Pranab gifts Aishwarya's films to Pak

Indo-Asian News Service

Thursday, May 29, 2008: (Islamabad):

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee carried an unusual gift for Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani when he visited Pakistan last week - a box full of Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai's movies.

The 55-year-old Pakistani premier lists Aishwarya and Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan as his favourite film stars. He said it was a "pleasant surprise" when he unwrapped the gift and found it contained a number of DVDs of his favourite actress' films.

During an appearance on ARY Oneworld TV channel's morning show, Gillani said that Mukherjee's aides must have found out about his fondness for Indian films and specially Aishwarya Rai's movies since he had written in his book Chah-e-Yousaf Say Sada that watching her films on the laptop was one of his favourite pastimes when he was imprisoned by Pervez Musharraf regime 2001-06.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan can't romance 3 men!

Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan would've liked nothing better than doing films with husband Abhishek Bachchan. She has on more than one occasion, told close friends that even professionally, being paired with Abhishek is what she is most comfortable with.

So when buddy Karan Johar offered Aishwarya a chance to work with Abhishek in Dostana, with the sunny beach-side atmosphere of Miami being a plus, she was all for it.

All seemed well, albeit, the role required her to romance not just Abhishek, but also John Abraham, and, finally walk away with a third man! The third man is to be played by none other than Bobby Deol, who makes a surprise entry at the end of Dostana. Karan Johar says, "Bobby has a very special role in the film." Special indeed, because he gets the girl from Abhishek and John!

Aishwarya refused Dostana simply because she couldn't see herself romancing three men on screen, with her married Bachchan-bahu status. Also, Dostana required her to sport a lot of beachwear. Having refused to wear beachwear in Dhoom 2 already, she didn't give a second thought to declining Dostana.

The lucky girl to have stepped into Aishwarya's role is Priyanka Chopra. Dostana is the second film where Priyanka Chopra has benefitted from Ash leaving the project, the first being Rohan Sippy's Bluff Master, in 2005. This would be Aishwarya's third project with John Abraham gone wrong. Gaurang Doshi's Happy Birthday never got made, and Sriram Raghavan's film is yet to take off.

Aishwarya and Abhishek walk the Amitabh talk - to Siddhivinayak: Photos

Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 (EST)
Appeased by the Bachchan walk to the Siddhivinayak temple early Tuesday, May 27, whatever else Lord Ganesha may handout as reward to the family, Amitabh has won many hearts, and a lot of traffic on his blog, from his 'private act' in a very public place.

The Bachchans - Amitabh, Abhishek and Aishwarya walk to the Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai during the early morning hours of Tuesday, May 27. Photo Credit: Maxx Media / Sawf News

May 28, 2008 (Sawf News) - Appeased by the Bachchan walk to the Siddhivinayak temple early Tuesday, May 27, whatever else Lord Ganesha may handout as reward to the family, Amitabh has won many hearts, and a lot of traffic on his blog, from his 'private act' in a very public place.

Incidentally, Amitabh Bachchan announced the 'private act' in a public place, a day before embarking on it, for the press and his fans to take note of.

The Bachchans - Amitabh, Abhishek and Aishwarya walk to the Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai during the early morning hours of Tuesday, May 27. Photo Credit: Maxx Media / Sawf News

In a post on his blog today, a day after the event, Amitabh has described the walk with great eloquence and detail, stating at one point:

"And you move along, oblivious of all else; blinded in the eye by the lights and flashes of the media that follows the entire 4 hour walk and blind to the stories that they would make of this private act."

'Pa,' as Aishwarya Rai refers to him these days, which is a sensible climb down from her earlier, more hilarious, reference to him as 'Father of the family,' can't get over the media, as much as the media cannot get over him.

The Bachchans - Amitabh, Abhishek and Aishwarya walk to the Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai during the early morning hours of Tuesday, May 27. Photo Credit: Maxx Media / Sawf News

Anyway, we digress. We are not here to ascribe motives to 'private acts.' The Bachchans were not doing it for the success of Sarkar Raj for sure, as the Mumbai tabloids are suggesting. Because if they were, considering how great a blasphemy Ram Gopal Varma's earlier film Aag was, the Bachchan's should have made Ramu crawl to the temple alongside them for just appeasement.

All we want to write about is all that we care about - Aishwarya - who was looking insanely hot!

Dressed in a white lace , she looked beautiful and fragile walking barefoot. Going by how tightly she clasped Abhishek Bachchan's hands, an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale must have been forecast for Mumbai that morning, although no one else was aware of it.

Aishwarya’s kitty to dazzle with diamond biz card

Aishwarya Rai Bach-chan is beaming ear to ear these days - and the smile is genuine this time. The reason would make any girl go green with jealousy - the 'Bachchan Bahu' is to be presented an exclusive diamond-studded Business card by Gitanjali Lifestyle at Idea IIFA award night in Bangkok.

