Sonam Kapoor as Aisha.

Aisha, starring Sonam Kapoor, opened this past weekend to fairly positive reviews and strong box office receipts.  Opinions on this film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma ran the gamut from “meh” to glowing.  Have you seen it?  What did you think?  Was it the Clueless rehash some people expected?  Does it matter?

Bits and bobs from around the net relating to Aisha‘s premier:

• Anna’s Review
• Bollywood Ticket:  Skip Aisha
• Aisha…an average movie
• Bollywood Spice Review
• Hindustan Times:  Emma-Spotting in Delhi
• Wall Street Journal Friday Reviews:  Aisha Dazzles Critics
• Bollywood Hungama Review
• Times of India Review
• SiFy Review
• Deccan Herald Aisha Review
• Digital Spy:  Kapoor delighted by Aisha success
• The New Emma:  Clueless in Bollywood (The New Yorker Blogs)
• The Hollywood Reporter:  Q&A with Sonam Kapoor
• Progressive and Fresh: A discussion with Aisha director Rajshree Ojha
• Aisha image collection

Here’s another interview with Aisha directory Rajshree Ojha, this time presented by Yahoo! India.  In the piece, Ojha addresses the fact that viewers will be consciously comparing the film to previous Emma adaptations…

“I am prepared for all the comparisons that are going to come my way but ‘Aisha’ is very Indian. If you remember Jane Austen said ‘Emma’ is a heroine only she is going to love. As a filmmaker when I read something I imagine it and that inspires me to make a film. A good literature, if you adapt it well makes a very good film,” says Ojha.

And for those interested, here’s the Aisha IMDB entry.

IndianExpress.com recently published an interview with Aisha director Rajshree Ojha, highlighting both the challenges she’s faced as a female director in Bollywood and the striking social parallels within Emma’s and Aisha’s worlds.

Hope everyone’s having a great weekend.  Happy Fourth of July!

It’s been out for a few days, but I thought it was cute enough to post anyway.    Here it is, a tune from the Aisha soundtrack with video clips from the film… “Suno Aisha”…

The film stars Sonam Kapoor as the eponymous main character.  It’s set to release in August.  It’s also shaping up to be a humongous Clueless ripoff, but that’s okay. 

An Aisha teaser is out!  The film is still set for an August 6 release.

Keep up with the latest Aisha promotional activities at the official site, on Twitter, and on Facebook.  Those who are registered with the official website have been receiving digital postcards introducing the various characters from the film…

Those interested in reading more about the production might enjoy this short Times of India piece featuring young co-producer Rhea Kapoor:

Aisha is a ‘young’ film

Producer Rhea Kapoor, sister of star Sonam, announced yesterday that the Aisha official site is live.  There doesn’t appear to be much there at the moment, though you can register for email announcements while you’re there.

Rhea Kapoor is updating the Aisha Facebook page with production stills and other information as it’s available.  On the wall, she recently wrote, “Register with your email address at www.AishaTheFilm.com and something interesting might come your way tonight ”

According to the Facebook, the original August 6 premiere date is still a go.  I haven’t heard whether or not the film sneak-previewed last weekend as initially hoped – my guess is that it wasn’t ready.

Twitter twits can find the official film account at @AishaTheFilm …

BollySpice.com reports that Ayesha may be ready in time to premier at the International Indian Film Awards in Sri Lanka during the first weekend in June.

“I am trying my best to complete the film,” says Ayesha producer Anil Kapoor, father of star Sonam.  “We are running against time. If we are done with it we might screen it at this year’s International Indian Film Awards.”

The piece continues with quotations from director Rajshree Ohja, who has said, “Emma, like Shakespeare’s works, is a human story. As for the satire on society, I’ve touched upon that. That’s the reason I based the story in Delhi, where the caste divide has given way to class divide. In Delhi you can find a young girl dressed in a Calvin Klein or Versace who discusses matchmaking with her neighbour. Like in Emma, marriage is about elevating your social status. I’ve hinted on these things but remember, it’s a commercial rom-com.”

OneIndia reports that Ayesha, starring Sonam Kapoor, is scheduled for an August release:

Anil Kapoor Films Company and PVR Pictures’ much awaited Sonam Kapoor-Abhay Deol starrer Aisha will be released on August 6, 2010. Aisha, an adaptation of Jane Austen’s famous novel Emma, is being produced by Ajay Bijli, Sanjeev K Bijli and Rhea Kapoor. The film is directed by Rajshree Ojha.

Besides Abhay and Sonam, the film also stars Cyrus Sahukar and Ira Dubey. Music of the film has been composed by Amit Trivedi while Diego Rodrigues is the director of photography (DOP).

No new news is forthcoming on the “Bollywood” Emma-based film adaptation.  There’s a listing for the film at the IMDB (as “Aisha”), though, noting its “post-production” status.  As I hear more, I’ll post it!

ETA:  Cinthia found this 4/9 India Express interview with director Rajshree Ojha, confirming the film’s post-production status.  In the interview, Ojha explains that her “first director’s cut” of the film is done and that “it lies in the producers’ hands.”

Cinthia comments:

It is surprising to know that the project began in 2004, but she and
the scriptwright could not find a back-up production company because
it had female-centered plot.

At the end of the interview there some interesting details. For example:

“There are places where I’ve curtailed the role of certain characters,
like that of Emma’s friend Harriet Smith, or combined two characters
into one, like the Woodhouse sisters.”

I find it intriguing, what does she mean by ‘curtailed’? Does it mean
that the Harriet character has been completely deleted or her role’s
importance has been diminished? And what about the Woodhouse sisters
being combined in only one character? I hope it is a confusion and she
meant Mrs. Weston and Isabella.

Here’s a Sonam Kapoor interview from IndianExpress.com about Ayesha.  Nothing earthshattering or new, but Kapoor does claim that the film will be “India’s first chick-flick.”

Also, a fun announcement from Laurel Ann at Austenprose is forthcoming.