Print Page - ASH-ABHI -Post Marriage

A Bachchan link in television
By: Shaheen Parkar
April 17, 2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paraya Dhan actor Rajiv Verma is related to the Bachchans through his wife Rita (who is Jaya’s sister), but they don’t talk about it

Don’t Be Absurd: A file picture of Rajiv Verma with wife Rita
Film and TV actor Rajiv Verma has a little-known link to the first family of B-Town, the Bachchans. Few are aware that Rajiv’s wife Rita is the younger sister of Jaya Bachchan.

Rita is an educationist based in their hometown Bhopal, and is also a theatre actress who runs a group called Bhopal Theatres.

They have two sons: Shiladitya, who is a management consultant and a painter (also based in Bhopal), and Tathagat, a software engineer working in Mumbai.

As for his Bachchan connection, Rajiv never talks about it and completely avoids the topic when broached.

Rajiv has been acting for over two decades but has always kept himself away from media glare. He currently features in the Star show, Paraya Dhan, besides Aasman Ne Jo Likha and Kaise Kahoon, both on DD1.

When we called on Rajiv, he was on the sets of the Star show Paraya Dhan.

“At the moment, I am shooting for three serials, so there is no time left to take on films,” he says. “Moreover, only if there is something substantial do I take on a film, otherwise there is no point.”

True to character

Ji Nahin, Jijaji:
Jaya Bachchan
Rajiv has featured in scores of films like Koi Mil Gaya, Maine Pyar Kiya, Chalte Chalte, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Hum Saath Saath Hain.

He is always seen playing senior fatherly roles. “I began acting with character roles only,” points out Rajiv, who began with theatre in Bhopal.

As we get talking, we pop the question about the Bachchans. Isn’t his wife related to Jaya Bachchan? “So that is the real reason you called me,” he shoots back.

“I don’t want to say anything about the relationship. I refuse to answer such absurd questions.”

It’s absurd

As for whether he and his family have been invited for the AbhiAsh wedding, he says, “No. Why are you asking me this?

I repeat, I don’t answer absurd questions. I am needed for a shot. I have to go,” says Verma, before we heard the click of the phone.

Though there is no denying the fact that the Bachchans and the Vermas are related, it seems that the low-profile family has always preferred to be away from the limelight rather than flaunt their Bachchan link

[www.mid-day.com]

MUMBAI: All four Bachchan bungalows situated within a few kilometres in Juhu have been decked up, drawing the attention of the general public to the big fat Bollywood wedding on April 20.

The four houses - 'Janak', 'Jalsa', 'Prateeksha' and 'Ammu' — have been done up. Although Amitabh Bachchan has termed it a small and private affair, all the rituals leading up to a Hindu wedding are taking place at Bachchan's residence at Jalsa.

Celebrations have already begun with the bachelor's party on Tuesday apparently hosted by Sikander Kher, actor and childhood friend of Abhishek. Abhishek's friends will be performing special dance numbers at the party.

According to a source close to the family,"Each one of them will be doing a different song and all of them have been rehearsing for the same every night for the last ten days. The performers include Rohan Sippy, Apoorva Lakhia, Chirag Doshi, Sanjay Dutt, and Sikander Kher."

Most of the invitees for the wedding have also been invited for the Sangeet ceremony on April 18. The function will begin at about 7.30 pm at Jalsa and will go on till the wee hours of April 19. It is expected to be nothing short of a sangeet ceremony out of a Yash Chopra film.

Both bride and bridegroom will be performing film songs like Kajra Re from Bunty Aur Babli and Balle Balle from Bride And Prejudice for which the couple has been rehearsing every day. But one of Bollywood's best dancers Hrithik Roshan, who starred with the duo in Dhoom 2, has not been invited. Neither has his family.

Contrary to media reports, Hrithik who stays about 10 metres away from Prateeksha will not be there. Rakesh Roshan, father of Hrithik Roshan, said,"The reports about Hrithik performing at the function are not true. We are not invited but we wish them a happy married life."

The guestlist, however, does include Yash Chopra and family, Karan Johar, Hiroo Johar, Anupam Kher, Kiron Kher, Sikander Kher, Apoorva Lakhia, Chirag Doshi, Preity Zinta, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Romesh Sharma, Danny Denzongpa, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, and Ram Gopal Verma to name a few.

Those left out are Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Rekha and Rani Mukherjee. K M Birla, Narayan Murthy, Azim Premji, Anil and Tina Ambani, Mulayam Singh and his son Akhilesh are also expected.

__________________-----------------------------------------

LOW HYPE INDEED

Bollywood’s hottest couple tie the knot
(AFP)

18 April 2007

MUMBAI - Bollywood hottest stars Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan begin their three-day wedding ceremony here on Wednesday, with hundreds of police on standby to keep media and fans away.

Two seaside residences in Mumbai’s upscale northern suburbs have been turned into fortresses for the marriage of the 33-year-old Rai, a former Miss World, and Bachchan, the 32-year-old son of screen legend Amitabh Bachchan.

A legion of private security guards have been manning the gates of both homes, with entry allowed only to workers and personnel who have been given bar-coded passes and must go through metal detectors.

Only 100 guests have been invited to the wedding, and more than 500 police are expected to be on hand to keep out gatecrashers.

Huge efforts have been made to shut out the media, with the Bachchans requesting owners of neighbouring buildings not to allow photographers and television crews to shoot from roofs and balconies, reports said.

The festivities were to begin Wednesday with the traditional sangeet, or music ceremony, during which relatives of the couple sing and dance.

The henna ceremony — during which the bride’s hands are painted — will be held at Rai’s house on Thursday.

The wedding ends Friday with a Hindu ceremony and a traditional parting of the bride from her parents.

Bollywood movies have a huge following around the world, especially in countries with a large Indian diaspora such as Britain, Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa.

The pair known here as “Abhiash” — India’s answer to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s “Brangelina” — were engaged in January.

Media reports said that jewellery for Rai had been specially brought from the eastern city of Kolkata, while the henna came from the western desert state of Rajasthan.

The bride will wear silk saris from the city of Varanasi, in northern Uttar Pradesh state.

Rai has starred in films such as “Devdas”, the story of a hopeless alcoholic and his love for two women, while Bachchan has played roles such as a young criminal on the run with a girlfriend in “Bunty aur Bubbly” (Bunty and Bubbly).

The guest list includes major Bollywood players including director Yash Chopra and filmmaker Karan Johar, as well as industrialist Anil Ambani — whose father built the country’s biggest listed firm, Reliance Industries.

But Bollywood heartthrob Shah Rukh Khan and Rai’s ex-boyfriend, actor Salman Khan, have not been invited.

The country’s powerful Gandhi family, led by ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi, had been invited but is unlikely to attend, having reportedly fallen out with the Bachchans over politics, reports said.

'Hrithik is not dancing at sangeet'
By: Upala KBR
April 18, 2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All sorts of stories have been coming out about Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai’s nuptials over the last week, but the most ridiculous one appears to be that of Hrithik Roshan dancing at the sangeet (slated for today).

But papa Roshan says, “It’s not true. Hrithik is not performing at the sangeet.

He is shooting for Ashutosh Gowariker’s Akbar Jodha in Karjat.”

Awkward situation

The Roshans, Hrithik, Suzanne, Pinky and Sunaina, won’t be going to the wedding, as they haven’t been invited. “I wouldn’t like to comment on that,” says Rakesh. “We are not going.

It’s a closed family affair and we should respect that. When Hrithik got married, there was lot of pressure on us about who to invite and who to leave out. It’s unfair to put that kind of pressure on the Bachchans now.

I’m staying put: Hrithik Roshan
Let’s leave them alone. Even I invited only a few people for Hrithik’s wedding, so I know they must be in an awkward situation.

Let’s not embarrass them by discussing this.”

Later this year (August/September 2007), event management company Wizcraft had organised the One Amazing Night world tour, featuring The Bachchans, Aishwarya, Hrithik and Priyanka Chopra along with a host of top-notch stars.

Now, the tour has been postponed to 2008. While the Bachchans said they were postponing it because of AbhiAsh’s wedding, it was reported that Hrithik walked out as he felt he was being marginalised.

Rakesh denies the rumours. “Hrithik’s participation hadn’t been finalised. This year, he didn’t have dates so he couldn’t confirm. Now that the dates have been postponed, we’ll see how he is placed at that time next year.”

Why should Bachchans be given sp treatment?
By: Aditya Anand
April 18, 2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Juhu residents angry over three-day road blocks for Abhi-Ash wedding

If you plan to drive to Juhu from 5 pm today to 5.45 pm on Friday, don’t.

Thanks to the Bachchan mega wedding, severe traffic restrictions have been imposed. Residents say the restrictions are unfair, but the authorities seem to disagree.

Traffic on at least five roads leading to or away from the Bachchan bungalows, Prateeksha and Jalsa, have either full or partial blocks.

Traffic on Dyaneshwar Marg, Kavi Bai Marg, Sangeet Bhartai Chowk and Shamrao Parulekar Marg will be tightly monitored from April 18 to 20 from 5 pm onwards.

In a meeting with top police officials on Monday evening, Amitabh Bachchan promised to pay all policemen on duty around Jalsa and Prateeksha a total of Rs 1,12,500 according to stipulated police guidelines.

Blocked: Access to Arogya Nidhi Hospital and the Lotus Eye Hospital on Shyamrao Parulekar Marg from Dyaneshwar Road to be blocked on April 20. (A)

Alternate route: The hospitals can be approached from Juhu Gymkhana side (A1)

Blocked: The ICICI ATM located opposite Prateeksha will completely inaccessible by road. Popular ice cream parlour Natural ice cream will also be accessible from Prateeksha. (B)

Alternate route: The ATM will be blocked completely as it is bang opposite the Bachchan residence. However, one can get to Natural ice cream from JVPD road No 12 or Juhu Gymkhana (A1)

Residents speak

Why should the Bachchans be given so much importance?

Why should they be allowed to create problems for the public?

Would the authorities permit me to hold such an event?

T R Sonpar
Retired

What have the Bachchan’s done for Juhu’s betterment, that they deserve such treatment?

Neha Kumar
Housewife

It’s the Bachchans vs the Rais. There may be no clear winner at the Abhishek-Aishwarya sangeet ceremony today, but the two families and their cohorts are certainly going all out to ensure it’s an evening no one will forget in a hurry.

Ash and her gang (Sachin Tendulkar, Prahlad Kakkar) will perform a number of dances set to popular Hindi film music choreographed by Shiamak Davar.

Abhi’s will have hunks like Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan, Suniel Shetty, Goldie Behl, Apoorva Lakhia, Rohan Sippy and Sikander Kher, and of course his family — Amitabh, Jaya and his sister Shweta, swinging to Karan Johar’s moves.

Rehearsals over the last 10 days have been hectic. Abhishek and gang rehearse at Prateeksha every day from 9 pm to 3 am, while Ash and team go through their routine from 7 pm to 1 am.

“They’re focused and everyone means business. No one giggles or fools around. The two parties don’t know what each other is doing; it’s all hush-hush,” said a source close to the Rais. And yes, inhibitions will be shed as it will be watched by only family and close friends.

The Bachchans will be dancing to two songs from Salam-e-Ishq — the title song and the Sahayara number. “Abhishek and Aishwarya have also planned a dance together, the details of which are being kept top secret.

But the highlight of the evening is going to be the Bidi Jalaikey number from Omkara from Abhi and gang, choreographed by the men and not Karan.

Obviously, both the families have ensured their guests stay well sated after all the adrenaline rush. The Bachchans have asked the Taj to cater for them.

And then: the clothes. A source tells us that every Bachchan guest has been given a fantastic outfit organised by Jaya.

On Sunday, Amitabh sent out the car passes to all the invitees. Special arrangements have been made for car parking so that every invitee’s car has a reserved space.
http://www.mid-day.com/news/city/2007/april/155668.htm

Abhi-Ash wed: Husain's painting causes a flutter
By Ravi S. Jha (Our correspondent)

19 April 2007

NEW DELHI — Could there have been a better marriage gift for Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai from Maqbool Fida Husain? At least that is the question the India media is going to town with.

A painting by Husain, depicting mega cine stars Abhishek and Aishwarya seated on the traditional wedding horse, and Bollywood hunk Salman Khan, a former boyfriend of Ash, as a heart-broken man with a stick in one hand and an empty bowl in the other, it's a sure recipe for a storm in a teacup. Especially for the media! And the storm is blowing.

Khaleej Times had broken the story of Husain's painting, which he wants to gift to the Bachchans.

Husain has described Salman as one 'symbolising the millions of heart-broken Indians'. 'This depiction of Salman had all the ingredients to become a big story,' said a senior editor with CNN-IBN news channel.

'It's a painting by a celebrity artist, as big as Husain. It's a painting about public figures as big as Abhishek and Aish,' said India TV senior editor Kishore Malviya. Malviya added: 'It's a painting that interests viewers because it has a livid Salman in it.' Malviya's channel showed Husain's painting along with story several times during the day yesterday.

Malviya further said: 'It's a Husain painting worth a thousand words. More so because he wants to gift it to Bachchans as a wedding souvenir.'

Whether Husain has been invited for the Abhi-Aish wedding —slated on April 20 — or not, at least half-a-dozen TV news channels, including IBN 7, Aaj Tak, Star News, etc. didn't mind giving Husain his due credit.

Husain's painting, showing his free spirited work, could well become a 'million dollar work: in the times to come.

And with Bollywood going global, who knows history will speak for itself some day? If not in Mumbai then, perhaps, at Christie's or Sothebys

More gup from the AbhiAsh shaadi

HiTLIST doles out bouquets and brickbats for those who attended the wedding of the year, and ever those who didn’t quite make it.

