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Shabana Azmi (above) too plays a pivotal role in the film. It may or may not be the year's finest film, but Umrao Jaan will certainly be among the most visually appealing.
'I am inspired by Rekha, but I cannot ape her'
October 10, 2006
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When you do a google search on Aishwarya Rai, you will find more than three million web pages dedicated to her. Her picture is one of the most downloaded ones on the Net. Such is the charisma of the stunning actress.
This, considering she has had only three hits (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Taal and Devdas) in her nine-year career.
The actress spoke to Priyanka Jain about her new film, Umrao Jaan, which hits theatres on November 3.
On being compared with Rekha, star of the original Umrao Jaan
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For me, as an actor, it's a special experience to get the opportunity to play Umrao Jaan who has been already iconised on our celluloid. When I played Paro in Devdas, I went through the same area of questioning about how my role will be compared with the ones played earlier.
Thanks to the support of the audience, an incredible film like Devdas made by Sanjay Leela Bhansali was appreciated. That strengthened my belief that in the world of cinema, we are here to tell a story for today's audience. Each time a story is told or retold, it is the interpretation of that director, told in his language of cinema.
What I consider a blessing in my career is the opportunity to have essayed such incredible characters on screen -- be it from the contemporary or modern times, from classics, biographies or earlier films. This has enriched made my time in cinema.
But it's an honour to be even spoken about in the same breath as Rekhadi because she is my senior; somebody I respect and admire. I shared a special connection with her even before I joined the film industry. Once I was at a store near my home. She stopped her car, came to me and said, 'You are mine and you are going to be here (film industry) for a long time.'
It's so special that today I have the chance to play the character that she is synonymous with.
Rekha is very inspiring. It is not necessarily relative to just one performance, but her entire career, the span of characters that she has essayed, the performances that she has delivered itself is extremely inspiring. I am inspired by her performance. But I cannot ape her.
On playing Umrao Jaan
Playing Umrao Jaan was a demanding emotional journey. When a story takes that course, it is following an entire arc; it goes through all the possible emotions. The process was satisfying, inspiring and challenging. It forced me to deliver the best in every moment.
I always enjoyed music and dance and its translation on celluloid. I had always been greedy to work with this combination of director J P Dutta, lyricist Javed Akhtar and music composer Anu Malik because their music is very beautiful.
Performing to the songs was very memorable. Each song was a part of the narrative, part of Umrao's journey.
Since our generation speaks English, we are not very fluent in Hindi, leave alone Urdu. I loved those dialogues and the experience to work and know about that era. For me, it was a study of Urdu on the sets under the guidance of JP and Javed saab.
On director J P Dutta
J P Dutta is a committed taskmaster. I have danced to songs before. But he always added to choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant's steps, and that was quite challenging. He would shoot an entire mukhda in one shot. To do all the songs at that level required remaining focused at all times. In that moment, I felt I became Umrao Jaan.
It was interesting to deliver a performance that shows her passionate but tragic story. The film is also reflective of the art that was at its zenith in that era. The sex trade was called the performing arts then and not prostitution.
On her chemistry with Abhishek
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We deliver our performances and the first person we need to satisfy is our director. Then, we hear your verdict and that of our audiences.
Abhishek Bachchan quietly commits himself to the character with fascinating depth. There is not much show about it, but he is clued in. JP and he share a special bond (Abhishek made his debut in JP Dutta's Refugee) and that was evident on the sets. They just need to signal to each other and they would know exactly what is expected.
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Any remake, be it film or music, faces the obvious challenge -- that of being compared to the original. Filmmaker J P Dutta has no such fear, which is why he has decided to remake the 1981 Muzaffar Ali classic Umrao Jaan.
rediff.com compares the original roles with the new actors in Dutta's remake.
Umrao Jaan: From Rekha to Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai steps into Rekha's shoes to play Amiran aka Umrao Jaan. It seems a tough task, no doubt, for the former Miss World.
Rekha's performance in the film not only won her a National Award but also fetched her wide critical acclaim. While viewing the film, one fails to dissociate actress Rekha from Amiran.
Will Ash do Umrao justice? Only time will tell.
