoor, Ayesha Takia, Kareena Kapoor [s.a.]. Producer: N. R. Pachisia. Director: Lovely Singh. Music: Pritam. Release Date: 6th April, 2007. Running Time: 125 minutes [app.]. Overseas distributor: Studio 18.

Compiled by Jayasri Jayakody