The classy…

The ever-dignified Hema Malini, who was invited to the AbhiAsh wedding, didn’t attend since her daughters Esha and Ahana hadn’t been invited (sort of silly, no?).

Randhir Kapoor, who was also invited, chose not to attend and spent the evening with his wife Babita (it was her birthday) and their two daughters, Karisma and Kareena.

How come? Ashutosh Gowariker

The questionables…

What were Raj Kanwar and Ramesh Taurani doing there, when A-listers and supposed good friends like Rakesh Roshan and the Khans (Feroz, Fardeen, Saif, etc.) weren’t invited? Sure, AbhiAsh did Kanwar’s Dhai Akshar Prem Ke together, but at that time AB Jr was dating Karisma Kapoor, no?

Jodha Akbar director Ashutosh Gowariker and his wife Sunita were also invited, but Ash’s co-star Hrithik Roshan was strangely given the miss. Why?

Here, there and everywhere!

Ajay Devgan, Sunil Shetty and Sanjay Dutt — the trio that raised the maximum objections over Abhi’s choice of dulhan — were togged in all their wedding finery and danced at the sangeet and as baraatis (except Sunil who was busy attending to his mother-in-law Vipula Kadri who had fallen very ill on Thursday morning and was hospitalised). Such a sweet case of hypocrisy, no?

Dimple Kapadia, whose daughter Twinkle and damaad Akshay Kumar was studiously left out, merrily attended all the functions. The ‘not without my family’ stance doesn’t apply here! Ram Gopal Varma, who NEVER attends any social functions, was happily smiling for the photogs. Selective snobbery? Kirron Kher, who was supposedly snubbed by Abhishek’s friends before the sangeet, attended all the functions pretending as if nothing had happened.

Ash control

We recently told you about Canadian author Valerie Gibson’s book Cougar: A Guide for Older Women Dating Younger Men, and how we think Ash fits the wildcat description to the T. Guess what?

Abhi really is a ‘cub’ when it comes to his ladycat!

A source close to AB Jr called to shed some light on the equation between the couple while they were courting.

“During a schedule of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom last year, Ash dropped in to visit Abhi on the sets.

She then played a prank by pretending to flirt with another man over the phone. Abhi was so upset when he saw Ash flirting with someone else that he was literally in tears.

He looked like a lovesick puppy! Of course, Ash later told him it was only a joke.”

Now you know who’s got the upperhand in this relationship, don’t you? :-)

Abhi-Ash visit Tirupati temple
Updated: 04-22-2007 Email this Page

Public not allowed access to the temple

Tirupati, April 22 Newly-wed Bollywood star couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Sunday prayed at the Tirupati temple here, making their first public appearance after their high-profile wedding two days ago.

Accompanied by family members and friends, the couple spent 20 minutes at the Ranganayaka Mandapam of the temple and prayed to Lord Balaji, the presiding deity. To the chants of Vedic hymns by 11 priests, the couple offered prayers for a happy married life.

A smiling Aishwarya was clad in a golden coloured sari and sported the traditional vermilion mark on her forehead signifying marriage, while Abhishek was attired in a white kurta pyjama.

Both cheerfully waved to the huge crowds in the temple complex.

Abhishek's father and Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and his mother Jaya Bachchan also prayed at the temple.

Among others in the entourage were Abhishek's sister Shweta, her children, industrialist Anil Ambani, his wife Tina and politician Amar Singh.

Hundreds of devotees scrambled to catch a glimpse of the newly-weds. Security personnel had a tough time keeping the crowds at bay.

The Bachchans flew into Renigunta airport near here in the morning by a chartered aircraft from Mumbai and drove to the temple. After spending two hours in the temple town, they flew back to Mumbai.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the affairs of the temple, had made elaborate arrangements for the VIP guests.

Amitabh, a staunch devotee of Lord Balaji, visited the temple April 15. He had also placed the first wedding invitation card at the feet of the deity seeking blessings for the couple.

Amitabh, Anil Ambani and Amar Singh had then each donated Rs.5.1 million each to the temple trust for education of poor children and treatment of poor patients.

The Bollywood icon had also visited the temple in December 2005 to pray after recovering from serious health problems.

About 50,000 people pray at the temple every day. On special occasions the number crosses the 100,000 mark.

BOLLYWOOD AT WAR!
Mumbai Mirror, 24th April.

Like all good Indian-style weddings the Ash-Abhi shaadi has exposed the sham of Bollywood as one big happy family. Though a wedding is indeed a private affair the Bachchans were also aware that every move of theirs during the wedding celebrations would be under intense media scrutiny, starting with the guest list.

Though the Big B claimed that the wedding would be a 'low-key'affair, it turned out half of Bollywood made it to Pratiksha. It's the other half which didn't that has clearly divided tinsel town and brought the camp war right out in the open. Here we look at how a simple guest list exposed Bollywood's secret wars.

The big fight:

Shah Rukh Khan: Jaya Bachchan recently claimed on Koffee with Karan that she loves Shah Rukh, well clearly it's not a sentiment that is widespread in her family. While the Bachchan-SRK war is old by now, the usually politically correct Big B opted to make his stand clear by not extending any olive branch. SRK's closest buddy and one of Abhishek's favourite directors Karan Johar was instead not only invited by also given the task of choreographing the sangeet ceremony.

Khan't come:

The Khans: The Bachchans invited Dimple, Twinkle and Rinke but left out Rajesh Khanna and Twinkle's husband Akshay Kumar from the guest list. "It's about personal equation that the Bachchans share with the star, we can't hold a gun to their head for not inviting people whom they are not close to," says a source. But this clear demarcation of inviting one person from the family and not inviting others didn't go down well with Akshay. Twinkle and Akshay preferred to stay out of the country and attend the World Cup instead.
And while it is perfectly clear why Salman Khan was not invited, Bollywood insiders are wondering about the absence of all the Khans. "He wanted to keep the Khans away because Ash had professional issues with Aamir Khan during The Rising. Now it seems that the Khans (Salman, Saif and SRK) are bonding and having their own party," says our source.

Even Fardeen Khan, who shared a great chemistry with Abhishek during Om Jai Jagadish, was not invited. And Zayed Khan, who shared a great bond with Jr B during the making of Dus, was also kept away from the do.

Past, imperfect:

Rani, Priyanka, Esha, Vidya, Bipasha, Sushmita, John: While Rani's cousin Kajol was invited for all the ceremonies, Rani and her family were not. This is after Bachchans have openly admitted that Rani is just like family for them. Incidentally, Abhishek's biggest hits have been with Rani and she too gave her best performance with Senior B in Black. Even Priyanka Chopra (who Abhishek fondly calls Piggy Chops) was not invited for the grand event. "Amitabh made it a point to not invite any of the actors who has been linked with Abhishek in past," says our source. John and Bipasha were also not invited because nobody in the family is particularly enamoured of John's new star status.

The family even ignored Sushmita Sen, who Abhishek often calls 'didi'. Wonder if it had anything to do with the one-time Ash-Sush rivalry?

Bachchpan Ke Dost
Farhan Akhtar: Abhishek made sure that all his longtime buddies like Rohan Sippy, Apoorva Lakhiya, Chirag Doshi and Sikander Kher were there but he conveniently ignored Farhan Akhtar and his family. "Farhan is close to SRK's camp, so it was natural that he wouldn't be invited for the wedding. This despite the fact that Farhan shares a brilliant rapport with Abhishek and they have been childhood buddies," says our source.

Divide and fool?
Hema Malini: Dreamgirl Hema Malini was not happy about the fact that the Bachchans had only invited her and Dharmendra, not daughters Esha and Ahana for the wedding. "Hemaji was extremely miffed with the Bachchans, considering the fact that Jaya has always claimed that Esha is like a daughter to her. It was humiliating for a star like Hemaji to attend the wedding after her daughters were snubbed by the family. Esha, who shared screen-space with Abhishek during Dus and Dhoom, was also upset with their behaviour. Just to protest, even Dharmendra decided to not attend the wedding," says our source.

The big fight Doom macha de!
The prominent filmmakers: If anyone wanted to know who AB and Baby would be working with in the near-future all they needed to do was to see the roster of directors invited and those left out. Amongst the latter were Ravi Chopra, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Was Bhansali kept out because of his avowed fondness for Salman? Your guess is as good as ours.

While most of the Yashraj camp directors were on the guest list, the Bachchans didn't invite Sanjay Gadhvi. No prizes for guessing why. "They had fallen through after the Dhoom 2 controversy. Abhishek is miffed with Sanjay for not letting him know about the kissing scene between Hrithik and Ash in Dhoom 2," says our source.

Dost Dost na raha

Hrithik Roshan: Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan have been childhood friends and have always shared a warm relationship. Unfortunately, the relationship soured when the Bachchans disapproved of the Ash-Hrithik lip lock in Dhoom 2. Abhishek and his family were not happy that Ash and Hrithik shared a hot passionate kiss on-screen. Also, Hrithik walking away with all the plaudits in Dhoom 2 did not go down well with Bollywood's first family.
The hostilities went further when Hrithik replaced Abhishek in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Dilli 6. The film is apparently based on Mehra's own life during his childhood in Delhi. According our source "Bachchan's production house AB Corp wanted to co-produce the film with UTV. However, things didn't plan out like that and hence Abhishek backed out of the film."

Recently, Hrithik decided to back out from an international tour he was planning to with the Bachchans, because the organisers were promoting it as 'The Bachchan Show', and it didn't go well with Duggu. After giving two big blockbusters like Krrish and Dhoom 2, Hrithik is no doubt a bigger star than AB Jr.

Not just that, Hrithik is also upset with Ash. Apparently they both were shooting for Ashutosh's magnum opus Jodha Akbar, and it was during the same time Ash started distributing her wedding cards. Insiders reveal that Ash wanted to invite Hrithik, but she couldn't because Bachchans were not too keen on inviting the Roshans. "Bachchans kept friends like Salman and Rani out from the wedding because of Ash, so she had to return the favour," says our source.

The honeymoon begins
Ram Kamal Mukherjee
[22 Apr, 2007 l 2056 hrs ISTlTIMES NEWS NETWORK]
Print
Save
EMail

The wedding of the season has finally been solemnised but the curiosity continues unabated.

The wedding of the season has finally been solemnised but the curiosity continues unabated. The latest update is that Abhiash will be leaving for their honeymoon on April 25 for a week. The grapevine has it that they might go to Europe.

Meanwhile, a guest at the wedding ceremony at Prateeksha reveals, "Nearly 200 members from Aishwarya's family stood at the entrance of Prateeksha with folded hands to welcome us. Although Ash's parents maintained an extremely low profile through the wedding, they made sure that all the baraatis were treated well."

The ceremony was mainly performed according to Tulu traditions and customs. "Ash looked extremely pretty in a pink banarasi sari (although Abu-Sandeep had re-worked it). Neeta Lulla had designed the costumes for the rest of her family.

The interior was tastefully done. "A white silk drape covered the life-size mirror and golden frames all over the mandap," says our source. The Rais had insisted that the wedding should follow their customs.

"The Rais wanted Abhishek to wear a dhoti and sport a bare torso, like any South Indian groom, but Amitabh insisted that Abhishek follow their family tradition and dress in sherwani and sehra," says our source.

Karan Johar was the anchor of the wedding ceremony. "Karan was seen doing everything, from helping Ash manage her sari to helping Jaya Bachchan get whatever the priests demanded for the havan. The Rais had flown in some priests from Mangalore, who chanted Vishnu shlokas through the wedding.

Ash was also seen holding the sindoor box, a typical Bengali custom. That was a special request from Jaya for her daughter-in-law. Finally, they had the pheras and exchanged garlands, followed by the Satyanarayan katha. The wedding wound up around 10 pm."
After the kanyadaan ritual, Ash became slightly emotional and looked tearfully at mum Vrinda Rai, who was crying. "It was a homely event. They had Indian, Italian and Continental cuisine for the guests," adds our source.

Is Bollywood bigger than politics, health and any other significant news? Are the byte hungry television crews and daily tabloids overdoing it?

By Faridoon Shahryar, April 23, 2007 - 02:29 IST

“There was something utterly pathetic about how a hundred television cameras went scrambling for a nanosecond of footage each time the gates at Jalsa opened to let a car inside. Is this peek-a-boo-voyeurism now the future of Indian journalism?,” questioned Barkha Dutt, Managing Editor, NDTV 24 * 7 in her weekly column in The Hindustan Times on 21st April. Richard Gere's innocuous kiss on Shilpa Shetty's rouge-friendly cheeks was another bit of 'saleable' news last week that attained gallons of news space on national channels and news papers. So, is the media (especially the byte hungry television crews) overdoing it?

The answer is a BIG YES. Let's recount the events of the past week. A few of them were as big (at least they were made out to be) as the ghastly shootout in Virginia University where two Indians were unfortunate victims of madness. The first one is Abhi-Ash wedding tamasha that continues to doggedly pursue attention. And somehow Bachchans are as much responsible for this mayhem as the media. Media tents were dug outside their two bungalows Prateeksha and Jalsa in Juhu. Neighbours were constantly inconvenienced, security (Amar Singh's guards are causing a big embarrassment to Bachchans) measures made sure that the traffic snailed through.

The Sangeet, the Mehndi, the marriage, the bidai and that periodic visit to ailing matriarch Teji Bachchan in hospital (Remember they decided not to have ostentatious celebrations because of her ill health and hence the guest list was mindlessly pruned) was covered with an efficacious zeal. Every glimpse of any-n-every celebrity was Breaking News. Prem Chopra would never have felt so important in life until he saw his bald pate getting zoomed-in-encircled-haloed effect on every channel worth its salt. A prominent English news channel traced the 'Halwai' who was supposed to make sweets for the wedding and showed his interview on prime time. It couldn't have been more absurd than that.

