Aishwarya Rai

And Danny Boyle wasn’t just trying to make a statement. A different Ash in each of her ventures — that’s what Aishwarya Rai Bachchan aims Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for, even if it’s a minuscule role in a Hollywood film.

Your latest Hollywood outing sees you in an avatar which is far from your leading lady image…
It’s not about whether I’m the leading lady in a project or who my co-star is. For me, the film-maker, script and role are deciding factors. And I have always tried to defy the obvious and test myriad characters. That’s why there’s an Iruvar, Josh, Khakee, Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai, Devdas, Raincoat, Chokher Bali and Shabd to name a few. As they have been saying in the West, ‘She is not house-hunting in Hollywood’. In fact, I’ve never done that. I’ve not gone to them looking for work. Continue reading ‘Ash says, Slumdog’s just a movie’

After the success of ‘Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd’, Minissha Lamba heads straight into her latest flick ‘Anamika’ which is an adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s classic English novel Rebecca.

Q: How much do you relate to you character Jia Rao?
A: Without losing audience empathy, it was a fine line and also this film is adapted from a literally classic. We are doing an adaptation of a book.

It is a classic that we are adapting to modern day sensibilities, to a modern day film so that it holds ground even today. Continue reading ‘Only Aishwarya Rai could do that: Minissha Lamba’

She is almost a regular at Cannes Film Festival now but this time round Aishwarya Rai greeted the press for the first time as a Bachchan. The actress talks about life after marriage and more in conversation with CNN-IBN Entertainment Editor Rajeev Masand.

Rajeev Masand: Aishwarya, first of all congratulations. You are glowing and looking very good.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Thank you very much. Continue reading ‘Honeymoon, best time ever: Ash’

In the afterglow of the AbhiAsh wedding, Amitabh Bachchan says he is looking forward to his new daughter-in-law bringing more happiness into the family.

‘We are happy that the union has taken place. I’m sure there’ll be even more happiness in the house because of Aishwarya.

There were some truly heart-warming moments during the wedding and I’d like to believe they were moments that will remain with us for the rest of our lives,’ Amitabh told IANS in an interview. Continue reading ‘Ash will bring more bliss to family: Amitabh’

The Abhi-Ash wedding is set for next week. And what does the mistress of ceremonies- the proud mother of the groom, Jaya Bachchan have to say about the soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Aishwarya Rai?

Here is an excerpt of the interview of Jaya Bachchan by film-maker Karan Johar.

Karan Johar: You were a tremendous support to your husband, and now Abhishek has found someone special, Aishwarya Rai. Continue reading ‘‘I love Aishwarya’’

With the most-talked about wedding of Bollywood around the corner, and a slew of films in the pipeline, Amitabh Bachchan has a lot to look forward in the near future. CNN-iBN correspondent Suhasini Haidar spoke to Big B moments after he received the French honour Legion d’honneur at the French Embassy in the Capital.

Suhasini Haidar: You have won FranceâPound Sterling â„¢s highest civilian awardâPound Sterling ” the Legion d’honneur. What does this honour means to you?

Amitabh Bachchan: Getting this award was a moment of great happiness, joy and pride. More for the fact that France is taking notice of the people in the indian film industry. indian cinema is going global and is gathering foreign clientele. it feels great to know that the French have a very strong affliction towards indian cinema. i hope this enhances our prospects of winning similar awards in other parts of the world. Continue reading ‘Exclusive: Big B on Aishwarya-Abhishek, KBC’

This is the first time you have worked with Mani Ratnam. How did it happen?

Nine years ago Mani Ratnam had offered me a role in his film iruvar but i was unable to do it because he wanted me to cut my hair short. it wasn’t possible for me as i was already shooting for another film, which required me to keep my hair long to maintain continuity. i’m glad that we have finally worked together. He thought i fitted the character of Manik Dasgupta, who is a newspaper baron and loves Gurukant (Abhishek) like his own son. He is a crusader who helps Gurukant reach the heights. But he also goes against Gurukant when he treads the wrong path.

How did the shooting of Guru go?

We shot the film in Chennai. i would order my lunch from a Bengali restaurant called Annapurna, as i always order food from there whenever i’m shooting in Chennai. One day i offered food to everyone on the sets before starting my meal and everyone just loved it. The next day onwards, the entire unit was eating from Annapurna. There used to be alu posto, potoler dolma, machher kofta, kosha mangsho and aamer chutney. Abhishek knew how to mix the food since his mother (Jaya) is Bengali, but i had to teach Ash (Aishwarya) how to eat and what order to follow. Most people like cooking but i get a high and a lot of satisfaction treating people to good food!

What was your experience of working with Mani Ratnam?

it was a real pleasure. Mani Ratnam is someone i can actually call an actor’s director. No matter how long you may have been working as an actor, you cannot go beyond the character that is etched out for you and Mani Ratnam knows how to guide you and bring out precisely what he needs in a particular scene. it was simply a treat to work with a director like him and i must admit that he is by far one of the best film-makers i’ve worked with till date. Continue reading ‘Of Annapurna, Aishwarya Rai & Abhishek Bachchan’

Did you do the stunts in Dhoom:2 yourself?

A did do a couple of them, however, with the mantra being safety first. We did push ourselves to experience the adrenaline rush, because that’s what makes it super exciting in terms of what you deliver and what the audience gets to actually experience on screen. The high point was at Orabi Gorge, where we had the bungee jump. There’s this one moment where Hrithik’s character Aryan challenges Sunehri (my character) to jump, and she goes for it.

That was an absolute high. i’ve never experienced literally jumping off the edge; it’s like jumping off a diving board. it was quite a moment for both Hrithik and me, because just next to us, there was a trickle of waterfall. So we could actually see water drops going down in slow motion!

Are you playing a negative role in Dhoom:2?

i guess assumptions are fine, because it keeps the curiosity about the film alive. But i won’t define my character as negative or positive, because she’s a livewire, and has a personality that’s just typically her.

it was definitely exciting for me to discover and deliver Sunehri. One moment she’s exuding excitement, in another she’s hero-worshipping Mr A (Hrithik Roshan), and the next she’s challenging him. in that sense, just like Mr A, even Sunehri will take the audience a while to figure out. Continue reading ‘‘Bungee jumping was an absolute high’ – Aishwarya Rai’

AiSHWARYA Rai portrays two vastly contrasting characters in her latest films, Umrao Jaan and Dhoom 2. Umrao Jaan is a period drama in which the 33-year-old former Miss World takes on the title role of a demure courtesan.

Dhoom 2, on the contrary, is an action flick that has the leading lady in an edgy role as a thief alongside Hrithik Roshan – her first time working on a film with the star of the recent superhero hit Krrish.

Appearing in both movies are Abhishek Bachchan, the man hotly tipped to be Ash’s future husband. Continue reading ‘Aishwarya Rai-sing to the occasion’

Music Video Morey Piya Movie Devdas Starting: Shah Rukh Khan – Aishwarya Rai – Madhuri Dixit