Aishwarya’s Cannes journey
Representing Bollywood at the biggest event in world cinema, Cannes, is none other than Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. This is the fourth time the actress is attending the film festival.
Eversince Devdas was screened there in 2002, Aishwarya Rai has been almost a regular at Cannes.
Her role in the film won her international recognition and the next year, she attended the film festival as a member of the jury.
“The designers are so excited and so generous and so creative and they come up with so many ideas that you actually get spoiled for choice. It gets very, very difficult to be able to zero in and decide on which one to wear,” says Aishwarya.
In 2007, after her marriage with Abhishek Bachchan, the couple attended the festival together. Much to the envy of women the world over, Rai has consistently looked stunning on the red carpet.
Since her first stint with fame as Miss World in 1994, Aishwarya has been very successful as an actress, both in India and abroad.
In her upcoming release Sarkar Raj, the beautiful lady stars opposite hubby Abhishek and daddy-in-law Amitabh Bachchan.
“I have fantastic in-laws and I think that’s when a girl’s blessed. When you don’t feel you’ve gone to a new home or a foreign home. When you feel as comfortable with them as your parents and the similar friendship, it’s great,” says the beautiful actress.
Aishwarya’s next english language release is Pink Panther 2 in February 2009. The film also stars Steve Martin, Jean Reno and Andy Garcia.
Aishwarya’s dilemma
What is Aishwarya Rai抯 dilemma? She is at a point where she little choice but to accept one film but only at the cost of declining another equally high-profile film which she would not like to miss. Here are the details:
Aishwarya had happily agreed to work in a Manirathnam movie, slated to begin from June 2008, long before she accepted a role in Robot. But it will now be possible for her to appear in Manirathnam抯 movie only if she opts out of Robot, which will begin at approximately the same time. She even shed 6 kg for the role as advised by director Shankar. Now, when shooting of Robot is about to begin, Manirathnam抯 movie is also ready to start shooting and requires Ash抯 presence. Manirathnam抯 movie also stars Abishek Bachchan, another solid gold-plated reason for Ash; the plot revolves around the bickering and problems of a newly-married couple. Now Aishwarya Rai HAS no choice but to make a choice between these two projects.
Aishwarya does not have the heart to say no to Robot because Rajinikanth has been requesting her to be his heroine since a long time. Aishwarya is all praise for Rajinikanth抯 patience, would love to act with him and does not want to be in his bad books by rejecting his offer again (last time she refused the heroine抯 role in Sivaji). There is also the not-so-small matter of the astronomical fee she demanded and was offered for Robot. But if she accepts his offer, she will be fully occupied by this project which will continue for two years. This will not only preclude her from acting in Manirathnam抯 movie, she would also be losing a lot of other offers plus she may have to put motherhood on hold for the same period.
And if this is not enough, if she rejects Robot and works with Manirathnam, she just might lose her place to Deepika Padukone. When Aishwarya faced a similar date problem and turned down the role of Jhansi ki Rani in a movie, it was offered to Deepika Padukone, who accepted it eagerly.
So what could be the win-win solution for Ash? Possibly directors Manirathnam and Shankar could sit together, sort out the schedules and let Aishwarya act in both movies.
Aishwarya Rai And The Lotus Flower: Symbols Of India
The lotus flower has been given a sacred place in Indian culture. It plays a huge role in the art and mythology there and has done so for centuries. In Indian society, the lotus represents divinity, fertility, wealth, knowledge, and enlightenment. Perhaps the reverence of the flower stems from the fact that is an unquestionable beauty despite the fact that it grows out of murky waters and mud. Because of its ability to grow in the water, the lotus is often referred to as the water lily.
Though they have an exotic look, lotuses are actually fairly simple to grow. However, first time lotus gardeners should be aware that the lotus is a very invasive plant that can take over your entire water garden if not tended to carefully. Also, you’ll notice that lotus plants may not bloom during their first year-don’t be discouraged, the plants will almost surely blossom in the second year. As you watch your lotus plants grow and blossom, watch for yellowing foliage and faded blooms; you’ll want to remove them to allow other leaves and blossoms to grow healthy and strong.
