It is hard for me to begin without saying that Aisha lacks a concrete, well-written story! The resident 'Emma' is not quite a tale per se. The entire film revolves around 'Aisha' (Sonam Kapoor), the the typical spoilt, rich fashionista who, at the end of the day is very good at heart (wow, SO unpredictable). However, she has this unintentional tendency to take charge of others' lives and decide what they should do what they shouldn't. Not a healthy habit which she obviously realizes by the end of the flick (happy endings are mandatory here). So basically: Aisha, and her relationship with a bunch of rich Delhiites that form her folks is pretty much the entire 'story'. Planning to not watch it thus? Re-think! There are enough positives in the film.
The characterizations are beautifully done. Casting is near perfect. Arjun (Abhay Deol) is that witty, secure, caring and chivalrous guy that any sane girl will effortlessly fall in love with. Flawless acting by the hottest Deol yet (after Dharmendra of course). Amrita Puri has done a good job as the behenji- turned- babe 'Shefali', while Lisa Hayden is every bit the super hot 'Aarti'. Ira Dubey fits 'Pinky Bose's' shoes quite effortlessly with oodles of sarcasm. Sonam Kapoor however, falls flat. As if the bad acting isn't enough, the nasality makes life worse! Sadly, she is the lead :( Barring her though, every actor has done a great job which certainly makes the film watchable.
Amit Trivedi for sure deserves a very special mention for the breathtaking Music (both songs as well as the background score). A more than hummable title track, a soulful love song, a sensuous Salsa track, an infectious dance track, Aisha has it all. Music lovers are especially requested to go watch Aisha for the songs alone, if nothing else.
The stylists for this film need to take the bow of all bows. The characters are all very stylish, chic and sophisticated through and through. As far as the style and fashion quotient is concerned, Aisha establishes a benchmark and new standards for Bollywood to follow. At the price of one movie ticket, Aisha is a rather pocket-friendly crash course in fashion!
Another big plus would have to be the witty dialogues. The dialog writer has done quite a job with the pen. Arjun's lines are quirky and hilarious more often than not and Pinky takes the cake on more than one occasion with those harmless sarcastic remarks. Humor is an essential part of the film practically throughout, more so in the first half. One will definitely have a hearty laugh at regular intervals. In a crux, I could put the positives and negatives as follows:
Positives: Characterizations, acting (except Sonam), the songs, the background score, the styling, lavish doses of humor, the flawless look of the film, the feel good factor.
Negatives: No concrete story, pathetic acting by Sonam Kapoor, sloppy editing, very average script.
All in all though, Aisha is thoroughly watchable. You'll come out of the cinema hall smiling most probably. Don't expect to carry with you some great learning experience. Aisha is not one of those cinematic milestones. It's more of a feel good one time watch. Fashionable girls would more than adore the film. It's a chick flick in that sense. The last verdict: Watch it once if you're not terribly busy.
