MUMBAI: Director Rajeev Virani’s new film My Bollywood Bride, starring Kashmeera Shah, Sanjay Suri and Jason Lewis, released today (20 April 2007), but only in Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad.

The film is being distributed by Chivach Media. “We are doing a staggered release. We will release it in western India on 20 April, and in the rest of India on 27 April, 2007,” says Chivach Media chief executive officer Soumo Ganguly.

An estimated Rs 5 million (Rs 50 lakhs) is being set aside for the marketing and promotion of the film, he said.

While the film is scheduled to release only in multiplexes, the makers are hoping for word of mouth publicity to get people into the theatres. Ganguly says he is hoping the film will be a “sleeper” hit, with good reviews aiding in its commercial success.

While the film has garnered awards at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, as also the award for Best Feature film at the Reel Women’s Film Festival, it’s fate at the Indian box office will be decided only now.