On the D-Day another big drama unfolded. And it seemed the news channels had landed up with the biggest, most coveted secret since Hitler's mysterious sex life. A starlet Jahnvi Kapoor in a script written by 70s Bollywood scriptwriter gave a suicide angle to Abhi-Ash dream wedding by claiming that she is the first wife of Junior B and that they had been in love since Dus Bahane days. She slit her wrist, gave bytes to the smallest and the biggest of news channels. Some created special programmes trying to show every aspect of this 'scoop' forcing the nation to think if Aby Baby really had a quickie, fling-on-the-sides. The very same evening they were back at Bachchan doorsteps desperately hungry for anything-n-everything. The Kapoor starlet by then had been thrown out of her Andheri one room pad, her mother disowned her and her first husband's family disclosed the loose character details.

More was still to follow. A few overzealous photographers in their true filmy daring style got a wee bit too close to Abhi-Ash car as they were being driven by Babul Bachchan back home. The security guards belonging to Amar Singh cavalcade roughed them a bit too hard. Next day Big B apologized to the media. On being asked why media was kept away from all the proceedings, he stated that it was a personal occasion and that the family wanted it to be a private affair. The rumours of television rights of the marriage being sold to a foreign channel for a whopping Rs 40 crores are doing the rounds. Even the still photograph rights have reportedly been sold to a high profile magazine. Truly, Bachchans seem to be taking the trade prediction on Bachchan Brand very seriously. It's showbiz after all! The cameras followed the Bachchans to religious ablutions in Tirupati and obviously the conjectures on the Abhi-Ash honeymoon shall surely occupy prime time serious discussions very soon.

Rights sold by Big B?

Big B had sold the rights of much hyped wedding of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai for more than Rs 5 crore to the Travel and Living, a TV channel in the UK The channel has a big viewer’s base in Britain and especially for this wedding they will find the Asians settled in that country as avid viewers. It was for this reason that the local media was kept at bay and never allowed near the wedding couple.

In fact, the Bachchans had originally approached the U K’s top lifestyle magazine ‘ Hello’ for the sell of wedding rights but somehow the deal could not be struck. This magazine had earlier bought the wedding rights of Arun Nayar and Liz Hurley for two million pounds.

Only bride, no prejudice: It is reportedly found that Ash wore a peach coloured zardosi lehnga designed by her friend Neeta Lulla on her mehndi.

As per tradition, the mehndi ceremony was held at the bride’s house. Abhishek, his sister Shweta Nanda, Sonali Bendre and her husband Goldie Behl attended the ceremony at the Rai residence.

Jaya Bachchan was on her toes, busy creating a Bengali wedding for Ash and Abhi. She looked a bit worn out as she patiently sat for the mehndi ceremony.

Donning a light blue coloured kurta, Amitabh smiled as the mehndi artists applied henna on his palms as a part of the wedding rituals. agencies

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C04%5C25%5Cstory_25-4-2007_pg9_5

By Vimla Patil

24 April 2007 (Sawf News) - Abhishek and Aishwarya fans worldwide were perplexed, even hurt, by the obsessive lengths to which the Bachchans went to keep the joyful celebrations hidden from them in the name of privacy.

Despite pronouncements by Amitabh Bachchan that the event would be low key, son Abhishek's wedding with Aishwarya turned out to be more opulent than that of his daughter Shweta Bachchan with Nikhil Nanda, son of Ritu Kapoor-Nanda (daughter of the 'Showman of Bollywood' Raj Kapoor).
The jewels - including priceless emeralds flaunted by Abhishek and shining diamonds worn by Aishwarya - were the stuff of legends while the clothes were regal. The whole aura of the wedding was kingly! Though termed a 'family affair', the three-day marriage attracted more publicity than any event in recent history!

Now that the dust of a hundred controversies has begun to settle down, some truths about Bachchan's 'arrangements' are coming to light.

First, TOI almost confirms that the reason for keeping the media out was not the need for privacy. There were professionals recording every step of the celebrations through the days.

Reportedly, the rights to the photos and filming of the entire wedding were sold by the Bachchans to the international television channel Travel & Living. This channel has been telecasting a series based on Big Weddings worldwide - including the wedding last year in the Lakshmi Mittal family.

The sum involved? About Rs.5 crores says the TOI, adding that this could be far larger. There are rumors that a feature-film-like one hour production tentatively called 'How the Abhi-Ash Wedding was planned and carried out' could be sold to distribution houses worldwide - especially in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India - to entertain huge numbers of Bollywood fans and rake in more money. Be that as it may, TOI confirms that the Bachchans had received proposals from India-based tele-networks but they preferred the foreign channel, opting for this 'first of its kind' deal - possibly encouraged by the Liz Hurley-Arun Nayar wedding. Abhishek and Aishwarya did not even pose for one last shot for the waiting hordes of Indian media outside Prateeksha. However, leaks are a part of Indian social and political life and the Mirror has laid hands on some exclusive pix of the bridal couple for publication, apart from the images of their visit to Thirupati on Sunday 22nd April 2007.

VIEW: Aishwarya and Priyanka choose to use their married names
[28 Apr, 2007 l 0005 hrs IST]
Print
Save
EMail

A rose called by any other name would smell just as sweet, wrote Shakespeare. A similar sentiment could well apply in the case of the woman voted the most beautiful in the world. Aishwarya Rai, model-turned-beauty queen-turned Bollywood icon, will continue to enthral and entertain her fans regardless of whether she chooses to retain her maiden name or change her surname to that of her spouse, Abhishek Bachchan.

Whatever her choice of surname, Aishwarya is popularly known not as Ms Rai but as Ash or Aishwarya, her first name, unlike Abhishek, whose claim to fame is largely because of his family name. Ms Rai as the new Mrs Bachchan has in fact added value to her brand equity by adopting the even bigger brand name of the Bachchan family. You could call it a double-whammy of sorts, the twinning of two big brands, Aishwarya and Bachchan holding far more potential brand recall than before.

Aishwarya, it seems, knows which side of the Bachchan is buttered, so to speak, and has wisely opted for a name-change that will more than double her reach — as model, beauty queen, actor, and iconic public personality. She has nothing to lose — neither her identity nor celebrity status as she would still be Aishwarya — and everything to gain.

Amidst reports of the Abhi-Ash wedding and Ash subsequently signing her first autograph in Tirupati as 'Aishwarya Bachchan', came Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka's announcement that she would prefer to be known as Priyanka Vadra and not as Priyanka Gandhi.

That Priyanka should decide not to use her famous family name has made her all the more newsworthy — in much the same way that her mother's renunciation of the prime minister's gaddi gave her an even more elevated status in public life than if she had accepted the office. Sometimes, inverted snobbery has far more snob appeal than mere snobbery.

Abhishek-Aishwarya wedding fallout: Police versus police

Mumbai Police are conducting inquiry to determine why UP Police did not inform them about 4-day stay of their commandos guarding Amar Singh, why the securitymen roughed up media

Smita Nair

Mumbai, April 27: The Mumbai Police are conducting an inquiry into allegations that the UP police commandos, who were seen roughing up photojournalists covering the Abhi-Ash wedding, were at the spot with the Bachchans despite the absence of their protectee — Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh.

The Mumbai Police say they want to know why the UP Police did not tell them about the commandos’ four-day stay during the wedding, and why the commandos turned on the media when Mumbai police personnel were present to maintain law and order.

The Mumbai Police say they will send a report to their UP counterparts once the inquiry is over.

In their complaint, several photojournalists, including B L Soni — a Daily News Analysis photographer who was kicked in the stomach and rifle-butted by the commandos outside Prateeksha as he tried to capture a frame of the newly-married Bollywood couple — have told the Juhu police that Amar Singh was not in sight when they were manhandled, or even during another assault on them outside Aishwarya’s house at La Mer in Bandra.

Amar Singh told this paper: “On April 21, I was very much there. I was in the car, but lying in the back seat. That’s why the media could not see me. I was very unwell, and in a lot of pain. It was later found I had a kidney stone.”

He continued: “I had gone to Aishwarya’s house with the Bachchans to pick her up (as part of the Bidaai ceremony). Amitabh was driving. Aishwarya and Abhishek were also in the car. The media pounced on the car.”

He also said: “You can check up with Fortis Hospital, I had surgery on April 22. That’s why I didn’t accompany the Bachchans to Tirupati. However, after four hours of anaesthesia, I still boarded my plane to campaign in UP.”

V K Chaube, deputy commissioner of police, Zone IX, said: “The bottomline is that the UP police did not inform the Mumbai Police about the movement of Amar Singh’s security cover.”

Security and law and order being state subjects, the state police should be informed of the presence of personnel from another state or an external agency in advance, Chaube said.

But Amar Singh told Newsline: “Whenever I go to any state, I always inform the police. Everybody knew that Mulayam Singhji and I were going to be there for the wedding. And if the Mumbai Police did not take cognisance of my intimation, then it’s not my problem.”

On April 22, a day after the incident at Prateeksha, Amitabh Bachchan issued a public apology through the electronic media, saying: “I would also like to clarify that the security persons involved were not part of our

family’s security team but from Amar Singh’s security. But no matter who did it, I tender my apology.”

Tirumala temple to probe VIP teatment for Ash, Abhi

Tirupati, April 26: The management of the Lord Venketeswara Temple at Tirumala near here Thursday ordered a probe into "over-enthusiasm" shown by some officials in providing VIP treatment to newly-weds Aiswarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan during their visit to the shrine on Sunday.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Board also upheld a decision that VIP treatment would not be accorded to non- protocol celebrities like actors, industrialists and cricketers during their visits to the temple.

Board chairman B Karunakara Reddy told reporters that newly-appointed executive officer K V Ramanachary was asked to probe the "over-enthusiasm" shown by some officials in providing VIP treatment to Aiswarya and Abhishek, which caused inconvenience to other people visiting the shrine.

Ramanachary will submit his report within 30 days, he said.

Reddy said "VIP-break darshan", whereby persons are allowed to enter the temple on priority for an hour in the morning and evening, would not be allowed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The price of the "VIP-break darshans" too was hiked from Rs 200 to Rs 500, and this will come into effect from May 1.

The board also decided to provide a free `ladoo prasadam`, now sold for Rs 25, to each person standing in the general queue from May 12, Reddy said.

Bureau Report

The big grand Ash-Abhi wedding might be over and everything seems to have gone perfectly fine. Ash and Abhi are currently spending some quality time with the family and according to sources will soon resume their respective shooting schedules. Amitabh is extremely happy that the wedding went off well and he is also very happy that Aishwarya has officially become a member of the family. Amitabh says “It feels wonderful to have Aishwarya in the house and I’m sure there’ll be even more happiness in the house because of her.”

Amitabh is also extremely happy for Abhishek, the proud father says “He is my son, and he has a life of his own. But he will always remain my best friend. We’re happy that the union has taken place and there were moments at the wedding that will remain with us for the rest of our lives.” Ash and Abhi will be living along with him and Jaya and not separately according to rumours. However Amitabh is well aware that many people within the industry and outside too are unhappy that they were not invited for the prestigious wedding. Amitabh tries to explain the situation saying “We were dealing with a marriage and a guest list that was going out from seven important personalities and celebrities such as my father Dr. Harivanshrai Bachchan with his literary admirers, my mother Teji Bachchan with her relatives and friends, Jaya Bachchan with her friends and relatives, there was Abhishek and Aishwarya and also Amar Singhji. How do we even begin to invite all the people who are associated with these seven people?” Amitabh further tries to explain, saying “If we invited all the friends of all the hosts, the guest list would have run into 20,000 people. Where would we have accommodated so many people?”

Amitabh and his family also did not want to hold the wedding at a hotel as it would be too impersonal. Also Amitabh felt that inviting so many people would have been a waste of money and he says “I’d rather give that kind of money to charity.” Amitabh was also torn between his ailing mother Teji Bachchan who is in hospital and celebrating his only son’s wedding, so Amitabh says “We decided to have an intimate family gathering and we invited those friends who were absolutely impossible to ignore.” Although there were many people from the film industry as well as outside it who were hurt about not being invited for the wedding, Amitabh does not seem too concerned about this issue but he says “If they’re offended because they weren’t invited then they weren’t my friends in the first place.” Rumours are also going around that bigwigs from the film industry like SRK, Hrithik Roshan and Salman Khan were offended because they were not invited for the wedding, however Amitabh claims “Everyone from Shahrukh Khan to Hrithik to Salman have sent their good wishes for Ash and Abhi.”

Another issue on the day of the wedding was the manhandling of a few media personnel. A few bodyguards were roughed up by the commandos when they tried to get too close to Ash and Abhi. Although Amitabh has apologized for the incident to the media he is upset with the media’s behaviour and says “There was a virtual assault on our privacy. I had 40 cars following us when I was driving Aishwarya and Abhishek home after the bidaai. Also Amar Singhji needed urgent medical attention and then we couldn’t move due to the media blocking us, do you know what that felt like? To have people shouting and abusing me in front of my own home is unfair.” Despite all these issues the Bachchans are happy that the wedding went well and Ash

Abhishek Bachchan had to postpone the shooting of Pradeep Sarkar's next from May to June. Rani Mukherji seems to have not taken kindly to it since the actress will have to reschedule her own dates now.

Abhishek Bachchan will film for Pradeep Sarkar's Lagaa Chunari Mein Daag after his lavish and much extended honeymoon. The actor will have crucial scenes with so-called good friend Rani Mukerji and a few with mom Jaya. Things are not too well between Abhishek and Rani.

She had to adjust her dates with that of Abhishek's and this is when she lost her cool. A source says, "Rani has been tight-lipped about this extremely unpleasant situation. The Bachchans completely ignored her."

