Akshaye attends Saawariya Premiere

The premier of Saawariya, the first Bollywood film produced by a Hollywood company, Sony Pictures, was held at Adlabs Wadala Wednesday, November 7. It was attended by almost all A-list stars.

Notable absentees were the usual no-shows like Aamir Khan, and the stars and production crew of Om Shanti Om who are preoccupied with the premier of their film in London Thursday, November 8.

In addition to director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the stars Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Salman Khan and Rani Mukerji, Bollywood A-listers attending included Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Akshaye Khanna, Kangana Ranaut, Diya Mirza, Lara Dutta, Sridevi, Boney Kapoor, Amisha Patel, Sushmita Sen, Soha Ali Khan and Siddharth.

The first celebrity to arrive was Nach Baliye 3's Rakhi Sawant who set the tone for the evening when she said she had seen both Saawariya and its rival OSO, that they are very different films and that both films are "superior".

Rani smiled for the cameras but didn't comment, Salman Khan begged off on account of laryngitis.

Saif and Kareena, holding hands tightly as if they might fall off the planet if they let go, tried to duck the media completely.

Everyone else took time to speak about the movie and the new stars to the hundreds of press gathered there.

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Both newcomers pronounced themselves very lucky to work with Bhansali, and with each other.

Sonam said that since she didn't attend university, Bhansali sahib "is my university".

Sonam Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor looked every inch the stars they now are at the Saawariya premiere. Both were calm, composed and well-spoken with the media.

But their fathers were another matter entirely. Rishi Kapoor was so button-popping proud he could hardly speak a whole sentence and Anil Kapoor said, "I'm the nervous one".

Asked whether he thought his daughter and Ranbir were poised to become superstars, he said he didn't care whether they became superstars. "I care that they become good actors. I hope they become good actors."