Lotuses come in a variety of types that include small plants with one-inch blossoms and larger ones with blossoms as big as your face. Lotus colors include red, yellow, white, peach, violet, and cream.
The lotus plant loves the heat-the hotter the better! In fact, the hotter it is at night, the bigger the flowers will be. During the winter you’ll need to make certain the lotus tuber doesn’t freeze or it will die. If you’re growing them in your garden pond, the pond will need to be at least three feet deep so that it doesn’t freeze solid, which will jeopardize the tubers. If you’re growing them in pots, bring the pots inside for the winter.
With proper care, your lotus flowers will grow to exotic and fragrant flowers worthy of their status in India. They’re exquisite beauty will rival that of fellow Indian Aishwarya Rai.
11
222222
Aishwarya Rai no longer interested in love triangles
After her marriage to Abhishek, actress Aishwarya Rai is no longer interested in doing love triangle stories in Bollywood.
The actress has said in a media report that she believes the audiences wouldn’t accept her sharing her affection for hubby Abhishek Bachchan with any other guy, even on the silver screen.
That is precisely the reason why, Aishwarya reveals, she turned down Karan Johar’s home production Dostana for which she was approached.
Directed by Tarun Mansukhani, the film is a love triangle between a female and two men, played by Abhishek and John Abraham . Apparently there are certain scenes in the film where the girl is shown having affection towards both men.
This, Ash says, made her uncomfortable. The actress insists that the triangle wouldn’t have worked if she starred in it.
Ash made her apprehensions known to Karan Johar who was dismissive at first but later understood her point of view and replaced her with Priyanka Chopra .
The film is currently on the floors and the shooting is underway in Miami. Ash is expected to fly there to join Abhishek on their first wedding anniversary on April 20.
Meanwhile, Ash will next be seen with Abhishek in Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar Raj which will release soon. She will next shoot for Shankar’s film Robot with Tamil superstar Rajnikant , whom she calls a phenomenal star. Ash says she agreed to do the film just for the sake of working with Rajnikant and Shankar.
Aishwarya Rai did not want Salman Khan for Unforgettable tour
For obvious reasons, the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai Bachchan did not want Bollywood superstar Salman Khan for the Bachchans Unforgettable tour.
Salman has a huge NRI following and if he is included in the tour then it would have been an added advantage for the show, according to Wizcraft.
But Ash was against their proposal as she reportedly had the feeling that Salman’s presence at the tour could make her feel uncomfortable.
Bollywood mega superstar Amitabh Bachchan was also reportedly not in the favor to sore his daughter-in-law’s tour.
And the result was that Wizcraft had to drop the idea to include Salman though he is very close to Wizcraft and has performed at the Apsara awards.
The Unforgettable tour will kick start in July and Abhishek Bachchan , Ash, Bipasha Basu , Ritesh Deshmukh , Madhuri Dixit and Akshay Kumar are fixed for it.
Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapur are still not confirmed and talks are going on. They will perform across Europe and USA.
Aishwarya highest paid Bollywood actress
With Aishwarya Rai carrying home a pay packet of Rs 40 million for her proposed stint as Rajnikanth’s leading lady in Shankar’s Robot, she has now become the highest-paid actress in Indian cinema. “Yes, it’s close to Rs.40 million. And she’s very amused when she reads that she is the highest-paid actress in Bollywood. With three hits in a row, Guru, Dhoom 2 and Jodhaa Akbar, Ash’s equity as a Rai and a Bachchan have gone through the roof,” said a source close to Aishwarya.”It is no surprise that Aishwarya is getting Rs.40 million. It’s still chicken feed compared with what Rajnikanth carries home,” a source said.
“The dubbed Hindi version of Chandramukhi came and went. And Rajni’s biggest hit Shivaji - The Boss is in no hurry to be released in Hindi. With Ash in Robot it looks like an attractive non-regional film,” said another source close to the project.