Close friends of Rani inform that the actress is disheartened but prefers to maintain a stoic silence. In the recent past she had refused to comment when she was asked about the brewing romance between Abhishek and Aishwarya.

"Rani is happy for Abhishek. She even sent her wishes to Abhishek and Aishwarya during the wedding. But she is not exactly looking forward to the shoot," says a source close to the actress.

A source from Yashraj Films adds, "The actors will have to work together in spite of all the issues. We're sure that both Rani and Abhishek will do a good job. They are wonderful actors at the end of the day."

Our neighbour betrayed us: Amitabh Bachchan
by Subhash K Jha

Days before the Bachchans are to officially release the wedding photographs, and hours after the Abhi-Ash wedding, the pictures were on the net.

Says the Big B angrily, "That's because some of the people who came to the wedding surreptitiously took photographs with their mobile cameras and disgracefully put them on the net. In fact I've caught out the person who has taken the photographs.

He's my neighbour. I've had a very serious talk with him. He has apologized profusely. He says he wasn't giving it to the press. While he was sending the pictures to his sister in the US they got intercepted on the net."

That's a bit hard to believe.

"I don't believe it. But I'd like to. He's my neighbour. And I can't believe your neighbour could be guilty of such an act of betrayal. Anyway we will give photographs to the media officially."

About reports in the media concerning potential invitees being left out of the wedding, the Big B is very categorical. "I don't think sections of the media has the right to dictate to me about how to conduct my life and how to deal with my family and social obligations.

My family's privacy is very important to me. And I'll protect it with my dying breath. No one can dictate to me about how I should conduct my life, or my son's wedding. We took all the relevant permissions from the civic authorities.

They wanted a full guest list, the ceremonies, everything. We gave them all the details.

We made the shamianas air-conditioned and sound proof for the comfort of the guests and so that people outside wouldn't get disturbed. We had no fireworks to avoid sound pollution.

Subhash, we've done everything to make sure no one is offended in any way. If bitter comments are still being made about us in in the media in spite of our best intentions, then what can I say?"

As a celebrity the Big B agrees he's prone to be the cynosure of extra attention. "And I cannot deny the attention which comes with the VIP label. The media is free to do what it wants.

But you can't block my car when I'm taking my new daughter-in-law home after the wedding. Why spoil the most important moment in my the my son and his wife's life?"

Having said this, the Big B adds, "I know the media was only doing its job. And I sincerely apologized to anyone who was hurt on our account. I've no malice towards the media. Maybe in their excitement some excesses happened."

At the moment the entire family, the new Bahu included, are enjoying the time together at the Bachchan residence Jalsa.

"But I know this bliss is short-lived. I wish I could spend more time with Aishwarya. But we all have to get back to work soon. But the family is feeling so much happier."

As for those who were unfortunately left out of the guest list the Big B has this to say. "We had two kinds of cards made for the wedding.

One was the wedding card and the other is the information card which will go to all our friends.

It informs about the wedding with a shagun and mithai and asks everyone to bless the couple.

We've sent this card to everyone, in the film industry, the political circles because of Amar Singhji and Jaya, and whoever has been a part of our lives. Even after all this if some people choose to be hurt what can we say?"

The Bachchan-Rai Marriage - One Wedding and Four Funerals
May 01, 2007
Aditi Nadkarni
I have always prided myself to the point of smugness, on not being a Bollywood gossip columnist. Secretly, I think, I might just be jealous of all the attention garnered by celebrities. The recent Abhishek-Aishwarya wedding that rocked Bollywood piqued my interest in a media buzz that I never before considered my forte as far as journalistic ventures were concerned.

Aishwarya Rai, with her green eyes, fair complexion and below average acting abilities received international attention when she became Ms.World. The Indian stereotype of beauty finally received worldwide vindication. I saw Ms.Rai flashing a trademark smile that I always felt never quite made it to her eyes. But who cares what I think; a pair of hips gyrating to the hectic beats of "Ishq kamina" can be quite a distraction.

I did a double-take when I saw her being introduced by Oprah as "the most beautiful woman in the world". Until then, I didn't think we were taking beauty pageant results so literally. What we might have failed to notice is that as one of the biggest stars South Asia ever saw, Ms. Rai also became a role model for young, impressionable Indian girls who now began to equate looks and appearances with talent. Cosmetic companies made a killing in India. And even as we scour websites looking for the Aishwarya Rai wedding pictures, L'Oreal breathes easier by the minute. Their brand ambassador has done them good.

Unbeknownst to Ms. Rai, she and I have had a love-hate relationship thus far. Being an Indian woman, watching another of my kind receive so much international attention was elating, to put it mildly. But then I have to admit I did cringe quite a bit through the farcical Bride & Prejudice and through Ms. Rai's giggling fits during interviews on BBC. It didn't help her public image that her boyfriends noticeably changed depending on who was the reigning star of Bollywood at the time.

And then one morning I woke up to witness a regression of desi feminism. I was genuinely appalled by Mr. Bachchan's declaration of Aishwarya being 'domesticated'. The last time I heard of the word 'domesticated' was in reference to wild mustangs being tamed for derbies. As a woman, it was an unpleasant feeling to watch the very person who graced the cover of Time magazine, being referred to as 'domesticated' of all things.

Now Ms. Rai is no longer Ms. Rai, she is the junior Mrs. Bachchan. The name change is not disturbing at all, it is in fact a matter of personal choice. What is upsetting, however, is that a reigning personality of her calibre chose to have her father-in-law be her spokesperson. She has not held a single, independent press conference to announce her projects, her impending betrothal or her future in the film industry. This would've been expected of any public figure who was a star in their own right.

Mr. Amitabh Bachchan's weary face appears in the newspapers repeatedly, requesting the media to leave them alone. He doesn't seem to understand that although he is a very popular star in India, this wedding extended the boundaries of a typical Bollywood shaadi. This was the wedding of the one Bollywood star who made it to international heights. He seems to be taking the shutterbugs' nosiness personally.

India's paparazzi has always treated the Bachchan family like royalty. The media looked at Abhishek-baba as the little boy who grew up amidst Bollywood's media glare. Now they get beaten up for trying to cover the wedding of a star who represents India on an international platform just happens to be marrying the Bachchan boy. "They jumped in front of cars and hopped over the hedges of the house!" exclaimed Mr. Bachchan. Yes, that is precisely what the paparazzi does! I am surprised nobody anticipated this response.

Don't get me wrong, seeing pictures of the happy couple makes my heart melt like that of any other. I too hope that Aishwarya hasn't married Abhishek because her shelf-life as a model is up, and lets face it, her acting skills aren't exactly spectacular. But in a way the aftermath of this one wedding leaves the funerals of the following four media amities in its wake.

1. The media's blind devotion towards the Bachchan family was buried alive; the journalists that got beaten up didn't really care who's security it was that roughed them up as they did their jobs.

2. Ms. Rai's already scanty feminist following is looking away slightly embarassed as the overzealous father-in-law is publicly citing his 'persmission' for Ms. Rai to continue her career. Permission, huh? Looks like the Bachchan family chose to stay behind when the rest of the world moved into the 21st century.

3. The international community is now finding out that 'the world's most beautiful woman' is apparently not big enough a star, to have had her own press conferences or to make her own announcements. They will now roll their eyes at the sixteenth century bahu-rani that has emerged from under the folds of the Times' cover.

4. More importantly, India's starstruck youth has finally woken up to see the model turned actress who has been hogging media attention for shortlived love affairs and ceremonies to abolish ill-effects of a Mars afflicted horoscope.

"Pretty? Yes. A woman of substance? Not quite!" seems to be the consensus.

Disclaimer: My opinion
http://desicritics.org/2007/05/01/004305.php

Star marriage sparks the great Bollywood divide
Thu May 3, 2007 2:53 PM IST
Printer Friendly

Star marriage sparks the great Bollywood divide

INTERVIEW - Biden cool to US compromise on India deal

Poor nations brake greenhouse gas rise - U.N. draft

Bangladesh says bird flu spreads to more farms

Delhi airport hosts "Terminal men" for 48 days

MORE

By Krittivas Mukherjee

MUMBAI (Reuters) - A raging rivalry between two of India's biggest screen stars has worsened after a marriage in one of their families obliged actors and producers in the world's largest film industry to begin taking sides.

For years, India has watched the popularity battle between the iconic Amitabh Bachchan and younger superstar Shah Rukh Khan -- the former, a veteran who ruled the Bollywood box office for decades and remains very popular, and the latter, the reigning hero with a massive fan following.

In recent years, the two stars have taken subtle digs at each other in public although the rivalry was seen to have remained healthy in an industry known for its cliques.

Apparently no more, industry analysts said, after the April wedding of Bachchan's son Abhishek to Aishwarya Rai -- big stars in their own right -- created the ultimate Bollywood power family.

"With the marriage, the Bachchans have become a formidable commercial package," said Bollywood commentator and author Derek Bose.

"Brand Bachchan is now a threat to others. It has worsened the Bachchan-Khan rivalry, sparking new power equations."

The Bachchans omitted to invite Khan and most of Bollywood to the wedding, leaving little doubt about who their friends were.

On the other hand, Khan is suddenly seen bonding more with Bollywood's two other stars -- Salman and Saif -- who also share his second name. A few other stars too like Hrithik Roshan, once close to the Bachchans, are seen to have fallen out with them.

"There seem to be two clear groups in Bollywood now -- the Bachchans and the Khans," said Bollywood analyst Taran Adarsh.

Bachchan, 64, and Khan, 41, say their so-called rivalry is a media creation, but those claims have often been contradicted when they've taken potshots at each other.

With the Bachchans getting bigger in brand equity, the Khan-Bachchan rivalry is not confined to the Bollywood popularity stakes but has taken on an economic dimension too, analysts said.

Prahlad Kakkar, an Indian advertising guru and friend of the two warring stars, said the formation of two big camps could limit producers' options and raise the cost of filmmaking.

"The polarisation in Bollywood will cause casting problems for producers," he said.

The rivalry has not only split Bollywood -- with only a few big producers on good terms with both actors -- but also divided loyalties among influential industrialists and politicians.

While Bollywood is no stranger to cliques, analysts say the Bachchan-Khan spat has taken star rivalry to a new low. And this could change the complexion of Hindi cinema-making.

"It's a bit like the corporate war of two big brands," said Bose.

Shatrughan Sinha is not one to forgive and forget.

Miffed at not being invited to Bollywood’s wedding of the year, Sinha refused to accept the shaadi ka mithai that Amitabh Bachchan sent him after his son Abhishek’s wedding to Aishwarya Rai in Mumbai recently.

The sweets were sent to Sinha’s house thrice and all three times they were sent back by the Rajya Sabha member, who has had a three-decade association with Bachchan.

Though Sinha was not home when the sweets arrived, his staff returned the gift-wrapped boxes on his instructions. “Jab bulaaya nahin phir mithai kis baat ki? Amitabh had said those who had not been invited were not his friends in the first place. I won’t be put in second place and embarrass him by accepting the sweets,” Sinha told MiD DAY.

“The least I expected was that either Amitabh or someone from the family would call me up before sending the sweets. When that was not done, why the mithai?” added Sinha.

On why he had not been invited, Sinha retorted, “Hema Malini was not invited, neither were Dharmendra and Ramesh Sippy.”

“Half of the industry that has stood by the Bachchans through thick and thin. All of us are currently in second place as Amitabh is being guided by a misguided missile called Amar Singh.”

The guest list for the Abhi-Ash wedding has led to a lot of resentment and heart-burn, as many members of the film fraternity have felt slighted at not being invited.

About those people, Bachchan had said after the wedding, “If they are offended because they weren’t invited, then they weren’t my friends in the
first place.”

OLDER BRIDE
Everybody enjoys being a role model, and Aishwarya Rai must have had quite a massive share of this kind of enjoyment. But whether she also covets the position of role model for the happy older wife is a delicate question. Ms Rai may be a little older than her newly-wed husband, Abhishek Bachchan, but that was not a particularly celebrated facet of their gorgeously coy wedding. Yet facts, as any lawman worth his salt would insist, are facts. The lack of fanfare regarding Ms Rai’s and Mr Bachchan’s respective ages did not prevent two judges hearing a case of dowry death in the Supreme Court from holding Ms Rai up as an example in order to demolish the defence counsel’s presentation. A young woman in Jharkhand had hanged herself seven months after her wedding in April, 2000, allegedly because of torture over dowry. The defence claimed that she had killed herself because she found the marriage incompatible as she was older than her husband. By this logic, perhaps someone could have added, there should have been a suicide epidemic among husbands, in India at least.

The cheap trick in the defence counsel’s argument was to push the blame on to the victim by invoking one convention in order to obscure another. Laws and penalties notwithstanding, dowry remains a stubborn custom, and murders and suicides as a result of torture for dowry are shockingly common. In this particular case, the wife’s age was a counter that the defence played hopefully, since in the majority of traditional Indian marriages brides are younger than their grooms. Behind the unusual spin to the tragically common story, however, is the media. Without its heady presentation of filmland’s most talked-about wedding, the judges may have been left without their memorable example, and the Jharkhand bride’s story left unnoticed among numberless others.

The week after
By Sankar Sri Pillai

Events after the wedding of the decade do not seem to be for the good, for the Bachchans.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/05/02/10122396.html

Quite a lot has happened since Abhishek and Aishwarya Bachchan tied the knot and not all seems to have done a lot of good for the Bachchans. Here's a quick lowdown.