Nawab Sultan: From Farooq Shaikh to Abhishek Bachchan
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Abhishek may be the toast of Bollywood today, but will he be able to do what Farooq Shaikh did so subtly?
Farooq was the epitome of elegance and romanticism, and the role is still etched in audience's minds.
Of late, Abhishek has made his presence felt in the industry. His films like Dhoom, Bunty Aur Babli and Sarkar are hits, and he even won critical acclaim for his role in Yuva.
Khanum Jaan: From Shaukat Kaifi to Shabana Azmi
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While acting, Shaukat Kaifi may have forgotten her real identity, so wonderful was her depiction of Umrao Jaan's mother Khanum Jaan. Her depiction of pain, suffering and dilemma wrenched many hearts.
There could not have been a better choice than Shabana replacing her mother in the new version. Bollywood has few actresses of her calibre. In an interview to rediff.com, Shabana refuted recent reports of having told J P Dutta 'no one can play my mother's role other than me.'
She insisted Rekha had called her to say she should play the part of Khanam.
Gohar Mirza: From Naseeruddin Shah to Arshad Warsi
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Seems like a good choice. Of late, Warsi has had a number of tricks up his sleeve. People were floored by his performance in Raju Hirani's Munnabhai MBBS and the low-keyed Sehar.
We have yet to see him play a negative role yet though. And it would be nice to see him equal Naseer's evil act.
Ash glows at the mahurat of Umrao Jaan
Subhash K Jha | October 10, 2005 14:57 IST
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At the mahurat of JP Dutta's new film, Umrao Jaan, leading lady Aishwarya Rai looked slim and radiant. She had flown back the night before from the shooting of The Last Legion in Slovakia straight to the event.
Ash stayed the whole day -- chatting and enjoying the attention -- and left the place only at 7.30 pm. "It's good to have her as part of our team. She gives out such positive vibes," JP's wife Bindiya Dutta said.
Throughout the day, all eyes were glued on Ash and Shabana Azmi who play daughter and mother in the film.
The turn-out was impressive. Besides Shabana and Ash, the rest of the cast -- Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Divya Dutta and Puru Raj Kumar -- also made their appearance.
But the film's leading man, Abhishek Bachchan, was missing though he kept calling and messaging the Duttas from Goa,promising to land in Mumbai before the event was over. But by evening, it was clear Abhishek wouldn't make it.
"Never mind," JP smiled fondly. "He's my boy. I can feel his presence right now!"
An old-world charm clung to the studios. It could have been something to do with Anu Malik's song that was being recorded. As Richa Sharma's voice rose to a crescendo, the congregation broke into collective goosebumps. Anu Malik's daughter Anmol accompanied Richa in the song. Anmol earlier sang in Biwi No 1.
"Javedsaab and Anu Malik have worked really hard. We've already finalised nine tunes for Umrao. This is the first song," JP said.
At the end of the day, the director looked jubilant but exhausted. "We have to match up to the music of those two other great classics about the tawaif -- Muzaffar Ali's Umrao Jaan and Pakeezah. We have to make sure that the music isn't reminiscent of those two but ghazal toh ghazal hi rahega na?"
If Asha Bhosle was the voice of Umrao in Muzaffar Ali's film, Alka Yagnik will sing for Aishwarya in JP Dutta's Umrao Jaan.
The film goes on the floors in November. "I've my actors' dates till April. I will go on shooting for as long as it takes. This is a new genre for me, and I feel like a traveller taking an unknown road," JP says.
Umrao Jaan music: Not quite the same
Sukanya Verma
October 09, 2006 12:35 IST
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Muzzafar Ali's Umrao Jaan was an unusual feat. It seamlessly merged the aesthetics of an art film with the gloss of a commercial one.
Though its ornate visuals and gorgeous cast made it an entrancing film one cannot forget that Khayyam's music andShahryar's poetry had a huge part to play in its success.
Circa 2006, filmmaker J P Dutta tries to re-create the aura in his interpretation of Mirza Mohammed Haadi Ruswa's Urdu novel of the same name. Starring Aishwarya Rai (looking precious in the promos), Abhishek Bachchan, Suniel Shetty and Shabana Azmi, this Umrao Jaan too comes in glamorous packaging.
