When Esha Deol slapped Amrita Rao and royally went around town basking in her own glory, she may not have realized that the demure-n-dainty Rao may go on to deliver a super hit (Vivah) and become the muse of arguably the greatest modern painters (M F Hussain) of this era. Amrita Rao has arrived in a big way. And the future is as bright as the diamond jewelry she has been promoting.

Her pairing with Shahid Kapoor in her second film ‘Ishq Vishq’ was widely appreciated. In ‘Main Hoon Na’ she held her own against seasoned actors like Shahrukh Khan and Sushmita Sen. Several films with Shahid followed-n-flopped like ‘Vah Life Ho To Aisi’ and ‘Shikhar’. This year, ‘Pyaare Mohan’ didn’t set the Box Office on fire. And then ‘Vivaah’ happened….Where her character Poonam is being anointed as the ‘ideal young Indian woman’ of today’s generation. She played her part with a lot of poise, dignity, integrity and charm. Luckily she had Shahid as her co-star once again who just lets her be…

With actresses like Rani Mukherjee, Aishwarya Rai, Preity Zinta and Sushmita Sen going beyond the thirty age group bracket, Amrita Rao is all set to take over the mantle of prospective face of the future. She may not be ultra glamorous. But she has the skills to deliver a powerful performance. Moreover her innocence has a wide ranging appeal. After ‘Vivaah’ she is being flooded with offers but she is taking her time in deciding her future course of action. Signs of maturity as well…Amrita Rao has the capability to make it to the big league. Don’t be surprised if she moves up the ladder in 2007…Wonder what Esha Deol has to say about Rao’s success?