Who picks rank outsiders to debut as the lead pair in a musical? Who risks a movie poster in which the protagonists' faces are hidden? Who takes a chance on a failed music director duo for scoring the songs?

Mahesh Bhatt, that's who.

His film Aashiqui, the game-changing musical sensation of 1990, is on the anvil with Pat, Bugs, and Srini weighing in on its feminist themes, relationship politics, and music. Always the music. It blasted away the awkward blurb ("Love makes life live") and the bad acting from the lead pair, and brought in a new era.

Aashiqui was Nadeem-Shravan's 20th gritty outing, redeeming what must have been a long period of struggle and failure. They finally tasted success, and how! Kumar Sanu seemed to have been in the right place at the right time, having entered the Hindi film industry only a year before. Aashiqui's lilting melodies, Sanuda's powerful voice (supported by Anuradha Paudwal), and the socially aware storyline, all combined to make history. Enjoy the show.