But already its music composed by Anu Malik with Javed Akhtar's lyrics doesn't quite measure up to the original. It doesn't showcase the kind of shayari that extracts spontaneous waah waahs.
A brief strain introducing the courtesan in question, inaugurates the album via Alka Yagnik's shrill and conscious presence in Ek toote huye dil ki.
Javed Akhtar volunteers to give a foreword, which introduces the artistic temperament of Lucknow and its soulful inhabitant Umrao Jaan 'Ada'.
Umrao Jaan garners a warm reception as she offers a stylish and sonorous Salaam. Coyly rendered and elegantly composed, Salaam transports you into the era of nawabs and nazams. No wonder then that the beautiful composition is featured twice in soundtrack.
Just when you begin to lounge comfortably in the ghazal zone, Pehle pehle shows up. A tedious effort at musicmaking from Malik, Pehle -- a pale mix of shehnais and saraangi; wanders off aimlessly against Akhtar's exhaustive use of metaphors.
A crestfallen Umrao articulates the sting of pain caused from an ill-fated romance in Jhute ilzaam. Malik transforms her circumstances in a classically enriched melodious outcry.
With Main na mil sakun jo tumse, Umrao, however, gracefully asks her beloved to give her up. Her complex, human side shows up at times as a martyr "Meri ho agar burai to dena na tum safaai (Do not offer any explanations if someone bad mouths me)" or otherwise, when she sarcastically sniffs, "Koi pooche badnaseebi ki hai imtihah koi. Toh meri misaal dena, toh mujhe namuna karna. (If someone asks the extent of misfortune, cite me as an example to them.)"
The helplessness and humiliation of gender bias is effectively expressed in the hard hitting Agle janam mohe bitiya. Both Richa Sharma and Anmol Malik (the voices for an adult and adolescent Umrao Jaan respectively) in the track's two versions do a splendid job of echoing our heroine's building frustration and terrible angst.
Tender hues of romance between Umrao and the object of her affection, and later heartache, are sketched well in Behka diya hamein. While lyrically it breathes with poetic rapture, the tune is nothing exceptional and tends to drift about insignificantly.
The soundtrack ends on a despondent footnote with Pooch rahe hain. Though the mood of the melody and its content areforlorn, Malik's bland notes fail to create empathy for Umrao's gloomy state of affairs.
What makes the music of this Umrao Jaan special is that in an age of remixes and fast food music, it stands out with its leisured pace and much forgotten flavour. Sure, it's no competition to its 1981 antecedent; still it earns points for being an opulent looking album with a partially committed soul.
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September 28, 2006
Kajra re rocks at Miss World event
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Actress Aishwarya Rai? naughty item number Kajra re in the film Bunty Aur Babli has the Polish capital tapping its feet and cheering for the Indian contestant in the Miss World pageant to be held in Warsaw on September 30.
The film was released in Warsaw last week and is drawing large numbers to the theatre, Muranow, to enjoy the charms of the former Miss World.
The song has become so popular that young Poles do an impromptu jig every time it comes on screen and start clapping and whistling.
Karolina Swiastek, a local who has learnt a little bit of Hindi, even tried singing the song.
?he song is on my mind all the time now. I do hope that Indian contestant Natasha Suri will also one day join Bollywood,? Karolina said.
?sh is superb in this item number. How come India is producing so many beauties these days? The power of Bollywood is dominating the world gradually. We in Poland are fascinated by this phenomenon,? another resident, Gaberilla Krzyzowska said.
October 31, 2006
Aishwarya Rai turns 33 this week
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She rules the hearts of millions and is touted as one of the most beautiful actresses ever to grace Indian cinema. Aishwarya Rai, who turns 33 Wednesday, returns to the marquee after a long hiatus - playing a courtesan in ?mrao Jaan? and an oomph girl in ?hoom 2″.
The actress, who is said to be dating Abhishek Bachchan, will reportedly announce her engagement on her birthday. According to insiders, Abhishek? ailing grandmother Teji Bachchan is eager to see him married, and the couple is said to be planning to tie the knot early next year.
