The pairing of critically acclaimed and commercially successful Aamir Khan with the immensely talented Kajol is clearly the biggest USP of director Kunal Kohli's much talked about "Fanaa", releasing Friday.

Both have a track record of delivering blockbusters but have never starred opposite each other before. Bringing together two powerhouse performers, "Fanna" is a love story of a militant and a visually impaired girl set in the backdrop of insurgency in Kashmir.

Moreover, the film marks the much-awaited comeback of Kajol to the silver screen after her long sabbatical and Aamir is the reigning darling of the box-office post the mega success of "Rang De Basanti".

Aamir's much-publicised strong stance in support of Narmada Bachao Andolan and statements against communal violence in Gujarat have also added to his appeal amongst the youth.

Though the actor has angered certain Gujarati political circles, who are now opposing the release of his films in the state, the film's producer is carrying out hectic parleys to secure clearance for his film.

Being a Yash Raj Films (YRF) production, illustrious movie merchant Yash Chopra is reportedly appeasing Gujarat political heads personally to avoid a ban on the film.

Already, the government has set a bad precedence by holding up the release of Hollywood films "The Da Vinci Code" and "Tickle My Funny Bone" following protests by sections of the Christian community. According to reports, a small-budget film "Sacred Evil" by an independent Indian filmmaker has also run into trouble with the Christian community.

"Fanaa", interestingly, has been making news from the word go. Beginning with its unique title - "Fanaa", that means "completely destroyed" - makes one wonder if Aamir will die once again in the climax, after "Mangal Pandey" and "Rang De Basanti".

Meanings apart, the hype around Aamir and Kajol has intensified given their dramatically opposite personalities. While Aamir is a methodical actor, Kajol is known for her spontaneity.

Kohli, who shot to fame with his 2004 hit "Hum Tum" has also roped in yesteryear's superstar Rishi Kapoor and critically acclaimed actress Tabu.

Shot in Kashmir, Delhi and Poland, others in the cast include Kirron Kher, Shiney Ahuja, Gautami Kapoor and Lara Dutta in a cameo appearance.

"Fanaa" marks Aamir's first attempt at portraying militancy on celluloid. His last brush with a film woven around strife was in "Sarfarosh" (1999), in which he played the role of a cop in hot pursuit of terrorists.

For Tabu, however, the genre is not new. She is still remembered for her remarkable performance in Gulzar's "Maachis" that was based on militancy.

Aamir Khan has once again reinvented his look in "Fanaa". After playing a rustic village lad in "Lagaan", a moustached soldier in "Mangal Pandey - The Rising" and a young, cool look in "Rang De Basanti", he is now sporting two looks in "Fanaa".

The first is of a young street Romeo and the other one is a cropped hair, lean and mean look. In the promos, he is seen sporting vibrant mufflers, a few wristbands and bracelets, apart from a red chilly locket. One would not be surprised if bright, hand spun mufflers soon became a rage amongst the youth.

For music-buffs, "Fanaa" marks the end of 16-year-long association between composers Jatin and Lalit. Starting with "Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander", which catapulted them in to Bollywood limelight, Jatin-Lalit composed music that wowed millions including music of "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge", "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai", "Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham" and "Khamoshi", to name a few. "Fanaa" is reportedly their last film together.

According to reports, music of "Fanaa" has already outsold Yash Chopra's "Veer-Zaara" and is likely to perform better as it has the quality of growing on people.

And that is not all. Both Aamir and Kajol have sung in the film. The first time Aamir lent his voice for a film song "Aati kya Khandala" in "Ghulam," it became a national craze and landed him a nomination in best singer's category.

Interestingly, Jatin-Lalit were responsible for the music of "Ghulam" as well. Clearly, their association will be missed if "Fanaa" proves to be even half as popular as their previous hits.

Meanwhile, "Fanaa" has reportedly kicked off a negative trend in Bollywood. Certain music channels have stopped showing its trailers as the producers allegedly asked for money to show the music promos.

These allegations, however, have been rubbished by Vijay Kumar, head of Yash Raj Music. But the music channels have preferred to keep mum on the issue.

Another rumour doing the rounds is that YRF productions will be priced higher than other Bollywood flicks. YRF has reportedly asked all multiplexes in the country for a higher share in the profits, which means higher ticket cost for cine-goers.

Apparently, YRF has said that multiplexes not willing to share more of their profits with them will not be allowed to exhibit their upcoming films, which include "Krrish", "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" and "Dhoom 2". Undoubtedly, we have not heard the last on this one!