Aishwarya Rai

Grapevine has it that Bachchan junior and Aishwarya Rai would be tying the knot very soon. Reportedly they plan to get formally engaged in February next year. The date for the wedding is yet to be decided.

The families have agreed to Aishwarya and Abhishek entering wedlock. It must be mentioned that it was earlier reported that an astrologer close to both the families was consulted to match the janampatris of both the stars.

Aishwarya Rai and AB Jr, however, have kept their fans guessing whether the relationship between them is just friendship or something more. Continue reading ‘Ash, Abhi to get engaged in Feb 2007′

The gorgeous Aishwarya Rai has got back into shape to play a glamorous seductress in the western mould in the racy thriller Dhoom 2 .

Throughout the sequel of Dhoom , Ash as Sunheri is attired in skimpy western clothes that reveal her now stunning figure which is departure from the norm as in her ten-year long career in Bollywood, Ash has consistently essayed demure, quintessentially Indian roles, that emphasized her stunning good looks but not her svelte body.

Even when she showed skin, Ash did so with muted sexuality. Continue reading ‘Aishwarya Rai – the new sex symbol?’

Ash is generally known to be elusive with the press and other media personnel. But now the queen of bollywood, Ash wants to reinstate her position as one of the top actors, especially since she has four films due for release soon. Dhoom 2 , Umrao Jaan, Guru etc is due for release shortly and what better way than to break her ice queen stance than using the media. However Ash claims that she has never really attempted to deliberately stay elusive from the media, she says “I’ve just been working on my schedules, on several movies. Honestly there’s been no attempt whatsoever at hibernation.� She claims that shooting for her different films and traveling to different locations around the globe for her work has barely left her with any time to spare.

However she is more amused than annoyed with the various stories that circulate in the media. She claims that most of the stories doing the rounds in the media regarding her are purely fictional and are a means of entertainment. Ash says “My schedules keep me away and so it becomes very difficult to keep pace with clarifications before the next rumour is out. But I definitely try and bring some semblance of reality to whatever information is being disseminated about me.� However at times when she feels the stories doing the rounds of the media are not even justified she refuses to even talk about the topic so as not to give the unwanted topic any importance. Ash is not the least bit disturbed by claims made by Kareena Kapoor stating that she was first offered the role of Umrao Jaan which she turned down. Ash does not see the need to give the story any importance and also claims that director J.P Dutta’s silence on the subject should convey the message loud and clear to all.

Ash is flattered by the praises of directors who have worked with her and she says “If the captain of the ship acknowledges the professional actor in me, I’m overjoyed and extremely grateful. When my directors are satisfied it’s very well gratifying.â€? Ash will soon be seen with actor Abhishek Bachchan in several of her forthcoming films and the audiences are hoping to see some really interesting chemistry between the two of them. Ash says “As a team, Abhishek and I have succeeded in telling the story and doing our jobs as efficiently and in a committed fashion as expected. It’s a job well done.â€? However as for the two of them being an off-screen couple, the actress once again diplomatically sidesteps the issue saying “The way I or we have dealt with this issue is very apparent by the fact that there is nothing to put down in words. In terms of personal interaction, we share the same comfort level that we’ve always shared from our first film together. We have a fantastic working atmosphere and a friendly relationship that has grown with the growth in our experiences here.â€? Continue reading ‘Aishwarya Rai talks about being elusive, rumours and Abhishek Bachchan’

Aishwarya Rai’s next two Hollywood releases are ‘Last Legion’ and ‘Provoked’ and as per rumours, Aishwarya is not very keen now as she was earlier for signing up Hollywood movies. Report says, at present she’s not signing Hollywood venture any more. As she recently said in a recent interview, “ Hollywood can waitâ€?, Aishwarya wants to concentrate more on Bollywood movies than the films of Hollywood .

However she has different opinion as per Will Smith’s offer is concerned. Last year when Smith had come in India , the Hollywood star had approached Ash for his movie and Ash had reportedly given her nod to Smith. As per reports, Aishwarya wants to allot required dates to Smith very soon.

“There are quite a few scripts from abroad, but I hope to be able to work with Will Smith. The script was great and I will be fun to work with him,â€? said Aishwarya in a recent interview.

“Marriage will be an eventuality for sure but only God knows about the time,” she said interacting with the mediapersons on the sidelines of the launch of a new watch collection of Longines. Aishwarya is the ambassador for the brand.

She was poker-faced while answering questions on her relationship with Abhishek Bachchan with whom she is starring in three movies.

“Abhishek is a friend for sure. He is a fantastic colleague and I had a fabulous time working with him this year,” she said. Continue reading ‘‘Fate will decide my marriage’’

Elegance is an attitude, says the tagline of Longines BelleArti watches collection, and who better than Aishwarya Rai to launch this collection. “I really do not need to work out as much now,� she said in response to a question on her fitness mantra.