But Aishwarya, who is apparently attending family dinners and get-togethers at the Bachchan household, is tight-lipped about her relationship.
She is currently busy promoting her two films. In Yash Raj Films? upcoming ?hoom 2″, Aishwarya plays a hi-tech thief along with Hrithik Roshan, while in J.P. Dutta? ?mrao Jaan?, a screen adaptation of Mirza Mohammed Haadi Ruswa? Urdu novel ?mrao Jaan Ada? and a tragic historical, she plays a courtesan.
?hen Dutta narrated the script to me, I told him that if you get Aishwarya to play the role of Umrao Jaan only then make the film, else drop it. According to me, the character requires an enigmatic quality to it. This is what I feel Aishwarya? personality symbolises,? said well-known lyricist Javed Akhtar on the actress.
?ers is a personality that is a kind of riddle. Even Dutta felt the same way and now after watching the finished product I feel that no one else could have made it.?
However, there is a notion among some that she is not a good actress and has hogged the limelight mainly for her looks, and her affairs with co-stars Salman Khan and Viveik Oberoi.
Download Umrao Jaan Wallpapers?ishwarya is not known as a bankable actor. People think of her as wooden. She can? emote. Dutta is not only a good director; he is also a good technician. He knows how to extract work from his artist. We are confident that Aishwarya must have played the role convincingly,? New Delhi-based distributor Sanjay Mehta told IANS.
?mrao Jaan? and ?hoom 2″ will put to test her versatility. Critics believe that so far only Sanjay Leela Bhansali has been able to extract the best out of her in his hit ?um Dil De Chuke Sanam? and ?evdas?, India? official entry for the Oscars in 2003.
Her being crowned Miss World in 1994 made her entry into films smooth. She was flooded with offers but chose to start her acting career with Mani Ratnam? Tamil film ?ruvar?.
Her performance was critically appreciated and she soon forayed into Bollywood with Rahul Rawail? ?ur Pyar Ho Gaya? opposite Bobby Deol. The film not only fetched her a Filmfare award for best debut but she had top-notch directors making a beeline for her house.
She was soon signed up by one of the most talented filmmakers in the industry, Bhansali, for ?um Dil De Chuke Sanam?. In this love triangle, which also had Ajay Devgan, she was paired for the first time with Salman Khan.
Their onscreen chemistry was electrifying and the film was widely appreciated and fetched her Filmfare? best actress award.
Download Devdas WallpapersShe started receiving offers from some of the biggest names in the industry - Subhash Ghai, Yash Chopra and Mansoor Khan.
Chopra signed her up with Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan in ?ohabattein?. The film didn? do well but the audience liked her pairing with Shah Rukh. Bhansali cast the two in his magnum opus ?evdas? that went on to become a major hit.
Post-?evdas? Aishwarya shifted her focus to Hollywood. Her first international venture was Gurinder Chadha? ?ride & Prejudice?. The film was a flop but it didn? stop her from getting new projects.
Some of her prestigious international projects include - ?rovoked?, ?he Last Legion? opposite Colin Firth and Sir Ben Kingsley and ?haos?.
While scaling new heights in Bollywood and international films, Aishwarya never crossed the line in terms of skin show on screen.
? am not comfortable about kissing or nudity. I am clear about what I want. I?l work only with good directors who?l offer me two-dimensional roles. The director and the role are most important.
Download Bride And Prejudice Wallpapers?omen in the industry have been exploited very often but there are some actors who believe that the short cut to stardom is through nudity or exposure. Such success is, in fact, very short-lived. I have never done a kissing scene nor do I have intentions to,? she is quoted as saying.
Since she set foot in filmdom, the India media has been sometimes nasty to her but she hasn? bothered much about what they thought or wrote about her.
?omeone asked me why I? politically correct, even when people hit out so openly at me. But the truth is I?e never been brought up to behave any other way. I can? say anything hurtful about anyone. I just don? believe in saying mean things. I won? feel good doing that. This is the way I am.
?? amazed how many people feel good hitting out at me. They?e welcome to do it. Earlier, they had more leeway to deny their indiscretions in print. But now on television they look pretty ridiculous denying what they say,? she has said.