Aishwarya offered the role of Yashodhara in Buddha
Aishwarya Rai has been offered the role of Yashodhara, wife of prince Siddhartha, in an English-Hindi bilingual film called Buddha being made by a Paris-based Indian filmmaker.The star, whose portrayal of Jodha in Ashutosh Gowariker’s epic romance Jodhaa Akbar was well-received, has been offered the role by director of spiritual and crossover films Pan Nalin of Samsara fame.
Red Hot: Where Bollywood’s biggest stars partied…
Prince Siddhartha renounced the world, became a monk, attained nirvana and was known the world over as Gautama Buddha.
Nalin, who was in Mumbai recently for the DVD launch of Samsara, told IANS that he met Aishwarya a few times and discussed the movie’s script with her. India-born Nalin made waves internationally with his Buddhist crossover film Samsara, which had mixed cast comprising Ladhaki, Indian, American and Chinese actors. He followed it up with another crossover movie, The Valley of Flowers.
Stars shine bright at Filmfare Awards
Nalin has penned the script in collaboration with Hollywood-based scriptwriter Tinker Lindsay. “Aishwarya has not yet said anything. But I am hopeful that she will agree to it. It is scheduled to go on the floor in August this year,” Nalin said.
A self-taught filmmaker, Nalin’s debut film Samsara won 30 international awards. Bollywood star Sushmita Sen, who graced the DVD launch ceremony, encapsulated the theme of Samsara saying it was about a person’s choice between desire and satisfaction, between inner urge and outside yearnings.
Shah Rukh turns item boy for Krazzy 4
The movie tells the story of a monk, who leaves his monastery in Ladakh after meditating for years to experience the pleasures of matrimony and returns to his cloister after undergoing the trials and tribulations of a commoner’s life.
But unlike elsewhere in the world, Samsara came a cropper at the box-office in India when Nalin claimed that the movie could not generate revenue in India because Sony managed to run it only for three weeks.
“When the box-office collections were picking up, the film had to be withdrawn from theatres as they were booked for other movies in the queue,” he said. Samsara grossed over Rs.1 billion worldwide and did good business in Europe. Shemaroo has launched the movie on DVD in India.
Style files of Bollywood divas
“As part of our company’s policy, we are now taking the initiative to support good cinema and independent filmmakers, making their productions available on home video,” said Shemaroo director Hiren Gada.
He said Shemaroo was aware that DVDs of films like Samsara might not sell like those of commercial movies. “But there is a clientele for good, sensible movies. We will be more than pleased if the DVDs of Samsara do business worth Rs.2.5 million,” Gada said.
Celebs at Bollywood’s hottest events
Though the movie has been made in Tibetan-Ladakhi language with sub-tiles in English, by virtue of its theme and cinematic brilliance, it was highly acclaimed worldwide when it was released internationally in 2001.
First look: Aishwarya takes on Abhishek
Ram Gopal Varma had created a coup of sorts by casting the father-son jodi (Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek) in Sarkar, a film that left people awestruck, all thanks to the power-full performances by the Bachchans. This time round, Ramu has gone one-step ahead to add one more member (Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan) from the Bachchan clan and have named it Sarkar Raj, which happens to be a sequel to Sarkar. So now, let us hear from the director himself.When is Sarkar Raj releasing?
Either in the last week of May or first week of June, depending upon the matches, exams, vacations, etc. Reports of a delay are utter nonsense. Nothing is being re-shot. If I needed to do it, I would. But that isn’t the case with Sarkar Raj. All of us—Amitji, Abhishek, Aishwarya and I are happy with the product.
The film has an added significance because of the formidable cast…
I guess when the film stars the Bachchans, people would love to talk about the product. But they’re bitching unnecessarily about Sarkar Raj. Something negative or the other is always being written about it. The fact is that post-production is on. We’re ready with Sarkar Raj.
Do you feel that Sarkar Raj has gone beyond Sarkar?
