Aishwarya Rai

The title if misread will definitely give you goosebumps. No the couple ain’t splitting in real life but yes in the reel life. Bollywood’s most beautiful couple, Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan, will have to watch each other play the role of spouse to another in the upcoming film “Sarkar Raj.”

Aishwarya Rai, the 1994 Miss World, and Abhishek Bachchan, son to legendary Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan were married in April of this year but when they share the screen in “Sarkar Raj” they will be anything but friendly.

Aishwarya will play the role of an independent woman caught up in the corporate world and power games. According to director Ram Gopal Varma, “We’ve worked hard on the look. The glamour of Aishwarya in ‘Sarkar Raj’ will be that she won’t be glamorous. She’s so intrinsically beautiful it will be a challenge to make her look simple. But I want her to look like nothing she has done so far.”

In many ways the film, a sequel to “Sarkar,” is similar to “The Godfather” with the political maneuverings inside an underworld family.

Abhishek Bachchan said his wife is uncomplicated and “always smiling,” in a newspaper interview published Wednesday, describing how he met and fell in love with Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai.

Bachchan and Rai were married in April in what Indian media dubbed “The Wedding of the Century” — an extravagant affair that had photographers and cameramen camped for days outside their homes in suburban Mumbai.

The two became friends when they worked together on the 2000 movie “Dhai Akshar Prem Ke,” but cupid didn’t strike until they filmed “Dhoom 2″ five years later.

Soon after Dhai Akshar Prem Ke, they were paired together again in Kuch Naa Kaho (2003) but it wasn’t till Aishwarya and he jived together to the beats of Kajra Re in Bunty Aur Babli, right under the eyes of dad Amitabh Bachchan, that the sparks began to fly. The romantic drama, Umrao Jaan, was supposed to be their big film together. When it hit the floors Abhishek and Aishwarya had not started dating, but well before its release they were known, though not acknowledged, to be an item. The film, though made with a lot of passion, failed to stir audiences and onscreen chemistry between the couple remained lackluster. Dhoom 2 shortly followed Umrao Jaan. Though Abhishek was not paired opposite Aishwarya the two spent a lot of time together on the sets and that seems to have done it. “We started dating in the latter half of the film as ‘Dhoom 2′ was shot for over a year-and-a-half,” he said.

“There are so many things I love about Aishwarya. She’s very human and unaffected and down-to-earth,” Bachchan told The Times. “A simple little girl who is always smiling and that’s very endearing.”

But he said it was difficult to pinpoint when he fell in love.

“There was no defining moment as such,” said Bachchan. “I cannot explain it in words.”

Has life changed after marriage? Bachchan says Rai was pressuring him to change his diet. “She tries to make me eat healthy food as she knows I have unhealthy habits,” said Bachchan.

Often described as one of the most beautiful women in the world, Rai, 33, is a former Miss World and a brand ambassador for leading cosmetic companies.

Bachchan, 31, is one of India’s most popular actors and comes from Bollywood royalty — his father, Amitabh, and mother, Jaya, are among India’s acting elite.

Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai , made a quiet return to Mumbai on Wednesday after a month-long honeymoon in Europe.

Abhishek and Ash were personally received by Jaya Bachchan at 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 .

Ash and Abhishek seemed content to be in each other’s company and had their own plans of flying back home the very same day.

The other cast members of ‘Guru’ attended the red-carpet event and also addressed the audiences and the media at the festival.

Sources say that Ash and Abhishek believe that they are long done with the film and any publicity exercise at this point is of no use.

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

Supposedly, Abhishek and Ash would be flying to Yorkshire on June 7 to attend the International Film Festival.

Abhishek is expected to start shooting for his next film Laaga Chunari Mein Daag on June 11.

On the other hand, Aishwarya would soon be seen shooting for Ashutosh Gowarikar ’s ‘Jodha Akbar’ that is scheduled to be released on October 12.

Recently, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai were at Cannes. But they were not present at the premiere of ‘Guru’. Mani Ratnam is not happy for it. A close source of Ash says, “She is on a pleasure trip after a long time. Obviously, she didn’t want to think about work. The Guru premiere would have been followed by interviews and discussions. She has already interrupted her honeymoon for her earlier commitment to L’Oreal.”

Bollywood heartthrob Abhishek Bachchan and our very own stunning beauty, Aishwarya Rai were married this Friday in a ceremony that brought most of Mumbai to a standstill.

The Bollywood-besotted Indian city of Mumbai came to a standstill at the weekend as two of its biggest stars, emerald-eyed beauty Aishwarya Rai, 33, and Abhishek Bachchan, tied the knot.