Apart from promoting a wide variety of disparate brands, Aishwarya has many firsts to her credit - she has the distinction of being the first Indian actor to be a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival and also appeared on Oprah Winfrey? talk show.
About her appearance on Winfrey? show, she told the media: ? never thought I? actually be meeting her ? and that too, on her show! I was extremely happy to be on her show. I admire her.?
She also appeared on another prestigious American talk show ?60 Minutes?.
Download Aishwarya Rai WallpapersShe has graced the covers of international magazines like TIME, which placed her on their list of the ?100 Most Influential People in the World Today?. Aishwarya has also been termed as one of the most beautiful women by TIME magazine.
Aishwarya, whose last Hindi release was ?habd? that sank without a trace at the box office, is hoping to hit the bull? eye with ?mrao Jaan?, ?hoom 2″ and Mani Rathnam? ?uru?. While ?mrao Jaan? releases next Friday, ?hoom 2″ is set for a Nov 24 release and ?uru? in December.
Indian Actress Aishwarya Rai Turns 33
Updated: November 1, 2006, 9:57 am
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Bollywood's top actress, Aishwarya Rai, turned 33 on Wednesday and was planning a quiet day with her family to celebrate, a news report said.
The former Miss World-turned movie star was to begin the day with a visit to a Hindu temple in Mumbai, India's financial and entertainment capital, with her family _ something which she does every year, The Times Of India newspaper quoted Rai as saying in an interview.
"There will be no loud parties ... my birthday is a very private affair,"she said.
"Considering I have to leave for Dubai on Wednesday, it will be over early too,"Rai said.
Earlier this week, she denied newspaper reports of an impending marriage with popular actor Abhishek Bachchan.
"For now, could Abhishek and I be allowed to concentrate on our individual careers, please?"Rai was quoted as asking in the Mumbai Mirror newspaper."I've absolutely no plans for marriage in the near future."
"When there is a marriage, I won't hide it,"she said."I'll stand on the rooftops and talk about it."
On Wednesday, The Times Of India quoted her as saying that Bachchan is"a friend for sure and we get on really well."
"He's fantastic at what he does and deserves the acknowledgment he is getting now,"she said.
The couple star in"Umrao Jaan,"a remake of a Bollywood classic about a courtesan named Ameeran, or Umrao Jaan Ada, kidnapped from her home and sold to a brothel. The movie is slated to be released this month.
Mumbai, formerly called Bombay, is home to Bollywood, India's prolific movie industry.
Aishwarya Rai speaks up on Rendezvous
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By Businessofcinema.com Team
1 November 2006, 08:10 PM
MUMBAI: Aishwarya Rai opens up to Simi Garewal in the concluding episode of Rendezvous on Star World. The episode will be aired on 5 November at 9.30 pm.
Aishwarya talks about the bond she shares with her family, friends and co-stars and discusses her love-hate relationship with the media. She also holds forth on how she handled eerie rumors of her death and about her being a 'manglik'.
What's more, she also shares her feelings about marriage and kids and admits that if given a choice, she would choose love over her career. Apart from this, she also speaks about being linked with India's most eligible bachelor - Abhishek Bachchan.
HC refuses to stay release of Umrao Jaan
[ 1 Nov, 2006 2354hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
MUMBAI: Bombay HC on Wednesday refused to stay the release of the Aishwarya Rai-Abhishek Bachchan film Umrao Jaan on a firm's petition seeking dues of Rs 7.5 lakh from its producers.
Vacation Judge V M Kanade said he was deferring the hearing to November 8 before a regular Bench. The movie is scheduled for release across the country on November 3. City-based Rajtaru Studios alleged it was yet to be paid by the film's producer J P Dutta for work it had done on his earlier film Refugee.
According to the petition filed by Rajtaru Studios's vice-president Keval Sharma, J P Films (Datta? film production company) had approached the firm to do the post-production work of Refugee in May 2000.
However, the petition alleged, J P Films had not paid Rs 7.5 lakh of the total bill of Rs 10 lakh. The petition claimed that when the matter went to the Disputes Settlement Committee of the Association of Motion Picture Studios, it ordered J P Films to pay the amount by October 26 but it was yet to do so.
