If you are eager to see Khwahish just because of it's steamy promos then better stay home as promos are much better than the film itself. Dud is the only word to describe, this much hyped Mallika Sherawat starrer. Written-directed by Govind Menon, Khwahish tells the story of Lekha (Mallika), an independent, urban woman and Amar (Himanshu Malik), son of a stinking rich industrialist.

Predictably they fall in love with each other after a typical Bollywood tiff in the beginning. While the guy has more liberal views, pre-marital sex is a strict no-no with Lekha. When she talks about going back to her village, Amar can't take the separation and proposes marriage. There is no opposition from girl's family but the boy's ultra rich dad (Shivaji Satam) won't budge. Our hero is adamant and marries his princess anyway. Both of them move to the chawl.

Amar studies for his MBA, while Lekha takes care of the house by taking music classes. Amar gets his MBA and a job and they shift to a flat and buy a car. However, with a high profile job comes a very hectic schedule. Mallika at times feels lonely and tries to socialise but that does not seem to work. She thinks of a different option, to have a child.

But alas, Mallika can't conceive. Medical reports indicate she has blood cancer. The rest of the story is about the couple's battle for survival and how they cope up with this harsh reality. The much hyped 17 kisses don't stir you a bit as the couple lack the onscreen chemistry . Mallika definitely shows some promise but Himanshu miserably fails to deliver. Completely wooden, he proves the point why models don't make good actors.

Director does a lousy job and so do the script writer and editor. Asha Bhosle's love songs are the saving grace for the film. With the Mills and Boon's hacknayed plot Khwahish looks much better on billboards than on screen. Defintely, not worth your money, so better stay home and latch on to your idiot box instead.