This week's love triangle featuring Salman Khan sees a change in the gender equation.
Audiences loved Salman Khan wooing Priyanka Chopra along with Akshay Kumar in "Mujhse Shaadi
Karogi". Now, in "Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha", Salman has two women vying for his attention.
Salman has already scored bull's eye with one of the leading ladies, Bhoomika Chawla. Together the
two did last year's dark romance "Tere Naam". This week Bhoomika gets to do a far more blithe
romance with Salman. Will Salman's luck hold for Bhoomika again?
For added good fortune, Bhoomika has Preity Zinta for company.
Preity's role initially started as a guest appearance. But as the film progressed her role was increased,
songs were added. And now Preity is one of the USPs of "Dil Ne..."
Preity and Salman have starred in two fairly successful films - "Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega" and "Chori
Chori Chupke Chupke", both romantic triangles. Would the audience want to see Salman in a soft
sentimental mode?
The failure of the sensitive "Phir Milenge" last month and the almost simultaneous success of the
action film "Garv" suggests that audiences dig this Khan in the aggressive mode.
For those looking for the jaw-clenching bone-crunching experience, "Dil Ne..." could prove to be a wet
blanket.
It's been a while since a full fledged romantic film succeeded at the box office. The last film of the
genre to do well was "Hum Tum" and that was more about sassy one-liners and gender-motivated
quips than about romance.
Mushy matters of the heart seem to have taken a backseat. "Dil Ne Jisey Apna Kaha" comes at a
time when the revved-up action film "Dhoom" has created a stir at the box office.
For Salman Khan, it's specially important for this film to work. "Dil Ne..." is directed by his
brother-in-law Atul Agnihotri. Agnihotri made his debut many years ago as an actor and featured as
Pooja Bhatt's leading man in Mahesh Bhatt's "Sir".
Some years later, Salman tried to help his brother-in-law by playing the lead in "Veergati" where
Agnihotri starred in the second lead.
Whether the audience warms up to Salman's family sentiments remains to be seen. But his "Dil Ne..."
seems to be in the right place.