Diya meets her match in Abhishek!

Komal Nahta

If Miss Asia-Pacific 2000 Diya Mirza becomes a top star, she will have Anupam Kher to thank.

For it was the Kher who zeroed in on her and asked producer Vashu Bhagnani to sign her opposite Abhishek Bachchan for Om Jai Jagdish.

At the star-studded launch party of the film on January 29, the actor-turned-director revealed, "The character demanded a new face. With just one new face, the entire story gets a new line, a new colour. When I heard the story, I had decided to cast a newcomer in this role."

If Om Jai Jagdish marks the debut of director Anupam Kher, it also heralds the arrival of a new writer, Rahul Nanda. Rahul is the son of late and famous writer Gulshan Nanda, who has a line of hits and superhits to his credit, including Aradhana, Kati Patang, Jugnu and Naya Zamana.

Om, Jai and Jagdish are the names of the three heroes -- Anil Kapoor, Fardeen Khan and Abhishek Bachchan -- in the film. Tabu is paired opposite Anil, and Urmila Matondkar with Fardeen.

Fardeen, incidentally, was away at Bikaner, shooting for Mehul Kumar's Kitne Door… Kitne Paas.