Top Bollywood director Subhash Ghai delivers a winner in this tender love story.

Akshaye Khanna plays Manav Mehta, a UK-based rich businessman, who falls in love with Mansi (Aishwarya Rai), daughter of a poor singer, on a visit to picturesque Chamba in Northern India.

Wary of the vast gulf between their two families, Mansi initially resists Manav's overtures but is eventually drawn to him.

However, Manav has to leave Chamba for Mumbai but promises Mansi that he will convince his family to accept their relationship. But that's easier said than done. When Mansi and her father Tara Babu (Alok Nath) visit Manav's house in Mumbai, they are humiliated and thrown out.

As the dejected girl and her father ponder their next moves, they run into a cocky talent manager and musician Vikrant Kapoor (Anil Kapoor). Vikrant turns Mansi into a mega star and in the process also falls in love with her and wants to marry her.

As usual, Aishwarya Rai looks ethereal while Akshaye Khanna, son of Vinod Khanna, a top star in the 1970s before he hopped on Godman Rajnesh's train, throwns in a sensitive performance as the young lover patiently waiting for the happy day when Mansi and he will be united. Anil Kapoor is fine as the brash musician and talent manager.

While not out of this world, A.R.Rahman's music is pleasing. Our favorites songs were Ishq Bina, Taal Se Taal and Rafta Jogi.

Fine photography and Aishwarya's dancing add to the overall pleasure that Taal provides in abundant measure.