EK RISHTA

ER above average in India, big hit overseas (Rediff, 06/05/01)
Meanwhile, the surprise hit of the season, director Suneel Dharshan's Amitabh Bachchan vehicle Ek Rishtaa, continues to drive smoothly in box-office land. In the United Kingdom, Ek Rishtaa has earned approximately $334,000 on 15 screens in its first two weeks of release. In the US the film was released by Tips Music and has grossed approximately $300,000.

EK Rishta collects 92 lakhs on 89% in Bombay opening week, big hit overseas (indiafm, popcorn 05/26/01)
Ek Rishtaa-The Bond Of Love - 2nd Week

Bombay - 58,09,740 (65%)
Ahmedabad - 3,14,939 (27%)
Pune - 14,97,744
Delhi - 26,23,460 (34%)
Lucknow - 4,29,855 (36%)
Allahabad - 2,03,885 (50%)
Agra - 2,98,000 (72%)
Nagpur - 3,81,766 (46%)
Jalgaon - 1,13,837 (47%)
Raipur- 2,27,003 (6 dy.)
Chandrapur - 1,05,601
Wardha - 63,691 (34%)
Sagar - 51,752 (38%)
Indore - 1,19,728 (33%)
Jaipur - 3,97,210 (57%)
Hyderabad - 4,56,384 UK Week2 - £80K

A FLAWLESS PERFORMANCE! - EK RISHTA REVIEW (Indiafm, 05/15/01)
Like his previous attempt JAANWAR, Suneel Darshan's EK RISHTAA-THE BOND OF LOVE focuses on emotions, this time between the father and son. The narrative is simple, captivating, sensitive and one that will strike a chord with lovers of family sagas.

EK RISHTAA-THE BOND OF LOVE is different from other films of this genre, in the sense that it tackles the age-old complex issue of generation gap. But the narrative is not infallible.

The film starts off depicting the rift between the father and son and also illustrates the reasons that lead to a fallout. At the interval point, the cause for the split (Mohnish Bahl) is also exposed, but soon after the interval, the story diversifies to an altogether different track Akshay and Karisma's happy marriage turning sour. Actually, the reason why Karisma chooses to walk out on Akshay looks tame and is hard to digest.

Another flaw of the film is its length and the presence of some unwanted sequences, more so towards the second half, acts like a spoke in the wheels. The mill workers' portions, for instance, have been given extra footage, which was not required.

On the script level too, a few aspects are stodgy. The most glaring one being, despite knowing her husband Mohnish Bahl's evil designs, Juhi Chawla continues to live with him, than return to her parents, who have been duped financially and cheated emotionally by Bahl.

Another flaw is Akshay returning home to bail out his father. But he does precious little to circumvent the crisis his family is facing.

Even Naghma's seductive number in the pre-climax, followed by the mill workers going all out to teach Mohnish Bahl a lesson, looks forced. Specially the dance number, which looks out of place.

Despite the flaws, the film has several engaging moments that will appeal to the family audience. To cite instances, the confrontation between Amitabh and Akshay in the first half, when the father shows the door to the son, is remarkably shot

. Another scene that is superbly executed is Akshay's homecoming and his scene with his mother, Raakhee, after Amitabh ignores him. Simone Singh's 'bidaai' and the Raksha Bandhan sequence are also well shot.

Nadeem-Shravan's music is pleasant and gels well with the mood of the film. The numbers that stand out are 'Dil Lagane Ki' (its placement is inappropriate, but the picturisation is fabulous!), 'Mohabbat Ne Mohabbat Ko' and 'Hum Khush Hue' (excellent lyrical value!).

Sameer Reddy's cinematography is first-rate. The look of the film is fresh and the outdoor locations of Malaysia are exotic. K.K. Singh's dialogues are clapworthy. Amitabh's lines, specially in the climax where he equates life to a game of snakes and ladders, deserves an ovation. Naresh Sharma's background score enhances the impact of numerous scenes.

Amitabh Bachchan. The name says it all. It goes without saying that the actor carries the film on his firm shoulders and towers above everyone else. He lends dignity to the character and walks away with honours. Another flawless performance this!

Akshay Kumar is a revelation. His emotional scenes take you by surprise, more so since he does not pale when pitted against a performer like Bachchan. This film showcases his talent and marks his growth as an actor.

Raakhee does a fine job. Karisma Kapoor is just about okay. Juhi Chawla is fair, although you do notice her absence in some portions. Mohnish Bahl is competent. Sunil Shetty's (sp. app.) scenes in the initial reels are entertaining.

On the whole, EK RISHTAA-THE BOND OF LOVE is targeted at the family audience and will satiate the appetite of those seeking clean entertainment. The three assets of the film its impressive star cast, the sensitively-handled family scenes and melodious music will benefit the film aplenty. The extra-ordinary publicity campaign and the hype surrounding the film have resulted in a fantastic opening all over. Keeping these aspects in mind, the film will have a smooth ride at the box-office.

Rating:- * * * (Good). Release date:- The film releases worldwide on Friday, May 18, 2001.