“My hectic schedule keeps me on my toes,� she added with her trademark giggle. She also refuted rumours of any plans to shift permanently to Hollywood. “I always stick to a planned schedule,� she said.

“I had three Hollywood projects at hand and some from Bollywood. Since getting suitable dates are a major problem in Hollywood, I decided to complete all my overseas projects at one go. So, I have wrapped up all my international projects last year and this year, I am focussing only on the projects in Bollywood,� she explained.

Besides Umrao Jaan and Dhoom 2, Rai will also be star in Akbar-Jodha and Sarkar 2. There was little scope for the former Miss World to escape questions about her alleged relationship with Abhishek Bachchan, but she handled the question with tact.

In her reply to a question about any pranks played by Bachchan Junior (who is a famed prankster on the sets), Aishwarya replied, “I don’t know if he is a prankster, but he sure is a brat.� Aishwarya was also in the news recently for performing all the stunts in Dhoom 2 herself. “It was awesome,� she says giggling again.

“My favourite stunt was the one shown in the promo where I jump off the cliff. I wish I could have indulged in some more, they were fun.� Bollywood has almost always been the domain of men. Male actors continue to get bigger paychecks than their female counterparts.

“Everyone has his own perspective on that,� Rai said. “All I can say is that I am thankful to this industry. They have been open-minded about the way I chose to chart my course. Whether it was my professional choice or where I pushed the envelope, they have been supportive.

The word ‘no’ has incredible power and I am glad the industry has taken that from me.� “It takes great courage to say ‘no’ to someone but it takes greater conviction to stand by one’s own decision,� she said.

Though she’s been hailed as one of the most beautiful women in the world, box office success has somehow eluded Aishwarya Rai.

She has had only a few hits in her almost decade long career.

Now, with three big releases lined up, the actress has a lot to talk about.

“In terms of getting the opportunity to play Rekhaji’s role in Umrao Jaan, its an honour. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and look forward to this film,” said Aishwarya.. Continue reading ‘Aishwarya on a roll’

The gorgeous Aishwarya Rai has a lot of faith in destiny.

Interacting with the mediapersons on the sidelines of the launch of a new watch collection of Longines in New Delhi on Tuesday and being diplomatic to the core, Ash set aside questions about her marriage and said that she had left everything to fate.

“Marriage will be an eventuality for sure but only God knows about the time,” she said at the function as the brand ambassador of Longines.

Ash was poker-faced while answering questions on her relationship with Abhishek Bachchan with whom she is starring in three movies. Continue reading ‘Aishwarya Rai’s faith in destiny’

In 2006, I had to strive hard to make my way back to success. But I am happy and content,’’ says music director Anu Malik, prior to the release of Jaan-e-mann, for which he has scored the tunes. ‘‘It was a huge boost for my morale to know that people have appreciated the melody which I believe in,’’ he says.

Competition has never been more stiff for the veteran composer. Over the past year, Himesh Reshammiya’s nasal voice has taken the music scene by storm. But Malik tries puts up a brave front. ‘‘Competition is something that I always look forward to. It makes me stronger. I have raised the bar for myself. I think it’s a big thing to be noticed among 5,000 music directors,’’ he says.

With two big releases—Jaan-e-mann and Umrao Jaan coming up, the veteran composer keeps his fingers crossed. ‘‘Jaan-e-mann retains the spirit of a Broadway musical. It’s as if the characters are breaking into song spontaneously. The producers told me that they didn’t want the usual melody for this film. The script was the most important guideline for me,’’ says Malik as he hums the tunes of the film’s track, Jaan-e-mann. Continue reading ‘Second coming’

Sushmita Sen rubbishes the news published by a tabloid about her not working in the Hollywood venture opposite Richard Gere. “I am thankful that someone asked me this question. I guess I am attacked by those I don’t speak to. I am saying this for the last time that I am certainly doing the film with Richard Gere,” Sushmita says.

This year sees Sushmita’s first Hollywood release, Karma, Confessions and Holi, where the actress has a passionate kissing scene with ex-boyfriend Randeep Hooda. So how comfortable was she in the act? “Why should I have any problem?” she counters. “In the film Randeep plays the role of my husband and I think kissing your husband is normal,” she replies.

Considering the fact that she is getting offers from Hollywood, does she intend to pursue her career there? “I have always made it clear that I am not suitable for Hollywood films. I think the way Aishwarya Rai has conducted herself is the right way to get work in Hollywood. I don’t have any agent in Hollywood like many actors from India have. Without an agent you’ll have to struggle hard to get a role and I am in no position to start my career again from scratch,” she says. Continue reading ‘I am certainly doing the film with Richard Gere’’