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The trials of love and (arranged) marriage get a lively update in this richly comic Bollywood romance. Headlining star Aishwarya Rai (Devdas) plays Diya, a university student who refuses to be locked into an arranged marriage. Real-life boyfriend Vivek Oberoi plays Arjun, a layabout rich kid who claims that the words "love" and "defeat" aren't in his vocabulary. A joker not a lover, Arjun's blind to Diya's charms. How long will it take him to realise she's the woman of his dreams?

From the opening musical interlude - a rollicking dance sequence set in a packed bar - it's clear that debut director Samir Karnik wants to be noticed. Backing up the dancers with some impressively punchy editing, he delivers a Bollywood romantic comedy that's full of verve. There are some spectacular set-ups: a disco dance competition that's more Britney than Bollywood (complete with ripped jeans and fingerless gloves); a little dose of Eminem-style hip-hop; and even a bowling alley comedy sequence that suggests someone's watched The Big Lebowski one too many times.

"ONE OF THE LIVELIEST FEATURES FROM INDIA"

Ready to stray off the beaten path to make this over-familiar story seem more fresh than it has any right to be, Karnik also pulls in some big names, including the legendary Amitabh Bachchan (Deewar) as Diya's dad. Playing his role for laughs, Bachchan livens up the second half of this romp as the owner of an orphanage for abandoned children. Every time he appears on screen, he's inexplicably accompanied by a manic cry of "C'mon Charlie!"

With the gorgeous Rai - described by Julia Roberts as "the world's most beautiful woman" - proving her status as one of Bollywood's finest actresses, Kyun! Ho Gaya Na adds up to one of the liveliest features to emerge from India in some time: a vibrant and occasionally charming time-waster.