Ek Rishta - Shooting on location (Narad Online, April 15, 2001)
Ek Rishta the bond of love is director and producer Suneel Darshan's next film after Jaanwar staring Akshay Kumar. This film too stars him and the smashing Amitabh Bachchan. Then there's Karisma Kapoor, Juhi Chawla and Mohnish Behl.

A story of relationships. The film ran into trouble with the name initially when it was called simple Rishta. Well all's well in the Natraj studios where the entire cast is present to shoot a song picturised on all of them. It's a family number. Amitabh Bachchan looks cool in the sweltering heat of the studio, while Akshay is in the van with his secretary.

The shot is being lit while Juhi walks in a lovely white salwar kameez. She says, "This film will be a great entertainer. Suneel has made a good film. I can say the film is about this family who is united and how a turn of events brings them closer than tearing them apart as their enemies had planned. I play Amitji's daughter and Akshay's sister but I am not the bad sister-in-law to Karisma. It was lovely working with the whole unit. They were all like a huge family."

The shot is done and Juhi faces the camera with her hair being blown by the huge fan she mouths the lyrics of the song and Amitabh Bachchan comes and gives her a hug. The shot is fine but they go for another take where Amitabh Bachchan's back would not be to the camera. They do the shot again and this time Juhi's hair doesn't fall in the perfect way as it is supposed to.

They try one more time but at the end of it all they all decide to keep the first take, as they have to get on with the shooting. It is Karisma's last day on the schedule and that is causing a lot of hurry. Akshay joins the trio Amitabh Bachchan, Juhi and Suneel and Karisma too is called. The song is over and now they want to finish the talkie portions after the song with Karisma. The unit is frantic about the progress. It is lunch time already.

Ask Suneel why Akshay Kumar is a favourite and he replies, "He's hardworking gives me hundred per cent of himself and I like it that way. I prefer actors who are willing to go to that length. And Akshay and Karisma both are those kind of stars. They want to experiment. Working with Amitji has been a truly wonderful experience. It has taught me something in life."

Preview from IndiaFM (Apr 1, 2001)
After the above average response to JAANWAR, Suneel Darshan is ready with his next film -- EK RISHTAA-THE BOND OF LOVE. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee, Akshay Kumar, Karisma Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Simone Singh, Mohnish Bahl, Shakti Kapoor, Anang Desai and Ashish Vidyarthi. Nadeem-Shravan compose the music. EK RISHTAA-THE BOND OF LOVE is a story of relationships and how they endure the upheavals of time. The film revolves around these characters, their bindings and bickering as they go through happy and turbulent times Moments that rip them apart, moments that bring them closer, Suneel divulges. EK RISHTAA-THE BOND OF LOVE tells the story of Vijay Kapoor (Amitabh Bachchan). A dynamic businessman, his source of strength is his wife Pratima (Raakhee). They have three daughters Rani, Priya and Priti (Juhi Chawla), the eldest daughter who is the apple of her father’s eye. The son, Ajay (Akshay Kumar), is studying abroad to secure his Masters in Information Technology. An aspiring business graduate Rajesh Purohit (Mohnish Bahl) idolises Vijay Kapoor and the latter is impressed by his qualities and capabilities. Priti falls in love with Rajesh and Vijay Kapoor approves their relationship. Meanwhile, Ajay wishes to start his own business to which Vijay Kapoor convinces him that it is imperative for him to first gain experience in the family business as he is just a novice, and later delve into different spheres. As they start working together, ideological differences start cropping up between the father and son. Obviously there is a generation gap between them. Ajay has imbibed western ideologies, which he wants to apply, while Vijay Kapoor strongly opposes it. This leads to a rift between the father and son. Obstinacy to their stands worsens the condition, leading to a fallout between the father and son. What happens next? What happens to the bonds of love that once held the family together? Will these relationships ever reunite? Will they stand the test of time? EK RISHTAA-THE BOND OF LOVE is about you, me, about all of us. It’s a story of what people are all about,Suneel concludes. EK RISHTAA-THE BOND OF LOVE is slated for release on May 18.

Rishtaa Nearing Completion
After completing a 40-day shooting schedule held at Filmalaya Studios, Natraj Studios and different locations in Mumbai, the unit of Shreekrishna International’s Ek Rishtaa-The Bond Of Love left for Malaysia wherein one song and many dramatic scenes will be picturised. The film stars, Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee, Akshay Kumar, Karisma Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Monish Bahl, Ashish Vidyarthi, Simone Singh, Malay Chakraborty, Mayur, Anang Desai, Kunika Lal, Avtar Gill, Tej Sapru, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Anil Nagrath, Brijesh Hirje, Kanika Kohli, Sharat Saxena and Shakti Kapoor. Being produced and directed by Suneel Darshan from his own story, it has screenplay by SM Ahale and Robin Bhatt, dialogue by KK Singh, music by Nadeem-Shravan, lyrics by Sameer, action by Abbas, editing by Sanjay Sankhla, art by Bijon Das Gupta, choreography by Saroj Khan, Raju Khan and Chinni Prakash and cinematography by Sameer Reddy. The film is now nearing completion (Jan 27, Screen)