In terms of scale, scope, and span, it goes far beyond the first film. Also it is my first film with a socio-political subtext. And it’s character-driven. If you take the Godfather trilogy, they’re all character dramas. Sarkar Raj isn’t exactly a sequel to Sarkar. In the sense, that it doesn’t take off right away from where the first movie trails off.
So how would you describe it?
For the want of a better description, I’d say that Sarkar Raj takes us into another episode… in the adventures of the Nagare family’s life. The plots and issues involved make this a far bigger film than the first one.
Do the Big B and Abhishek have more scenes together?
I wouldn’t say more scenes. I’d say there’re more shades to their character. In the first part, the son Shankar got very close to his father because of a crisis. By the end of Sarkar, Abhishek’s character took over his father’s empire. In Sarkar Raj, they already share a pre-given equation.
Aishwarya strikes back
MARRIAGE FOR actresses in Bollywood is considered professional hara-kiri but for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan it’s turned out to be a professional boon. Jodhaa Akbar, her first release post marriage to Abhishek Bachchan is a hit despite the controversies surrounding it.
Furthermore the critics who have never really liked Aishwarya in her earlier movies now seem to be soft on her and are raving about her performance.
The good times seem to have just begun for Aishwarya as her future looks bright with a number of big budget films on her list. Her next film is Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkaar Raj with hubby Abhishek and father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan. Recently she has also signed a Mani Ratnam film opposite Abhishek. On the international front she has the Pink Panther Returns and Ben Kingsley’s Taj Mahal.
There are rumours that Aishwarya has been signed by Shankar for his forthcoming film Robot opposite Rajnikant for a whooping sum of Rs. 6 Crores making Ash the most expensive actress in Bollywood, but some whispers say that Ash is now thinking of backing out. The reasons cited are that the film will take two years in the making and Ash wants to start a family by then.
Prior to her 2007 marriage with Abhishek, Ash’s career had almost ended in Bollywood, the reason being Ash’s focus on Hollywood projects. Says a filmmaker, “ After her appearance at the Cannes Film Festival and being on the cover of Time magazine, she had suddenly raised her price. No Hindi filmmaker wanted to touch her as a result she lost out on a lot of good projects.” Ash was thrown out of Ketan Mehta’s Mangal Pandey because she demanded one crore for an item number in the film. Ash’s friend turned foe Rani Mukherji picked up the item number and managed to bargain for a few scenes with the producer.
Adding salt to her wounds was newcomer Priyanka Chopra who replaced her in three films in 2006; Krrish, Bluffmaster and Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam. All this while Ash thought that her Hollywood career would take off. Unfortunately all the English films, The Mistress of Spices, Bride And Prejudice and The Last Legion tanked.
It is then that she signed on J P Dutta’s Umrao Jaan, wherein began her romance with Abhishek Bachchan. Unfortunately Umrao Jaan became the biggest debacle of 2006 and Ash was heavily criticised but for the last time. Abhishek and Ash became a couple and were signed on by Mani Ratnam for his Guru, the film was a hit and the duo announced their engagement after the film premiered.
Post Ash’s 2007 marriage lady luck seems to be favouring Ash in a big way; she signed Pink Panther and Taj Mahal while her competitors Rani, Preity and Priyanka don’t have any major releases coming up this year. She took sweet revenge on Ketan Mehta by agreeing to work in his Jhansi Ki Rani and making him wait for a year only to reject the film because she supposedly doesn’t want to do anymore period films.
A trade source says, “Aishwarya is now a part of the Bachchan family and that has definitely changed the way people perceive her in the industry. Initially nobody wanted to touch her because she was Salman’s ex-girlfriend. Also everyone thought that she wasn’t interested in Bollywood. The Bachchans are one of the major players in Bollywood and all big filmmakers flock to them. Ramu had once said that he’d didn’t think Ash was a great actress but look at him now. He’s singing her praises.”
Chandrasekhar Swami, the Bachchan family’s astrologer in Bangalore had predicted before the marriage that Aishwarya and Abhishek were a perfect match, a source close to the Bachchan family however reveals, “the astrologer told them that post marriage Aishwarya would benefit but the same cannot be said about Abhishek!”