The business card is studded with a fine blend of 7900 diamonds and 40 grams of gold, priced at whopping Rs 1 crore.

Aishwarya, like all celebrities has a fetish for luxury goods. And the best part of it is she manages to get all the luxury accessories free of cost. Recently, she bought sunglasses worth Rs 1 million at the expense of the producers of 'Sarkar Raj'. And now, she would be presented with a Diamond biz card.

Apart from Aishwarya's diamond card, IFFA has a sweet family reunion in store for the Bachchans. Father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan would be welcoming this year`s IIFA delegation with the gracious Thai greeting, "Sawadee ka", meaning "Hello".

The 'Bachchan Khandaan' along with 'bhai' Amar Singh (extremely likely) would promote 'Sarkar Raj' at the film festival. 'Bachchan Bahu' Aishwarya will also be competing in the best actress category for her role in Guru.

This year again, IFFA promises to be a 'Bachchan Khandaan' show. Isn't so, Aishwarya 'diamond' Bachchan?

Aishwarya Rai in new Sarkar Raj builds up the suspense

A lot of suspense is building up around the release of Sarkar Raj, next month as it is director Ram Gopal Verma’s baby after a string of flops and also stars the entire Bachchan family in a package.

Fresh from the debacle of ‘Ram Gopal Verma Ki Aag’, Ram Gopal Verma is pinning a lot of of hope on ‘ Sarkar Raj’ . Sarkar Raj is a sequel to the director’s Sarkar, which will also test the fate of Abhishekh Bachchan who stars in both movies.

Also enters the Aishwarya Rai quotient. She stars as a feisty corporate honcho who has a crucial role to play in the saga of the Nagare Family consisting of senior Amitabh Bachchan and junior Abhishekh Bachchan.

But, no, there is no romantic angle between Ash and her real life hubby. In the movie, Abhishekh Bachchan is married to Tanisha Mukherjee.

There are many stories floating around Sarkar Raj.

This includes how Aishwarya Rai used to supervise the lunch of her hubby and father in-law like a dutiful daughter –in-law on the sets.

There is also a tale of how she purchased a pair of Gucci sunglasses form London that set the producers back by a cool Rs10 lakh.

Another rumour is that at the end of the movie, Abhishekh Bachchan’s character is shot down and this story line is giving nightmares to producers. However Ram Gopal Verma denies this story.

Aishwarya Rai and Eva Longoria bond well at Cannes

Two of the most glamorous women in the world, Aishwarya Rai and Eva Longoria bonded well at the Cannes film festival where they walked the red carpet together as representatives of L’Oreal.

They were also joined by Rachida Bakni, who starred in the original French version of the movie, Chaos that Aishwarya was supposed to act in.

Aishwarya had several memorable moments in Cannes like meeting up with legendary French actor Jean Reno, American actor- director Woody Allen, and catching glimpses of some happening movies like the opening movie, Blindness, Woody Allen’s Vicky Christina Barcelona and the latest Indiana Jones flick.

This time, her sartorial sense was appreciated compared to previous appearances at Cannes.

An exhausted and jet-lagged, Aishwarya laughs and says, “I don’t even want to think about what people thought of my clothes. To me, how I conduct myself at Cannes and how people react to me is far more important than what I wear. Cannes has always been a marvelous and memorable experience. And this time too, it was no different!”

On set, Aishwarya is dutiful daughter-in-law

Thu, May 22 2008

Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai played the perfect ‘bahu’ (daughter-in-law) during the shooting of Ram Gopal Verma’s Sarkar Raj, as she took special care to ensure a good lunch for husband Abhishek and father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan on the sets.

Aishwarya religiously supervised the food being cooked for Abhishek and Amitabh and would ensure their favourite dishes were always on the menu. "It is special when you shoot with the family. But our lunch hour was the only hour when we were together as a family. After lunch, we would all get in the skin of our characters and get back as unit members of a film," Amitabh said.

The film, a sequel to the 2005 movie Sarkar, is special for the family as it features Abhishek and Aishwarya together for the first time after their wedding in 2007.

Earlier, the two shared screen space in Kuch Naa Kaho (2003) and Umrao Jaan (2006). In 2005, the couple along with Amitabh performed the hit Kajra Re from the film Bunty Aur Babli.

Diamond-studded business card for Aishwarya!

The IIFA weekend in Bangkok has more surprises in store…Read on!