Dubbed the wedding of the century by the Indian media, the festivities had many of the elements of one of the couple’s on-screen romances - riotous colour, dance routines and melodrama. The celebrations ran over three days and included a Sunday visit to the Tirupathi Ventakeswara temple in the south of the country, where the couple partook of prasad or blessed food.

Aishwarya, a former Miss World, was breathtaking on that occasion in a hand-embroidered red and gold sari, with vermilion powder in the parting of her hair, and a necklace of black and gold beads. Her 31-year-old groom was dressed in a loose white tunic over baggy trousers.

The traditional festivities had kicked off on Friday with a private marriage ceremony at the Bachan family home, where hundreds of well-wishers cheered the 31-year-old groom as he emerged astride a white stallion, his face covered by a veil of white flowers.

This was followed the next day by the bidai, a ceremony in which the bride bids farewell to her parental home. With all the excitement of their big day over, the newlyweds have apparently jetted off to Venice, Italy for a month-long honeymoon.

This was the biggest and most talked about marriage of all times. And why not? It was Ash Abhishek, the Bollywood’s two biggest superstars, and world over known celebrities, getting married. So Aishwarya Rai is now finally Mrs. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Wow! That’s a relief. We, as always, wish Aishwarya and Abhishek, all the best in their lives. Wishing them a very happy and married life.

Ahhh….So it’s the eve. The Big Day is almost here. Lot of news and lot to talk about Aishwarya and Abhishek’s marriage. With no doubts, this is the biggest marriage occassion if we are talking about Bollywood. Aishwarya and Abhishek are both at the top of their rocking career and one of the biggest celebrities in Bollywood. No doubt this has to be the biggest event. And we are happy for them, aren’t we?

The stage is set for the ultimate ritzy and swanky Bollywood wedding when Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai tie the knot on Friday even as the traditional “mehndi” ceremony got underway tonight. After an elaborate ’sangeet’ ceremony which lasted till wee hours this morning, Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan’s wedding celebrations saw a traditional ‘mehendi’ ceremon.

The mehendi ceremony held at the bride`s home in La Mer Apartments in suburban Bandra was a totally private affair on the second day of the three-day marriage festivities. “As per tradition, the mehndi ceremony was held at the bride’s house. It was a small, private ceremony with only close relatives and friends of the Rais invited,” sources close to the actress said.

The sources said last night’s sangeet ceremony was an “emotional affair” with all members of the Bachchan family putting in performances and dancing away into the night to their favourite Bollywood numbers.

“Since sangeet went on till early this morning, everybody is understandably tired and therefore the ceremony started a little late than originally planned,” the sources said.

A special pandal was also erected in the compound of La Mer apartment. Unlike Wednesday during the sangeet ceremony at the Bachchan residence “Prateeksha”, there was no huge crowds wanting to catch a glimpse of tinsel stars.

The wedding ceremony will be held at the Bachchans’ bungalow “Prateeksha” late Friday evening, which will be attended by some of the top personalities in the country.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, Karan Johar, Bal Thackeray, Sanjay Dutt, Anil and Tina Ambani, Sachin Tendulkar and Subroto Roy among others have been invited for the wedding.

Before the ceremony, the marriage procession will leave from the Bachchans’ other bungalow ‘Jalsa’ in the evening.

This is going to be really BIG. And like always, our love to Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek. May God bless them and may they live happily forever.

Media reports of Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan planning to tie the knot on April 20 have added to the feverish curiosity on the superstar wedding.

Ever since Abhishek and Aishwarya got engaged in January, media frenzy has been feeding an insatiable public hunger for juicy details on venue, date, trousseau and honeymoon.

“It (the date) must be true because the news was probably released from the Bachchans’ office. Its apparently a three-day-long celebration,” said a source.

Television and radio channels are adding to the cacophony. One TV channel has even gone to the extent of preparing a feature on the wedding with details of where Abhishek’s father Amitabh and mother Jaya will stand to bless the couple.

But no one really knows the answer to the big question - are Abhishek-Ash - as the couple has been fashionably dubbed of late - actually getting married on April 20?

“All this news is coming from Delhi and everybody is relying on a report published in one newspaper. The Bachchans are closely guarding the wedding details, but I guess very soon they will make the announcement just the way they announced the engagement.

But the reports are a little confusing because, if you see, every newspaper has a different version of the story,” said the source.

One media report said, for the wedding, Abhishek would wear a golden sherwani weaved by a Varanasi-based family that has been in the weaving business for the last 400 years.

Abdul Matin, head of the weaver family, said that two months ago they were told to weave a Chaodani (golden fabric with a base of warped silk) style fabric for Abhishek’s sherwani, which will approximately cost Rs.500,000. Some other weavers are said to be busy preparing Aishwarya’s trousseau.

The venue for the wedding is reportedly Bacchchan’s Mumbai residence Pratiksha.