Case of the kiss

Aishwarya faces her first court case post-marriage. The actress and her Dhoom 2 co-star Hrithik Roshan have been summoned by the Muzzafarpur local court in Bihar India, in connection with their kissing scene in the film. The petition was filed against them by an advocate, Sudhir Kumar Ojha. The advocate states in his petition that Rai, Roshan, producer Aditya Chopra and director Sanjay Gadhvi had hurt the sensibilities of Indian audiences with the obscene kissing scene. The summons was issued under sections 292 (sale of obscene books etc.) and 509 (gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.

Date troubles

Rani Mukherjee has not taken kindly to Abhishek postponing his shooting schedules from May to June for Pradeep Sarkar's film Lagaa Chunari Mein Daag. Mukherjee had to re-schedule her dates after Bachchan's new dates were announced and she is not happy at being sidelined in this manner. The actress and reigning Bollywood female star was not invited to Abhishek's wedding in spite of being close to the Bachchan family and people close to Mukherjee believe it was the last straw when she was forced on the back foot by a member of the Bachchan family in her professional life as well.

Neighbour to blame

Amitabh Bachchan has blamed one of his neighbours for having taken wedding photographs of Abhishek and Aishwarya's wedding and splashing it on the net. Amitabh says he has admonished his neighbour who in turn was terribly apologetic about the entire episode. The unnamed neighbour is said to have been in the process of sending the photographs to his sister in the United States when they got intercepted on the net, a story that Amitabh is not willing to swallow since it seems hardly true.

VIP treatment

A probe is being ordered into the VIP treatment that had been accorded to the Bachchan family by the Lord Venkateswara Temple management after the Abhishek-Aishwarya wedding. The visit by the newly wedded couple, the Bachchan family and select friends such as industrialist Anil Ambani disturbed other devotees at the temple.

The board of the temple trust declared that in future such treatment would not be given to non-protocol celebrities such as actors, industrialists and cricketers. K. V. Ramanachary, the new executive officer of the trust, has been ordered to conduct the probe and is required to submit his report by the end of this month according to a release issued by the chairman of the temple board B. Karunakara Reddy.

AND NOT TO FORGET THE LOSS OF AMARSINGH AND SP IN UP

Is Aishwarya in love and Abhishek too?
Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2007 (EST)
Roses are red and violets are blue, is Aishwarya in love and Abhishek too? Intrigued Americans often ask Indian couples living in the US– Was yours an arranged marriage? We wonder how Abhishek and Aishwarya will answer that question?

Aishwarya in Dhoom 2. Photo Credit: Yash Raj Films
By Aditi Nadkarni

09 May 2007 (Sawf News) - At the heart of every good Indian film is a love story and somewhere at the end, a glorious wedding. We Indians may have our issues with public displays of affection, as Richard Gere is finding out, but we all secretly crave a good, old-fashioned romance. Ideally, the bride should be a fair, slender, light-eyed damsel and the groom, tall, dark and handsome. As Karan Johar would say, "It is all about loving your parents" and hence mummy and daddy's approval is a must even if the couple is well into their thirties. On the streets of Bombay, this tried and tested Bollywood plot would be labeled "Paisa vasool!" (Worth every penny!).

As the rest of the world gushed relentlessly over Brangelina and TomKat, Indian media quenched the nation's thirst for romance with the recent 'AbhiAsh' union. In a land where arranged marriages and synergetic alliances between families are the norm, our sentimentalities chose to view this celebrity betrothal as a "love match". We found out that while love is believed to be blind, Abhishek was not. The Bachchan bahu had to be the most beautiful woman in the world, quite literally. The fair and light-eyed Karisma followed by the fair and light-eyed Aishwarya, suggests that the Junior Bachchan may have a type.

The youngsters cooed at the perfect couple and the senior citizens cited Ms.Rai's example in favor of 'domestication'. The Bachchans, very loftily, declared their permission for Aishwarya to continue her film career and while the conservatives beamed in approval, the public politely pretended that Ms.Rai's presence in Indian cinema was worth fretting over. News about horoscope anomalies sent the nation reeling in anxiety. But reported visits to the temple and timely rituals cleared away the clouds of doubt.

The few pragmatists narrowed their eyes at the media circus around Abhi-Ash. "Is it really a love match?" they wondered when the pink fog of fanciful mush had disappeared, "Or has Ms.Rai made yet another profitable alliance and has Bollywood's first family finally launched the Bachchan brand?" The skeptics were unceremoniously shushed by ardent fans, as wedding bells sounded in the distance.

Generously, albeit reluctantly, in the name of love, we forgave Aishwarya for the seemingly calculated choice of boyfriends. We even put the stinging and worldwide embarrassment of 'Bride & Prejudice' behind us. In our eagerness to embrace this reel life turned real life love story, we also failed to notice that the engagement coincided with the premier of their latest film 'Guru' in New York, where international media was the first to lay their hands on the 'Abhi-Ash' pictures and Indian reporters back home, were left cooling their heels, cheated of their share in covering the big moment.

When the proud mother-in-law chose to welcome her son's fiancé into the family at the very public Filmfare awards during an acceptance speech, the paparazzi assumed that the Bachchans and Ms.Rai were including them in the impending nuptials. Happily, they deemed it the 'wedding of the century'. When the big day arrived, the Bachchans played the privacy card, much to the confusion and dismay of fans who craved one glimpse at the wedding they had been hearing about for months.

The wedding may have miffed media and masses alike, but to the relief of many a filmmaker, it will finally add some much needed chemistry to upcoming AbhiAsh starrers.

Do let us know what you think – Was the Abhiash marriage a love marriage?

The Anti-B brigade

13 May 2007

DIG A little deep and there emerges the reality of how this marriage has divided the industry into two distinct camps in Bollywood —the Bachchans and the Khans. And with the opposition camp emerging stronger with Hrithik Roshan and Salman Khan ....

allegedly joining hands with Shah Rukh, things could not have got any worse for Abhishek.

If upsetting bigwigs like Dilip Kumar and Shatrughan Sinha (by omitting them from the list of invitees for the Ash-Abhi wedding) was not enough, we now hear of another development post the wedding list fiasco. It is of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan’s (none of whom were invited) new-found predilection for each other.

This definitely is no great news for the Bachchans.

The Aftermath

Those who are aware of the ground realities of Bollywood and the so-called cold war between Bachchan senior and SRK, can imagine how crucial, or may we say ominous, this development can prove for the Bachchan family in the long run.

The bickering between Shah Rukh and Amitabh Bachchan is no state secret. Everyone knows about SRK and Big B’s penchant to take subtle digs at each to prove who rules the roost.

Nevertheless, now with Salman and Hrithik allegedly joining SRK, the battle of the stars will reach a different height altogether.

Soiree Secret

According to the latest reports, SRK, Salman and Hrithik, got together recently at a soiree thrown by Shah Rukh Khan at his palatial bungalow, Mannat. The occasion was to enjoy and celebrate the cricket World Cup final being played between Australia and Sri Lanka. However it was not the event but the underlying yet evident reason behind the get-together that has become a matter of concern for many close to the Bachchan camp.

Reportedly, the bond between the Krrish star and the Khans simply couldn’t be missed at the rendezvous. Egged on by his new pals SRK and Salman, Hrithik even wowed guests with an impromptu dance performance. He danced to all the popular Dhoom 2 songs —the movie that supposedly caused a serious rift between the Bachchans and Hrithik. (In particular, the onscreen kiss between Ash and Hrithik)

The party was also attended by Karan Johar, Sussane Khan, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra, Saif Ali Khan and a few others, besides Salman and Hrithik.

Speculation Rife

Apart from Karan Johar, none in this new found camp amongst Hrithik, Shah Rukh and Salman were invited to the Ash-Abhi wedding.

Shah Rukh and Salman though were not expected to figure on the guest list —SRK, thanks to his alleged cold war with Amitabh and Salman for his past history (being Ash’s ex). However, Hrithik not being invited to the wedding came as a big shock to many.

Hrithik and Abhishek have been close pals since childhood. They literally grew up together and even have common friends. What’s more, even after being a very exclusive and private marriage, attended only by a handful, the Roshans didn’t fail to invite Amitabh and family to their very private do when Hrithik tied the knot with Sussane in Bangalore. So obviously the senior Roshans and Hrithik were expected to be invited. But that was not to be.

The Unusual Bond

Hrithik was never known to share any great friendship with either Salman or Shah Rukh. For that matter, Salman too had a pow-wow with SRK sometime ago. So the big question is: What brought these three together? The very three actors whose relationship with one other was marred by controversy?

The Chalte Chalte Ruckus

To begin with, Salman and Shah Rukh had a bad fall out. And it was all due to Aishwarya Rai. Apparently, Aishwarya who was in a turbulent relationship with Salman then, confided in Shah Rukh regarding the same. This was when SRK was shooting for his home production Chalte Chalte with Ash opposite him in the lead.

Salman is said to have disrupted a day of shooting by causing a ruckus on the sets, when he went to meet Ash. Then again, Ash is later said to have visited SRK’s office to seek protection from her boyfriend and messaged Salman as to her whereabouts. When he turned up there enraged, she requested SRK to hide her in the bathroom and out of sheer embarrassment he told Salman he hadn’t seen Ash. Salman produced her message and Shah Rukh was caught in the middle. To keep out of any more trouble, SRK promptly replaced Ash with Rani Mukherji.

SRK, who had even tried to mediate between Salman and Ash, later publicly apologised for interfering in the affairs of his friends. Ever since, the two Khans remained aloof. Hrithik No Buddy Either

Hrithik Roshan was never a very good friend of Shah Rukh Khan. It was Hrithik’s sensational debut with Kaho Na Pyar Hai, which apparently made the reigning superstar in SRK feel insecure.

So later on, when both starred together in Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, SRK lost no opportunity to cut Hrithik to size by allegedly truncating Hrithik’s role in the flick.

Camp Power

That Shah Rukh Khan has a strong lobby within the industry is pretty well known. While Farah Khan and Karan Johar are known to be an integral part of it; also add to the list Preity Zinta, Rani Mukherji and Priyanka Chopra.

But the much senior Salman also has his industry clout, with his name guaranteeing financial returns and his share of box-office lobbyists.

And Hrithik is fast taking his stronghold position what with having always churned out the biggest hits: Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai, Koi…Mil Gaya, Kkrish and Dhoom 2.

Forgetting the past

Notwithstanding all their previous differences, Shah Rukh, Hrithik and Salman have now decided to get together and the common cause that binds them all? Well, it’s not that difficult to guess at. Perhaps one Bachchan might prove to be the right answer.

So, while Bollywood is no stranger to cliques, this one in particular, will go a long way to change the entire complexion and tipple the equation power in Tinsel Town.

Abhishek Aishwarya wedding fallout levels remain toxic
Posted on Friday, May 18, 2007 (EST)
Smitten by the Bachchans very evident disdain for them during the Abhiash wedding journalists are seeking a quid pro quo media boycott of the Bachchan, only to be frustrated by elements amidst them, including mainline TV channels, ever ready to suck up to the rich and famous.

Email this page

Shop faster online with Google Checkout

Abhishek Bachchan, Yves Carcelle (President of Louis Vuitton), Aishwarya Rai at Cannes in an after party following screening of "My Blueberry Nights". Photo Credit: PRNewsFoto/Louis Vuitton
By Vimla Patil

18 May 2007 (Sawf News) - Just about a month has passed after the Big Bollywood Wedding of Abhishek and Aishwarya Bachchan and interesting responses are beginning to hit media space as a result of the equations spawned by the event.

Anil Thakraney, the acerbic columnist of Mumbai Mirror, wrings his hands with angst when he writes in his column about "how right through the prolonged marriage ceremony, the entire Bachchan clan treated the journos waiting outside Prateeksha like a bunch of beggars and lepers. Not even a casual wave of the hand was sent out to recognize their presence…When the camera guys were not being beaten up by Amar Singh's commandos…they were being dished out wafers and Pepsi as Khairaat. The B family behaved as if we idiots didn't even exist."

Thakraney further cries out: "After the disgusting humiliation, one would expect the media to pay back the family in the same coin and ignore them when they need publicity."

However, contrary to his anguish, television channels, he says, ran helter-skelter to get silly sound bytes from Aishwarya Bachchan in Cannes and boasted that 'she had spoken to them first'!

"All that I heard Ash utter were two words – holiday and L'Oreal," says Thakraney, "Not even once did Ash use the word honeymoon. Hope the missus is having a good time!"

Thakraney rues the present celebrity-driven times in which "journos can and will be used and abused like lap dogs, and we have no choice."

Aishwarya's next Hollywood film on track
Posted on Saturday, May 19, 2007 (EST)
Aishwarya Bachchan's next Hollywood film, a historical epic named 'Singularity,' is expected to start filming from January next in India and South Africa.

Email this page

Try Google Checkout

Aishwarya in a still from Last Legion.
19 May 2007 (Sawf News) - Aishwarya Bachchan's next Hollywood film, a historical epic named Singularity, is expected to start filming from January next in India and South Africa.

The film which has been in the works since late 1990's is to be produced by Corsan Productions, Belgium in partnership with Neelmudra Entertainment, India on a budget of $35 million.

According to Asiaonline, the story of the film spans two continents and time periods and revolves around a British officer in colonial India in love with an Indian damsel (Aishwarya Bachchan), and an American marine biologist struggling to save his research partner who is trapped in the wreckage of a colonial Brit merchant ship.

The film, to be directed by Roland Joffé, was earlier named "The Invaders."

Along with the title, the script of the film was also revised earlier this year, though the basic story line remains the same.

It is likely the star cast of the film has changed too. Hollywood star Brendan Fraser and Bollywood star Viveik Oberoi were earlier part of the cast. While Brendan Fraser's participation in the project is yet to be confirmed it is likely that Viveik Oberoi will be dropped from the cast due to his past romantic association with Aishwarya who is now married to Abhishek Bachchan.

