|
By Kshama Rao ©2004 Bollyvista.com |
She is almost there, now in Rolland Joffe’s ‘The Invaders’. Gurinder Chaddha has signed her for her new film. Big money is being invested in her. But will Aishwarya Rai be able to deliver?
A few months ago when Aishwarya Rai's home co-production 'Dil Ka Rishta' released along with Bipasha Basu's sexy 'Jism', a distributor, comparing the two films' initial business at the box office, remarked, "The black beauty has won over the white beauty."
Cut to the reviews Aishwarya got for her film. Critics politely anointed her with descriptions like 'eye-candy', 'gorgeous' and 'stunning' but stopped short of commenting on her acting abilities. The handwriting on the wall was clear. Even the ex-Miss World couldn't save the film.
Flashback to last year when her outing as Devdas', Paro won her rave reviews not only on Indian soil but on foreign land as well. So what is it about the light-eyed star? Does Aishwarya Rai 'act' only in Sanjay Leela Bhansali films? From her debut film 'Aur Pyar Ho Gaya' to 'Aa Ab Laut Chalen', 'Josh', 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', 'Taal', 'Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke', 'Albela', 'Mohabattein', 'Hum Kissise Kam Nahin', 'Devdas' and 'Dil Ka Rishta', apart from Bhansali's two films which even got her popular film awards, the actress hardly has any performance which she can truly own.
Maybe, it's only Bhansali who's capable of bringing the best out of her. Or is it that only he can successfully make her look beyond her 'false eyelashes and preening pout' model image? It could be that she's a director's actress and spontaneity is just not one of her strong points.
Says Indu Mirani, editor, Box Office, "She is not a naturally gifted actress. She's a director's actress. Prior to 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', she was so bad. I think Sanjay Leela Bhansali can really make her forget herself, forget whom she is and perform. So you can see the time and effort spent on her by the director in films like 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' and 'Devdas'. Give her a good director and I feel she can deliver."
|
SEARCH