ASH, ABHISHEK LAUNCH BOOK ON 'UMRAO JAAN'
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The promotional campaign for J P Dutta's 'Umrao Jaan' has been in full swing these days with the news pouring in from all quarters. After their magnanimous promotion at "Reliance Web World", there was launch of the book based on the making of the film 'Umrao Jaan'. Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan along with filmmaker J P Dutta graced the occasion with their presence and shared moments of making of the film with media and audiences.
Abhishek Bachchan felt delighted and expressed his gratitude towards senior co-stars and technicians in making this film a great success. It is third communion between Abhishek and J P Dutta after his debut 'Refugee' and 'L.o.C'. Aishwarya believes that she has lived in a period where "Umrao Jaan" enchanted millions with her beauty and grace and feels honored to be part of this magnificent costume drama.
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It is believed that the on-screen chemistry of Ash and Abhishek has figured out impressively in this film. Both Ash and Abhishek were flooded with questions regarding the making of the film. The film bears ethnically cultured looks of early nineteenth century and it has the fine teamwork of Vaibhavi Merchant (choreography), Bijon Das Gupta (Art direction), Javed Akhtar (lyrics) and Anu Malik (music). The film hits theaters on November 3rd and its high profile attributes compiled in this book might generate big responses from the class audiences.
A? Big Day with Big B
- Birthday party with ?amily and friends?
PRATIM D. GUPTA
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Aishwarya, Bachchan: Dress rehearsal?
Calcutta, Nov. 1: Before he becomes the model father-in-law on screen, Amitabh Bachchan is proving to be an ideal baabul (father, and also the name of Bachchan? next film) in real life.
According to The Telegraph? sources, Bachchan threw a midnight party to ring in Aishwarya Rai? birthday with son Abhishek by her side. The who? who of Bollywood was present at the venue ? Mangi Ferra, a swank Italian restaurant in Juhu.
The official invite was for the launch of Anupam Kher and Kirron Kher? son Sikander Kher, who will be making his debut in a film called Woodstock Villa. But one look at the decor ? arranged with ?he choicest candles of different sizes and shapes? ? and the occasion was anybody? guess.
Mangi Ferra owner Prashant Chaudhary maintained it was a Kher do but did mention: ?ishwarya did cut a big birthday cake in the presence of everyone, including the Bachchans.?
The 70-odd guests for the night included everyone from Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan to Saif Ali Khan and Rosa, besides the full Bachchan and Rai families.
?he party kicked off around 11.30 pm and went on till 2 in the morning,? added Chaudhary.
The reason for starting the party so late was the screening of Umrao Jaan ? Aishwarya and Abhishek? latest film, releasing worldwide this Friday ? for the Bachchans and the Rais. ?irector J.P. Dutta had organised the screening specially for the two families at the private theatre in Filmcity,? revealed the source. ?nd Amitji liked the film very much.?
The screening and the party might just set the rumour mills, which have been organising and calling off Aishwarya and Abhishek? marriage for some time, rolling feverishly again. Talk of Abhishek, 30, and Aishwarya, 33, seeing each other started exactly a year ago, when Amitabh? brother Ajitabh reportedly visited a Bangalore priest to seek astrological advice.
But Amitabh and Jaya had, apparently, not yet approved of Aishwarya as the Bachchan bahu. The other reason doing the rounds was that astrologically ? the Bachchans are big believers ? 2006 is not a good year for Ash and Abhishek to tie the knot and so the families were just biding time.
Abhishek and Aishwarya officially say they are ?ust good friends? and have also taken great care to not app-ear together before the flashbulbs, though they are working in four films ? Umrao Jaan, Dhoom 2, Guru and Sarkar 2.
A couple of days back, the former Miss World had declared on a public platform that she would celebrate her birthday ?ith my closest friends and family?.
What she had left unsaid was that her ?losest friends and family? would all be there at Mangi Ferra on the midnight hour.
With Amitabh wanting a grandson and his ailing mother Teji Bachchan wanting to see her grandson married, is the big fat Bollywood vivah just round the corner?
[ Last edited byldg at 14-11-2006 08:08 PM ]