Aishwarya at Cannes Says Honeymoon Is The Best Time For 'Normal' Women
May 17, 2007
Deepti Lamba
Aishwarya Bachchan at Cannes needs to be canned. I mean literally! Here is her response to a question posed to her:

Rajeev Masand: Now, you have been on a long holiday. It's been the honeymoon and you have been a while away from home, haven't you?
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Yes, it has been fantastic. It's probably the best time for any normal girl.

Excuse me, any normal girl? What did she mean? Women who don't enjoy their honeymoons aren't normal? The babe has been exposed to the male anatomy more times than anyone of us would want to know and it isn't our business to question her past colored by monogamous promiscuity but her careless statement shows the lard of fat that sits between her ears.

For many 'South Asian' women the honeymoon period can be a jarring time when they try to come to terms with the male sexuality. Most Desi girls are bought up to fear strange men and are admonished to guard their virginity no matter what.
Sex is treated as a dirty activity, best not talked about and indulged in with the woman lying on her back wondering about the cobweb trailing on the fan with her husband humping her missionary style.

Before the wedding the virgin is generally told by an aunt that sex hurts initially, its dirty and a duty to be performed with no questions asked. Does one really expect an apprehensive woman whose exposure to men has been limited to family and male relatives to suddenly rip her clothes off and say - Come Do Me Raju!!

Here is what generally happens - either the men force themselves on the women and it becomes honeymoon from hell or they become friends and after returning home from the vacation they have sex.

Love marriages are on the rise in India and hopefully men are more sensitive to womens' needs. But when a honeymoon goes wrong do we lay the blame on the woman and say that she wasn't normal and so her honeymoon didn't go right?

Aishwarya Bachchan goofs up style statement at Cannes and more!
Posted on Monday, May 21, 2007 (EST)
The newly wed walked the red carpet with loud eye makeup and a ruched fabric designer dress that showed a belly bump and later went round and round in tight circles trying to answer a question in Hindi with her limited vocabulary of the language.

By Vimla Patil

21 May 2007 (Sawf News) - When pictures of a smiling Aishwarya Bachchan – walking the red carpet with her arm linked with that of her bridegroom Abhishek Bachchan – appeared in the papers and on TV channels, her fans gasped in horror once more.

While everyone wondered whether the little bump on her stomach announced the stork's call already, Bombay Times columnist Shobha De cut down the beauty to her size in her inimitable style.

"Our dulhan desperately needs a new stylist for her Cannes appearances on the red carpet," she writes in her column.

"There was Ash dressed in this mermaid-style disaster that did nothing for the newly-minted bride. The ill-fitting outfit made her look preggers – don't tell us the stork can't wait!"

Aishwarya appeared to be out of sorts in more ways than one at Cannes. The actor, not known for her eloquence, was literally at loss for words talking to a Hindi channel while at the festival.

Listen to what she had to say by clicking on the play button
http://news.sawf.org/Bollywood/37440.aspx

Abhi-Ash Honeymoon Ends with Controversies

Newly wed Bollywood couple, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, made a quiet return to Mumbai on Wednesday after a controversial month-long honeymoon in Europe. Abhi-Ash were personally received by Jaya Bachchan from the airport who had booked a private villa in Florence for the couple before they went to Cannes.

Their honeymoon was highlighted by several controversies and date problems. Reportedly, they skipped the premiere of their film ‘Guru’ in Cannes that has not gone well with the film director, Mani Ratam. Aishwarya and Abhishek seemed content to be in each other’s company and had their own plans of flying back home the very same day.

Aishwarya’s commitment with L’Oreal halted their honeymoon for a while. She was sighted posing for pictures with her L’Oreal counterparts. Aishwarya also did not take part in the promotional events for her next film, ‘Jodha Akhbar’.

Supposedly, Abhi-Ash would be flying to Yorkshire between June 7–10 to attend the International Film Festival. Abhishek is expected to start shooting for his next film ‘Laagi Chunri Mein Daag’ on June 11. On the other hand, Aishwarya would soon be seen shooting for Ashutosh Gowatrikar’s ‘Jodha Akbar’ that is scheduled to be released on October 12.

Since Abhi-Ash tied the knots, they have kept a low profile. They walked hand in hands on the red carpet while attending the premiere of Wong Kar Wai’s movie, ‘My Blueberry Nights’.

It would be interesting to watch Abhishek shoot alongside Rani Mukherjee who was once a Bachchan favourite. Meanwhile, Aishwarya would be shooting with Hrithik Roshan for ‘Jodha Akbar’. Both Rani and Hrithik were not invited to their wedding, which may have left a sour taste behind.

For this Abhiash bash, kin invited
24 May, 2007 l 0302 hrs ISTlVijay Pratap Singh/TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Print
Save
EMail
Write to Editor

GALA EVENT: After the star-studded Abhishek-Aishwarya wedding last month, Amitabh Bachchan has now extended invitations to his kith and kin for a reception to be hosted shortly (TOI Photo)

ALLAHABAD: The Bachchans seem to be making amends. After the star-studded Abhishek-Aishwarya wedding last month, Amitabh Bachchan has now extended invitations to his kith and kin for a reception to be hosted shortly.

The date and venue of the event will be finalised after Bachchan returns from Cannes, France, where he is along with his son and daughter-in-law, sources said. One of the relatives who got the invitation was his nephew, Kishore Ramchandra, a resident of Katghar, Mutthiganj in Allahabad.

In a letter addressed to Kishore and his family, the Bachchans expressed regret for not inviting them to the wedding, citing the illness of his mother Teji Bachchan and the wishes of the couple for a quiet wedding. It also said Teji was in the hospital and had come home for only an hour to attend her grandson's marriage. "We seek your blessings and good wishes on this auspicious occasion. Abhishek and Aishwarya expressed a desire for a quiet and simple wedding," it read.

Kishore, son of Ram Chandra, a cousin of Bachchan, was more than happy with the invite which arrived with five packets of sweets on Monday evening. Printed in both Hindi and English, it quoted couplets from the works of Harivansh Rai Bachchan.

Who will Ash work with now?

The new Mrs Bachchan’s honeymoon might end on a downer. The Bachchans v/s the rest of Bollywood war has left very few leading men ready to star with her. The four Khans, Hrithik and Vivek have already refused to work with her

Kunal M Shah

Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan's wedding has created a schism in the film industry. The wedding guest list revealed many surprises as key people from the industry were excluded. The newest member of the Bachchan khandaan seems to be bearing the brunt as most leading men in the industry do not want to work with her any more. The list seems endless, as A-list heroes like the three Khans (Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir), Hrithik Roshan, Vivek Oberoi and Saif Ali Khan have refused to work with her.

Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan
Apparently at the World Cup party hosted by Shah Rukh Khan at his residence, Salman, Shah Rukh and the others decided that they would ban Aishwarya and refuse films she stars in. The immediate effect was that Saif Ali Khan opted out of Karan Johar's Tarun Mansukhani-directed film, co-starring Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai. Shah Rukh Khan obviously is miffed with the Bachchans and the cold war is now out in the open.

Also, the infamous kiss between Hrithik and Aishwarya Rai in Dhoom 2 obviously upset the Bachchans. As a result, Hrithik and the Roshan family were not invited to the wedding. Aishwarya already has had problems with Aamir Khan when she opted out of Mangal Pandey — The Rising at the last minute.

Salman Khan and Vivek Oberoi will never work with Aishwarya for obvious reasons. With Aishwarya Rai out of contention for six leading guys in the industry, she is only left with a few choices, apart from her husband Abhishek Bachchan. She is already working on two projects with him - Ramu's Sarkar 2 and Karan's next film.

Trade analyst Amod Mehra says, "The marriage and a lot of other problems have already made things difficult for Aishwarya, since they sidelined many people at the wedding. I think she will now work with Abhishek Bachchan. Half the industry won't work with her and except for Akshay Kumar or Sanjay Dutt, she is left with very little choice."

Film critic and trade expert Taran Adarsh says, "See, everything depends on the result of her pairing with Abhishek in her two upcoming films. If they do well, she'll be safe. If they don't do well, she may be in trouble."

[www.mumbaimirror.com]

Bollywood Star Aishwarya Rai unlucky for Big B?
MIL, Jun 7, 2007. Sasi Sukumaran

New Delhi: June 07, 2007 – Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai, who is the daughter in law of Big B has not proved lucky to him even after mitigating her Kuja Dosh or Manglik Dosh. Even otherwise, as per Dr. Raj Baldev, Cosmo Theorist from India and Chief Consultant of “Occult Astrology”, her manglik dosh is not properly removed.

Dr. Raj Baldev, who is also well known globally as “Swamy Raj” has reiterated his opinion that unless the debilitated Jupiter and Sun are given proper remedy and their negative influence is removed, no puja or ritual can cancel the Manglisk Dosh, hence the negative influence of star over Aishwarya Rai is likely to cause problems for Big B in respect of his reputation in various ways.

Aish had to undergo various religious rituals and ceremonies to tone down the negative effect of malefic Mars and spent millions of rupees to wash of her indifferent influence over her in laws i.e. Big B.

On 25th April 2006, this paper carried a story on Aishwarya Rai that unless she gets her debilitated Jupiter alleviated, her stars for the married life may not give the desired results.

An excerpt is reproduced below:

Touching her marriage, she is Manglik in Lagan Chart, her Mars is the lord of its own house 'Aries' placed in the 8th House. In the Moon Chart, she is not manglik. Since her lord of the 7th house of marriage is debilitated, it may not be a smooth and happy married life, some serious problems may crop up in proper engagements and thereafter in marriage, even the marriage can break, unless she gets the debilitation of Jupiter mitigated.

Even if her Manglik Dosh is considered from the 8th House in Aries instead of Lagan Chart of Mars she is likely to affect her inlaws due to Debilitated Jupiter on whose negative strength she came into fame

Aishwaya’s marriage stars are complicated, not smooth
MIL/Occult Astrology, Apr 25, 2006. Sasi Sukumaran

http://www.internationalreporter.com/news/read.php?id=1271

Aishwarya Rai was born at 0405 hrs on 1st Nov 1973 in Manglore, Karnatka, India. She is younger of the two, her brother being 3 yrs elder. When she was about 4 years old her family moved to Bombay permanently. We shall only take the issue of marriage and related influences.

As per her horoscope and occult reading of the Moon chart, her Moon is placed in the Ascendant in Sagittarius.

As per Swamy Raj Baldev, Occult Astrology, the powers of all the 9 stars and planets in the Solar System, the Moon stands the strongest after the Sun in any horoscope. When the Moon joins in conjunction with Venus, it becomes more powerful.

The reason is that Venus astrologically holds 3rd most powerful from the Sun, and 2nd from the Moon and when both join together, they form a gigantic power, more particularly when they are posited in some auspicious zodiac sign under the lordship of Venus or Jupiter.

Both Moon and Venus are female stars and give more benefits to females when placed in any auspicious zodiac sign, of which Jupiter is the lord in this case. Jupiter holds 4th position in power astrologically. It is in debilitation.

When the auspicious star is in debilitation, it is stronger than the star in exalted position, the only difference is that exalted star gives benefits by natural, inherited and progressive virtues whereas the debilitated star gives benefits by default, and its power is much more than otherwise calculated. Moreover, the reward for each horoscope depends on the destiny of the native and not purely on stars.

Aishwarya entered Bollywood by default due to debilitated Jupiter as she was flooded with offers after being crowned in Sun City, and now she has become the top most actress. Since Jupiter sheds its 7th aspect on Cancer, the house of finance in the Ascendant Chart, financial build up is natural.

Her Sun is debilitated posited in the 11th house in the Moon chart. As already explained earlier that a debilitated house is very powerful like antimatter, only control is required, if it goes out of control it may destroy the reputation of the native and lead him/her to many unexpected problems. However, Ash's first good phase under the Vimsotari period of Moon in Mars ends on 19-6-2007. Thereafter a new chapter may start.

Touching her marriage, she is Manglik in Lagan Chart, her Mars is the lord of its own house 'Aries' placed in the 8th House. In the Moon Chart, she is not manglik. Since her lord of the 7th house of marriage is debilitated, it may not be a smooth and happy married life, some serious problems may crop up in proper engagements and thereafter in marriage, even the marriage can break, unless she gets the debilitation of Jupiter mitigated.

BONKERSCoin Barse!!
[18 Jun 2007]

Abhi- Ash’s act of throwing coins at the screen during a special preview of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom at Imax Adlabs did not go well with the invitees as the most of coins landed on the heads of the people sitting in the front row. Every time, Abhishek would appear on screen, both husband and wife would toss coins and make noise cheering Abhishek which disturbed the other dignitaries present for the special screening. Even director Shaad Ali’s close aides failed to calm the couple and made them understand that they were actually making viewing difficult for the other people.
As a reputed filmmaker explains, ‘ After some time I felt like collecting those coins and throwing them back at Abhishek. He was too thrilled and did not realize that the coins were landing on our heads. They needed good aiming skills for the coins to land at the screen.’
The screening was organized for the stars and their families but Abhishek and Aishwarya had come with potlis of small denomination coins and kept flinging at the screen throughout. Despite repeated requests from the staff and others, Abhi- Ash refused to take their seats and continued to scamper near the aisle. Abhishek was so mad with excitement about the film that he continued hooting, giggling and dancing with Aishwarya throughout the film. But this was making life difficult for other dignitaries.
However, other cast members like Bobby Deol and Lara Dutta maintained their cool and looked sober throughout the film. But Preity Zinta did join the gang and could be seen cheering loudly along with Abhishek and Aishwarya. Others like Nikhil Advani, Rohan Sippy, Kunal Kohli, Sanjay Gadhvi, Pooja Bedi and Niharika Khan were enjoying the film but did not go to the extent of disturbing others at the theatre.
Abhishek Bachchan and his better half Aishwarya Rai might be very excited about the film but the common theatre going public is not very excited about it. The reports suggest that the film did not have a very good opening as might be expected from a Yashraj film with such a huge star cast. Even the presence of Big B in Jack Sparrow get up has failed to do any wonder at the box office.
Perhaps hoi polloi is not prepared to Jhoom with Abhi, what say??

http://magnamags.com/magna_stardust/node/1272

Is there an Abhishek - Aishwarya wedding video after all?
Posted on Friday, June 22, 2007 (EST)
The unequivocal Bachchan denial not withstanding, reports suggest a video of the wedding is being quietly readied for telecas on an international channel that has earlier done hugely popular telecasts of Big Indian Weddings like the one in the Lakshmi Mittal family.

Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan. Photo Credit: Sawf News
By Vimla Patil

22 June 2007 (Sawf News) - The unequivocal Bachchan denial not withstanding, reports suggest a video of the wedding is being quietly readied for telecast on an international channel that has earlier done hugely popular telecasts of Big Indian Weddings like the one in the Lakshmi Mittal family.

Following the dustup accompanying the Bachchan's decision to bar the media from the Abhishek-Aishwarya wedding media reports surfaced that the Bachchans had sold the telecast right for the event to a television channel for a huge amount of money.

Amitabh Bachchan trashed the reports and, outraged at the suggestion that the family would make money by selling the wedding video, asserted on national TV

"Even if such a deal were to come our way, we would have rejected it,"

According to Stardust, the unequivocal denial notwithstanding, there is a video being quietly readied for telecasting on an international channel that has earlier done hugely popular telecasts of Big Indian Weddings like the one in the Lakshmi Mittal family.

News has filtered out of the Bachchan household that the wedding was professionally covered by camera crews from Yashraj Films and the video is waiting to be shown on an exclusive channel for an unprecedented sum of money, which rumor says, could equal the 'fortune' paid to SRK for anchoring the KBC 3 show.

Insiders say that Aishwarya's Hollywood agents had worked out a deal without the knowledge of the Bachchan family and this had left Big B a little shamefaced to come up with an explanation for saving the situation.

Whether there is any truth in this news is yet to be seen.

Perhaps in the future, when frayed tempers finally cool, the video may be announced quietly.

Hopefully, it will serve as a soothing balm for the hearts of thousands of fans who waited outside Prateeksha on that hot April night in the hope that the newly weds would acknowledge their presence and accept their blessings and good wishes.

recently concluded IIFA (International Indian Film Awards) ceremony at West Yorkshire continues to have its repercussions. ‘It’ girl Shilpa Shetty, the winner of Celebrity Big Brother is at the centre of attention yet again.

This time around for her unceremonious entry on the awards night when Abhishek and Aishwarya were strolling down the green carpet (these are environmentally friendly awards).

Obviously, fans from Pontefract, Bradford and Dewsbury screamed at the top of their voices and rushed to greet Shilpa (thanks to her newfound popularity in the UK), and the newly wed Bachchan couple has to walk in almost unnoticed. This didn’t go down well with Aishwarya who normally doesn’t have to try too hard to get attention from fans and the media.

Ever since, former Miss World Aishwarya has taken a dislike to Shilpa. Close friends of Ash inform that the pretty bahu is still reeling under the unpleasant episode. Says our source, “Ash was not expecting to be overlooked by her fans at the event. Contrary to the home turf, where Ash enjoys unprecedented popularity, Shilpa continues to be the biggest Bollywood star in the UK post- Celebrity Big Brother.”

If that was not enough, when Amitabh Bachchan, who is the brand ambassador of the awards ceremony, was presented a Yorkshire suit at the opening day, fans had complained saying that Shilpa, who was standing at one corner holding a bouquet of Yorkshire roses, deserved it more than him.

According to industry buzz, Shilpa is aware of the awkward situation and is ready to hand out an olive branch if anybody is ready to listen to her.

Says a source close to Shilpa, “Shilpa had no intentions of hogging all the limelight at the event. It’s just that she is extremely popular among the locals there.”

[www.mumbaimirror.com]

Rani, Abhishek: back to old ways EnlargeRani Mukherjee and Abhishek Bachchan will next be seen in Pradeep Sarkar's Laaga Chunari Main Daag.

First Published: 18:41 IST(10/7/2007)
Last Updated: 19:32 IST(10/7/2007)

There was disappointment for those waiting to see deathly tension erupt on the sets of Pradeep Sarkar's Laaga Chunari Mein Daag between Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee.

It was being expected that the relationship between the Bachchans and Rani would be strained after they did not invite her for Abhi-Ash's weedding.

But on the contrary, there was absolutely no coldness between Rani and Abhishek on the sets.

"How can there be?" says a close friend of both the stars.

"Rani and Abhishek have done four films as a lead pair, all hits. They're seen as the Amitabh-Jaya of the new millennium. They're so comfortable with each other.

"Yes, not being invited to the wedding did hurt Rani. She always thought of the Bachchans as a part of her extended family and hoped they considered her the same.

"Intially she was upset about not being invited. But the minute she met Abhishek last week after a longish gap, all grievances dissolved instantaneously."

Rani and Abhishek's body language on the sets seems like as though nothing has happened.

"Nothing about Abhishek has changed after marriage. He's still a major prankster. When Rani realised this, she immediately dropped her defences. The party spirit that prevails every time Abhishek is around is back. The set for Laaga Chunari Mein Daag resembles a picnic spot," says the source.

Ash not pregant!

16 August 2007

RUMOURS of Aishwarya being pregnant are raging in Mumbai and on the Internet. A Bachchan source has vehemently denied this rumour saying it is totally false and it is urgent that these rumours are put to rest.

Ash's business manager Harri Singh and confidante of over 20 years adds: "Aishwarya is not pregnant. The media news is false and irresponsible. Before writing on such personal issues the media must get their facts correct. This is the correct thing that City Times is doing from Dubai. Checking the true facts before reporting. This is called responsible and credible journalism, not to misguide the people with false news."

He confirms: "It is true that Aishwarya has signed the film Pink Panther 2. At present she is completing Akbar Jodha and Sarkar 2 and will start shooting for Pink Panther 2 from September."

Aishwarya has a spate of movies to complete before she can even think of starting a family says her publicist. She has yet to start the Karan Johar- Tarun Mansukhani film, then Sarkar Raj, Raaste and now Pink Panther 2. The sequel will also star Andy Garcia and John Cleese.

Laughs the production chief of Akbar-Jodha, "I think it all began when Aishwarya walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, in her white designer dress where her slight paunch was showing! Just then she had also given a quote to the media saying that she had no immediate plans to give up her successful acting career, although she was looking forward to having children at some time."

He adds, "I think what sparked off the rumours even further was the episode when Ash nearly collapsed while shooting for Akbar Jodha. You see she was rushing from one place to the other dubbing for Sarkar 2 and shooting for our film and I think the work tension took its toll on her!"

He stresses, "Of Course these stories of her expecting a child have caused havoc in the industry as billions have been invested in her films which are either on the floors or about to begin. "

http://khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?col=&section=citytimes&xfile=data/citytimes/2007/August/citytimes_August149.xml

Aishwarya Bachchan fails yet again to make any big waves across Hollywood screens.
by Rajiv Dutta

http://www.indiatarget.com/cgi-bin/detailnews.cgi?id=4917

Ash is sporting grease paint and playing with the swords in The Last Legion along with actors Colin Firth and Sir Ben Kingsley, a film set in 476 AD where the Roman Empire 's domination was at threat. The film released in America on Friday but too bad, the critics have it a thumb down right at the opening.

The Italian-American venture has not been able to set the box office on fire. Worst, it's been called “boring” and “lackluster” by the critics.

“The Last Legion is a strange and slow-moving concoction of swordfights and snooze-inducing drama,” said Boston Herald in its review of the film.

“When it comes to sword-and-sandal epics, The Last Legion is firmly at the bottom of the heap,” the report added.

Clearly it's a bit of a spoiler for Mrs. Aishwarya Bachchan who hasn't managed to deliver a single Hollywood performance that would have got the world waking up to ‘oh-so-celebrated' Indian talent.

No one is even talking about an Indian actress making it to the Hollywood flick. The only appreciable part in the film is Colin Firth who manages to capture attention for a while.

As for Mrs. Bachchan, well…better luck next time

Aishwarya ridicules Rani Mukerji!
Posted on Friday, August 24, 2007 (EST)
Buzz is, Aishwarya Rai had the guts to ridicule her husband's (Abhishek Bachchan) ex-lover Rani Mukerji.

Email this page

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Bachchan filming the sequel to The Pink Panther in Paris, around the Grand-Palais. Photo Credit: Splash News
Vickey Lalwani

25 August 2007 (Sawf News) - Buzz is, Aishwarya Rai had the guts to ridicule her husband's (Abhishek Bachchan) ex-lover Rani Mukerji.

Ash was present on the sets of Laaga Chunari Mein Daag in Switzerland. Abhishek probably saw it as an opportunity for an extended honeymoon and flew down with Ash into the cold climate of the Alps.

In the beginning, Ash chose not to be on the sets. But she couldn't hold herself for long.

Ash not only came on the sets but also gave cold icy stares to Rani, to begin with. Soon, she was heard passing ruude remarks about the Mukerji girl and even gestured animatedly towards her.

Rani could not fight back, or chose not to make it an issue.

She may not have retaliated then, but knowing Rani, we will not be surprised if Rani is making sureshot plans to hit back.

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag is expected to hit the theatres on October 12. Pradeep Sarkar is the director of the movie and Yash Raj Films is the producer and distributors of the company.

The main star cast of the movie include stars Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kunal Kapoor. Anupam Kher Kirron Kher and Farida Jalal are also playing important roles in the film.

Rani Mukherji and Konkana Sen are playing the role of daughters of Jaya Bachchan in the film, Rani Mukherji is paired with Abhishek Bachchan and Konkana Sen is paired with Kunal Kapoor in the film.

Apart from Switzerland, the film has been shot in Bern, Spain and Mumbai.

News Copyright © Sawf News. May not be reproduced without explicit written permission

Talk back: Email your opinion on the subject for publication here to talkback@sawf.org

Of course, this very well could be dribble created by the press to stir up their readers.

Regardless, this is such a joke. Rani and Ash are polar opposites. Rani has great

talent and is a such a versatile actress. She is the Queen of Indian cinema......no doubt about that!!

Ash gives you the conception of being an actress when on the red carpet. In reality, she can't act her way out of a wet paper bag. No wonder she has never carried a film. If this press release is true, it is another incident of the strained relations she has with many in the Indian motion picture industry. This may be because she knows she lacks the talent and is insecure about that ....nevertheless it shows a total lack of class !!

Pink Panther blues

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/CityHome.asp?xfile=data/citytimes/2007/September/citytimes_September92.xml&section=citytimes&col=
9 September 2007

When Aishwarya signed Pink Panther 2 opposite Steve Martin, one thought she had finally managed to make a big impact in Hollywood. But then one got to know that Ash has taken on a role previously rejected by Celina Jaitley and Shilpa Shetty

WHILE AISHWARYA'S publicists spread news of her shooting for Pink Panther 2, sequel to the Hollywood cult film Pink Panther, opposite Steve Martin, the industry was buzzing with rumours that Ash wasn’t the first choice for the role, which was first offered to Celina Jaitley and then to Shilpa Shetty.

In order to put an end to these stories Ash, reportedly, asked her international agent Simone Sheffield to tell the Indian press that the other actresses were just ‘cashing in’ on her success and fishing for some publicity.

Following this Simone issued a statement that Pink Panther 2 was offered only to Ash and not to any other actress! Sheffield told a Mumbai based tabloid, “a couple of secondary actresses claim to have refused the role that Ash is starring in. It’s sad because I’m sure that if either of them had been offered a lead role in such a big budget international film, they would have jumped at it!”

This statement opened up a Pandora’s box! The international publicist of Celina and the business manager and spokesperson for Shilpa were aghast. They were forced to produce proof that their clients had indeed been approached and had declined the offer. They produced the emails that they received from Ilene Starger, the casting director of Pink Panther 2 offering the said roles to both Celina and Shilpa. The e-mails clearly proved that Celina and Shilpa were approached for the roles before Ash.

Minor role

While Celina’s publicist claims that she rejected this role because the role of Sophia in Pink Panther 2 was extremely minor and insignificant. It’s a known fact that since Celina’s career isn’t going great guns in Bollywood; she should have jumped at this role in an international film. But our sources reveal that Celina’s Hollywood agents, Brillstein-Grey Entertainment advised her against the role because they felt that the role was too small and not worthwhile. That Celina should make her debut into Hollywood with a more substantial role. So one wonders what attracted Ash to do this role; was it desperation to get some headway into Hollywood.

Shilpa, meanwhile refused the role because she’s currently busy rehearsing for her Broadway play which will premiere in France and Germany. Shilpa’s publicist Dale Bhagwagar in response to Ash’s publicist’s comment says, “We are professional people and we deemed it fit not to boast, as we decided not to do the film. We have the e-mail that proves Shilpa was offered the role. In fact, these comments only aim to mar Shilpa’s reputation.”

Does this mean that with Celina and Shilpa trying for a career in Hollywood, Ash is beginning to feel insecure? Her first Hollywood film The Last Legion, has been heavily criticised, moreover the film despite starring Colin Firth and Sir Ben Kingsley hasn’t even had a premiere and was quietly released on DVD’s by its makers. Ash plays the role of an Asian princess in this film. Surprisingly, Ash lost all her prudishness while shooting for this foreign film, as trailers of the film show her emerging out of the sea in a see through white kurta which reveal her assets too clearly.