It is the last wish of Amitabh’s mother Teji Bachchan, who is unwell and admitted at Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital, to see grandson Abhishek settled that is said to be behind all the rush.

Since the engagement announcement, all newspapers and TV channels have come out with a different wedding date, guest list and venues.

Some say it is going to be a big fat wedding, while others are sure it would be a very quiet and small affair. As far as media rights of the wedding are concerned, they have not been finalised yet.

The upcoming wedding of Bollywood stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai will be the greatest marriage in India’s modern history and could be as big as that of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, a media report said on Sunday.

“With a guest list expected to exceed 5,000, helicopters hired to shower petals over the reception and the astrological charts finally predicting a union that is truly blessed, the marriage of the former Miss World Aishwarya Rai and Bollywood leading man Abhishek Bachchan, the son of Asia’s most famous actor Amitabh Bachchan is expected to happen within a month,” the Observer reported.

The ceremony, set to be held over 10 days in a private estate on the outskirts of Mumbai and a palace in Rajasthan, is being hailed as a Bollywood fairytale and India’s answer to the coupling of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the report said.

“For Indians across the world this wedding will be as big as Charles and Diana’s was for the British”, Bollywood columnist Amita Ghosh was quoted in the report.

“The question people are asking right now is: why all the fuss about Liz Hurley? Perhaps this is why the media in India have turned against Liz, nobody really knows who she is. Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan are our real stars and their wedding is the only one that counts,” Ghosh said.

The alluring green-eyed Ash, who is considered Bollywood’s top leading lady and has several hit movies to her credit, including Bride and Prejudice, was named one of People magazine’s 100 most beautiful people.

Abhishek is the son of the king of the Indian film industry and a star in his own right. Their story has been sold as the tale of two people who found love after a string of failed romances, the report said.

With our handsome Abhishek Bachchan and gorgeous Aishwarya Rai’s wedding day being awaited by millions of fans around the world, a Kochi-based florist is ecstatic that his specially cultivated Heliconia flowers may beautify the occasion.

According to George Phillip, one of the county’s main suppliers of the ornamental plant, an order for 1,000 pieces of Heliconia flowers for a major Bangalore stockist, has been received, but was actually meant for the Bachchan and Rai wedding.

“We do have some orders from Delhi, actually from Bangalore through our agent, it is meant for Aishwarya Rai they had told us as per details given to me,” he said.

Phillip has 270 varieties of Heliconia, which he grows on five acres of land.

The exotic plant grows anywhere between 15 to 300 centimetres, and is primarily used for the decoration of halls and lobbies.

Bangalore happens to be Aishwarya Rai’s hometown.

Heliconia, which is commonly known as ‘lobster-claw’ or ‘wild plantain’ and is native to tropical America and the Pacific Ocean islands, is mainly grown for ornamental use.

Presently, Phillip supplies the plant to most cities in India.

“We are the main suppliers for the Heliconia in India and major growers and exporters. We are supplying to North India as well as to the southern parts of India…Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, mostly to Delhi also…Actually, we are just waiting for cold storage facilities at Kochi Airport. After that , we will be able to export,” said Phillip.

Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai got engaged in January this year. The exact date of their marriage is being kept a close guarded secret, though the media has speculated that it could be some time in March or April.

The gorgeous Aishwarya Rai has confirmed teaming up with Bollywood mega superstar Amitabh Bachchan and fiancé Abhishek Bachchan for the sequel of Sarkar.

It has been confirmed that Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai are teaming up for the first time for a whole film, Ram Gopal Varma’s sequel to “Sarkar”.

“News travels fast! Yes, it’s true Aishwarya has agreed to be a part of ‘Sarkar’ 2. We only need to work out her dates. She’ll of course play the lead opposite Abhishek,” Ram Gopal Verma said.

Considering how much in the news the pair is, Varma has got quite a winning combination on his hands.

Laughs the filmmaker: “I don’t think that’s the primary motivation for my casting Aishwarya. You see, I’ve been meaning to work with her for some time. Who doesn’t want to work with Aishwarya Rai? But the vehicle has to be worthy of her presence.

“I did approach her on a few occasions earlier. Things didn’t work out. I’m glad she’s on finally.”

‘Sarkar 2’ which will carry forward the story of the ‘Godfather’ – like political clan will now have Abhishek playing the messianic saviour of the downtrodden.

The Bachchan senior has confirmed that he would have comparatively less to do in the sequel to “Sarkar”. But knowing Varma’s passionate proclivity for the Big B’s histrionics there’s bound to be more of Amitabh than it would outwardly appear possible.

“I can’t say right now how much scope the three main stars will have in ‘Sarkar 2’. But Amitji, Abhishek and Aishwarya are going to be seen in a light not cast before,” revealed Varma, who has just directed Bachchan in Nishabd.