By Meenakshi Shankar

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan would be smiling all the way to Bangkok for the Idea IIFA 2008 award night, this June. Celebrating its association with IIFA, Gitanjali Lifestyle is reportedly presenting an exclusive diamond-studded Business card to Ash at the award night. The business card is studded with a fine blend of 7900 diamonds and 40 grams of gold, costing approximately Rs. 1 crore.

Missworld 1994 Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek in IIFA award Function

Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan and his wife Aishwarya Rai present the best movie award on stage at the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFAs) at the Sheffield Hallam Arena on June 9, 2007 in Sheffield, England.

Aishwarya Rai Gallery 2

Biography of Aishwarya Raai

Nick Name: Aishu

Aishwarya Rai Birthdate: 1st Nov 1973

Aishwarya Rai Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Aishwarya Rai Eye Colour: Light Green

Aishwarya Rai Height: 5'7"

Aishwarya Rai Profession: Modeling & Acting

Aishwarya Awards Won: Miss World 1994

Aishwarya Rai was born in Mangalore, as the daughter of Krishnaraj Rai, a marine biologist, and Vrinda Rai, a writer. Her family belongs to the Bunt community of Mangalore. She has one elder brother, Aditya Rai, who is an engineer in the merchant navy and also co-produced one of Rai's movies, Dil Ka Rishta (2003).

After she was born, her parents moved to Mumbai where she attended the Arya Vidya Mandir high school in Santa Cruz. Rai then entered Jai Hind College at Churchgate for one year, and then moved to Ruparel College in Matunga to finish her "HSC" studies. She did well in school and planned to become an architect.

She can communicate in several languages, including Tulu, Hindi, English, Marathi and basic Tamil among others. While pursuing her studies in architecture, Rai began modeling on the side. In the 1994 Miss India contest, she won the second place (behind Sushmita Sen), and went on to win the Miss World title the same year, where she also won the Miss Photogenic award. She abandoned her studies after winning the pageant and spent one year reigning as Miss World in London. Rai then started working as a professional model and then moved on to her current profession as an actress.

Rai has previously dated model Rajeev and Bollywood actors Salman Khan and Vivek Oberoi. She is now married to Indian actor Abhishek Bachchan. The wedding took place on April 20, 2007.

Filmography

Filmography

Year	Title	Language	Role	Notes
1997	Iruvar	Tamil	Pushpa/Kalpana	Dubbed in Telugu as Iddaru
	Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya	Hindi	Ashi Kapoor
1998	Jeans	Tamil	Madhumitha/Vaishnavi	Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award South India's official entry to the Oscars Dubbed in Hindi and Telugu as Jeans
1999	Aa Ab Laut Chalen	Hindi	Pooja
	Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam	Hindi	Nandini	Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award
	Ravoyi Chandamama	Telugu		Special appearance (item number)
	Taal	Hindi	Mansi	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award Dubbed in Tamil as Taalam
2000	Mela	Hindi	Champakali	Special appearance
	Kandukondain Kandukondain	Tamil	Meenakshi Bala	Dubbed in Telugu as Priyuraalu Pilichindi
	Josh	Hindi	Shirley
	Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai	Hindi	Preeti Virat	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
	Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke	Hindi	Sahiba Grewal
	Mohabbatein	Hindi	Megha	Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
2001	Albela	Hindi	Sonia
2002	Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam	Hindi	Suman	Cameo
	Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin	Hindi	Komal Rastogi
	23rd March 1931: Shaheed	Hindi		Cameo
	Devdas	Hindi	Parvati (Paro)	Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award India's official entry to the Oscars
	Shakti: The Power	Hindi	Aishwarya Rai	Special appearance (item number)
2003	Chokher Bali	Bengali	Binodhini
	Dil Ka Rishta	Hindi	Tia Sharma
	Kuch Naa Kaho	Hindi	Namrata Shrivastav
2004	Bride & Prejudice	English	Lalita Bakshi	Dubbed in Hindi as Balle Balle! From Amritsar To L.A
	Khakee	Hindi	Mahalakshmi	First villain role
	Kyun...! Ho Gaya Na	Hindi	Diya Malhotra
	Raincoat	Hindi	Neerja	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2005	Shabd	Hindi	Antara Vashist
	Bunty Aur Babli	Hindi		Special appearance (item number)
2006	Mistress of Spices	English	Tilo
	Umrao Jaan	Hindi	Umrao Jaan
	Dhoom 2	Hindi	Sunehri	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2007	Guru	Hindi	Sujata	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
	Provoked	English	Kiranjit Ahluwalia
	The Last Legion	English	Mira
2008	Jodhaa Akbar	Hindi	Jodhaa Bai
	Sarkar Raj	Hindi	Neha	Post-production
2009	The Pink Panther Deux	English	Sophie Solandres	Releasing February 13, 2009
2010	Robot	Tamil		Pre-production

Aishwarya Rai Gallery