Growing unpopularity

Ash has never been popular with many in this industry. She has always been aloof. It is only after entering the Bachchan family that she got into a few good books with directors like Ram Gopal Varma. But her bad-mouthing Shilpa and Celina hasn’t been well received in the industry. And no mere publicist is going to make derogatory statements about other stars unless advised by the client herself. An actress who wishes to remain anonymous says, “She tried to put down Celina and Shilpa but the e-mails are like a slap on her face. This is the worst kind of publicity one can get!”

We wonder why Ash became so insecure when news of her not being the first choice hit the headlines. This isn’t the first time that she has acted in a film as a replacement. Ash wasn’t the first choice for her forthcoming film Jodha Akbar either. Director Ashutosh Gowariker's first choice to play the role of Jodha was Madhuri Dixit, but Madhuri couldn’t give Gowariker bulk dates for the film. Hrithik who plays the male lead in the film then referred Priyanka’s name, but apparently Ash did a lot of lobbying for this role and finally got it. So wonder why the big deal about being the third choice this time? Is it because this time it’s a role rejected by the not-so-famous Celina Jaitley or rather is she insecure of Shilpa’s growing clout in the international arena?

Cold vibes

13 September 2007

Rani Mukherji is seething with anger but has decided to keep a dignified silence until the time is right. The unit of Laaga Chunari Mein Daag is tense with the recent developments

WHEN RANI and Abhishek returned to the shooting of their film after the Abhi-Ash wedding, things were very uncomfortable on the sets. She was simmering over Abhishek Bachchan’s insult of leaving her out of the wedding celebrations. Abhishek knew he was guilty of not inviting his close buddy, ex-girlfriend and co-star to his wedding. Rani could not believe that she had been deleted from the list of invites when she has been made to feel like a family member by the Bachchans.

As Rani has a lot of scenes minus Abhishek, the shooting went smoothly (post April wedding). The day that Abhishek entered the sets the crew went visibly stiff. Until that day Abhishek had not met or spoken to Rani. Both enacted their scenes professionally and went back to their respective make-up rooms. Said Rani to a friend, I cannot take this hypocrisy and tension any longer. I have to get this off my chest. So she took a decision to face Abhishek and have a heart to heart with all that was bothering her.

She walked up to his make up van, knocked on the door and just as he opened the door told him in no uncertain terms how hurt she was over the entire wedding fiasco because she just could not understand why she, a so called member of the Bachchan family had been publicly insulted. She poured out the humiliation that she had felt when everyone kept asking her why she was not invited to the wedding, like she was some outcast. She totally bared her heart out. Abhishek looked extremely guilty and agreed with her that he had done wrong and that he was genuinely sorry. Having cleared the air, the unit sighed with relief and all went back to be normal on the sets. Abhishek was his usual humorous self, always pulling Rani’s legs and the shooting continued happily until Aishwarya decided to visit Abhishek on the sets.

She spent the time giggling and prancing with Abhishek totally ignoring Rani. Her gestures looked like she was poking fun at Rani but that was not certain. The final straw came when she made loud digs about Rani’s make up and how she should take lessons in doing her make up and style. These remarks were also heard by the production guys who looked extremely embarrassed by this. When Aishwarya left the sets the atmosphere was chilly.

Abhishek did not realise what had happened so he continued to joke around. What made matters worse is when Jaya Bachchan entered the sets for her shots with Rani. She gave Rani the cold shoulder and left the bewildered actress gaping.

That Aishwarya behaved in this manner could be understandable for the following reasons. After all Rani was at one time her best friend and confidante. She used to give Rani tips on her make up and style. Then the unfortunate Chalte Chalte incident occurred when Rani took up Ash’s role without informing her. Later Rani and Abhishek became the hit pair on screen and had a torrid affair. Rumours were rife that the two may even marry. What miffed Ash the most was that the public chose the Abhishek-Rani pair over the Ash-Abhishek pair for marriage. When the time came for their wedding, Rani was excluded from the invitees.

Ash gave her a direct slap in the face!

But, when Jaya behaved in this arrogant manner towards Rani, the latter could not function. There were too many enemies for her to handle on one set. She was in tears! She could not comprehend what was suddenly happening around her.

Jaya had stopped talking to Rani last year but things were settled when the Press came out with the story that Jaya was angry with Rani for her rude behaviour. Rani had kissed and made up with Jaya and all was going well, until now.

Rani broke down and could only be consoled by Aditya Chopra.

As the shooting progresses, one wonders whether this will affect the frames in which she has to appear with Abhishek. Knowing Rani to be a total professional one doubts whether this will affect the film in anyway —for that’s what acting is all about, isn’t it?
kt.com

Abhishek Bachchan joins Aishwarya Rai in Boston
26th Sept 2007 19.35 IST
By ApunKaChoice

KEEPING TAGS ON WIFE

Five months after their marriage, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai still seem inseparable.

Not even their professional commitments have been able to distance the two lovers. For last few weeks, Aishwarya has been in Boston, shooting for director Harald Zwart’s movie Pink Panther 2 , now re-titled ‘The Next Pink Panther’, while Abhishek had been in India shooting for an ad film.

But now, Abhi has flown to the US to be with his better half.

Just a few days back, the couple was spotted walking together hand-in-hand on the streets of Boston. Both were casually dressed and carried shoulder bags. They had been shopping probably.

Abhi was also spotted accompanying Ash on the sets of ‘Pink Panther 2’ in Boston.

Earlier in August, when the movie was being shot in Paris, then also Abhishek had joined Ash on the film’s sets.

Soon, Abhishek will fly to Namibia to resume the shooting of his movie Drona . Ash, on the other hand, will shoot for ‘Pink Panther’ till October.

The film has Ash playing Sophie Solandres, a criminal expert who helps Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Steve Martin) nab a daring and elusive burglar.
http://www.apunkachoice.com/scoop/bollywood/20070926-3.html

29 November 2007 (Sawf News) - Abhishek and Aishwarya spent time with HIV affected children Wednesday, November 29, at a gathering organized by Ashray, a charity organization started by fashion designers Abu Jaani and Sandeep Khosla, for the World Aids day on December 1.

Abhishek and Aishwarya, perhaps the most popular couple in the world, freely mingled and danced with the children.

Speaking about how he came to be associated with Ashray, Abhishek told the press, " "They[Abu and Sandeep] thought of me in 2001. Since then I have been coming frequently to Ashray. Abu and Sandeep are family to me…they are my uncles. This year we have been lucky enough to bring Aishwarya as well as she is a new entrance…"

At which point Aishwarya drew close to him and interrupted, "I am his wife."

A smiling Abhishek went on to complete his sentence "…she is a new entrance to the family."

Touched by the affection shown by the children, Abhishek and Aishwarya expressed their determination to continue their association with the children.

"We wish them all the very best. We will do whatever we can do in our capacity to help them," Abhishek said.

"We are with them and most importantly they should be accepted and they should be loved. That is what they want more than anything else. They just want to be loved and accepted."

http://news.sawf.org/Bollywood/45553.aspx

Aishwarya Rai is riding high with DHOOM 2’s & GURU's success. While she doesn’t have much to rave about her success in Bollywood, Ash has always been in the news for her alleged affair with her leading men ever since she made her decision to join Bollywood.

Who can forget Salman Khan (sources claim he is still very much in love with Ash) from Ash’s life? However, Ash has been intelligent enough to be linked with hit Bollywood heroes in various stages of her career. When she made her entry in Bollywood, she was dating model Rajeev Mulchandani. However, when she established her two feet in Bollywood, success eluded her even though she had a million dollar looks. One after another film flopped. Be it her Bollywood debut film BARSAAT with Bobby Deol or else JEANS in Tamil. It was this time, when she ditched Rajeev and got into Salman Khan’s good books. Her beauty surely blew Salman’s bachelorhood and the two became the hot couple.

While they were seeing each other and painting Goa red, Sanjay Leela Bhansali cashed on the couple’s amazing chemistry to make HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM. Needless to say, the film was a huge hit and Ash even won every award for portraying the role of Nandini in the film. Their love affair continued but not for long. Sources claim that Ash used Salman to enhance her career in Bollywood, while the Khan was truly in love with her. Each time, Salman and Ash were together out of town, they seemed to be the most loving couple on this earth. However, the moment Ash flew back home in Mumbai, she complained to her mother about the atrocities of the Khan, to be in the good books of her mother. This double standard irritated Salman to no ends, sources claim. This is when Ash was facing the brunt of Salman’s ire and been hit several times by her boyfriend, as reported in various dailies.

To escape Salman’s passionate relationship, Ash tried to shift her loyalty towards Shah Rukh Khan’s camp. Shah Rukh too was enamoured by her beauty and they worked together first in JOSH and then gave a super hit film in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s DEVDAS. Salman Khan was furious because Ash was avoiding her calls and making various excuses to be with Shah Rukh, who had offered her then CHALTE CHALTE. We all know how Salman stormed the sets of the film and had a showdown with King Khan and Ash. Shah Rukh realized it was not a good idea to have bad relationship with the brat of the industry Salman Khan. Very cleverly, Shah Rukh dropped Ash from his project and took Rani Mukherjee instead. Ash not only lost a very good project (CHALTE CHALTE) but also a friend in Shah Rukh Khan, who preferred to stay far away from couple’s (Salman & Ash) personal lives.

While the two were having a continuous fight in their relationship, Ash was double timing Salman and developing her relationship with Vivek Oberoi, who made great news as Ramu’s protégé. While Vivek Oberoi thought Ash was in love with him, she had planned her grand exit from Salman’s life in a true Bollywood movie. KYON HO GAYA NA released as their first movie. However, the box office dumped the chemistry less couple very badly. However, Vivek Oberoi became overnight, a hero, and knight in the shining armour for Ash by declaring in the press meet that Salman threatened him to be away from his ladylove 41 times. A sensible Salman kept quiet because he had found love in Katrina Kaif. Ash played her card well and started being seen with Vivek in almost all the parties. Vivek was happy as his career never really took off after Ramu’s COMPANY. To show her loyalty, Ash even recommended Vivek’s name to Subhash Ghai, who took him in KISNA – The Warrior, reveals inside source from Ghai’s camp.

With the film having bombed, Vivek became almost a non-entity in Bollywood and Ash was finding a strong foothold to give a hit. With none of her films becoming a hit, Ash slowly started making statement in various dailies (through her manager cum PR Hari Singh) that her affair with Vivek is over. A shattered Vivek realized how Ash had used him to escape Salman’s clutches. All this while, Abhishek Bachchan was slowly climbing the ladder of success with hit films like BUNTY AUR BABLI, SARKAR, DHOOM and KANK. While Bachchan junior was often seen with Rani Mukherjee, Ash was making her presence felt in their family, slowly and steadily. She even did the ‘Kajra re…” in BUNTY AUR BABLI with senior and junior Bachchan.

After KUCH NA KAHO flopped, JP Dutta roped in Abhishek and Ash for his prestigious flop movie UMRAO JAAN. The media was fed with some interesting personal details of the two, Ash and Abhishek, while they were shooting in Rajasthan. While many in the industry feel that Ash is a great manipulator and since she had become a global icon, she played her cards well to be in the good books of the Bachchan family. While Rani Mukherjee quietly side stepped from Bachchan’s family, Ash made her conspicuous presence in all the family gathering of the Bachchans. Needless to say, while Ash is using Abhishek to be in limelight, the Bachchans too are using her to be written about in media.

One will have to see for how long will Ash be with the Bachchans because in the past six to seven years, she has moved from Rajeev Mulchandani to Salman Khan to Shah Rukh Khan to Vivek Oberoi with regular intervals. Currently, being with Abhishek Bachchan seems to be the mantra. One will have to wait and watch.

wife keeps nagging all the time for not giving her enough time is a complaint which every husband will have. But if you are Abhishek Bachchan, you’ll beg to differ. After all who wouldn’t want to spend time with Aishwarya Rai? Abhishek has apparently budged to Ash’s plea so much so that he has done it at the expense of delaying his films!

According to our inside sources, the first agenda of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Dilli 6 which is being shot in Jaipur is running behind schedule. There have been quite a number of reasons for the same. Firstly, it was because leading man Abhishek Bachchan’s grandmother Teji Bachchan passed away and then the same happened when leading lady Sonam Kapoor’s grandmother expired as well.

Of course nothing could have been done to avoid the inevitable. But there is another reason why Dilli 6 is struggling to complete its first schedule on time in Jaipur and that is because of the presence of Aishwarya Rai on the sets of the film.

Says a source closely associated with the film, “Abhishek Bachchan never gives his takes on time because he is always preoccupied with Aishwarya. His early morning shots are never taken before afternoon and veteran actors like Prem Chopra have to wait for him. Aishwarya has no reason to be on the sets which is clearly causing delay in an already delayed schedule.”

Moving away from Dilli 6 , it has come to our notice that Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar Raaj has also been delayed. The film which was expected to hit the screen in March has now been postponed to June.

Just to refresh your memory, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya along with Amitabh Bachchan comprise of the cast of Sarkar Raaj . We seriously wonder whether Ramu is facing this ordeal for the same reasons! Aishwarya Rai has finished her portions for Pink Panther 2 and Jodhaa Akbar and is free at the moment.

It may be recalled that Hrithik Roshan too felt that Aishwarya wasn’t doing complete justice to Jodhaa Akbar because of Abhishek’s presence on the sets.

So whoever thought that getting Abhishek and Aishwarya as a package deal would prove beneficial had gotten it all wrong.

The Bollyvista Community

Bollywood O Bollywood => Scoop & News => Topic started by: Barkkha on April 18, 2007, 06:21:25 am