Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan at Cannes opening

Once she is back in India, Rai said she would continue work on her latest film, the 16th-century royal love story "Jodha-Akbar." The Cannes Film Festival runs to May 27.

Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan at Cannes opening

Rai was in the audience - and on the red carpet - for Wednesday's opening-night festival screening of Wong Kar-wai's "My Blueberry Nights," but said she hoped to return to her vacation by the weekend.

Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan at Cannes opening

Rai, 31, a former Miss World, interrupted her honeymoon for a flying visit to the Cannes Film Festival. She is in the French Riviera resort as part of the team of models for cosmetics company L'Oreal.

Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan at Cannes opening

"This is the first travel where people start calling you, 'Hello Mrs. Bachchan, good evening,"' Rai said Wednesday. "I've maybe done a double take at times, but pleasantly so, it makes us smile, so it's been good," she said.

Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan at Cannes opening

Bollywood icon Aishwarya Rai is a household name in many countries. Now the actress, who married fellow film star Abhishek Bachchan last month, is getting used to a new moniker.

Abhishek to only do a cameo in Laaga Chunari…

Will Abhishek's presence in Pradeep Sarkar's Laaga Chunari Mein Daag be billed as 'guest appearance'? The buzz is that Abhishek agreed to do what looks like an extended cameo only because of his long association with Yashraj films.

In fact, earlier Abhishek agreed to do Dhoom 2 only because he didn't want to break up the Dhoom team.

Says a source, "No one says no to Aditya Chopra, and Abhishek accepted Dhoom 2 knowing fully well that the role would be far more timid as compared with Hrithik's. And now in Laaga Chunari Mein Daag Abhishek's does an extended cameo. It's still not decided if Abhishek will be billed a guest appearance by Yashraj Films for Laaga Chunari Mein Daag. But the film belongs to the ladies Jaya Bachchan, Rani and Konkana. The men –Anupam, Kunal Kapoor and Abhishek—are at best, supporting characters."

Incidentally, Abhishek joins Rani for the shooting of Laaga Chunari Mein Daag in June after his honeymoon.

Rani anticipates no awkwardness, and so what if she wasn't invited for the wedding? "It doesn't matter whether I was at the wedding or not. I wish Abhishek and Ash all the best. I know how hard it is for an actress to work so hard and still find the right person to love. I'm looking forward to Abhishek joining me for Laga Chunari…All his scenes are with me. I'm sure we'll have a ball," Rani told a friend.

Aishwarya, Abhishek in Tirupathi

 

Abhishek, Aishwarya in Tirupathi

 

Abhishek, Aishwarya in Tirupathi

 

The Big Fat Ash-Abhishek wedding

With Abhi-Ash's not-so-ordinary wedding just around the corner, the buzz outside Prateeksha, the famous Bachchan residence, has reached a fever pitch. From excited fans to the media, everybody is snooping outside the main gate to get a glimpse of what's happening inside.

Abhishek Bachchan, the scion of Bollywood's first family, and Aishwarya Rai, one of the most beautiful women in the world, who got engaged in January following the premiere of their film "Guru", are set to tie the knot in the presence of close family members and friends at the Bachchan bungalow in the posh locality of Juhu, Mumbai.

No stone is being left unturned by the Bachchans for the upcoming nuptials.

From the 16-page gold-embossed wedding card to the Z-grade security ring with 300 guards and rumoured swipe cards for entry, the minutiae of the celebrity event have plunged all into a tizzy.

Though the April 20 wedding date has neither been confirmed nor denied by the two families concerned, ongoing hectic preparations are proof that the mega wedding is going to take place as scheduled.

The two Bachchan bungalows - Prateeksha and Jalsa - now resemble well-guarded fortresses and workers can be seen constructing the mandap (dais) within the bungalow premises.

The ceremonies are set to start from April 18 with mehndi (henna), followed by sangeet (music) the next day. According to reliable sources, a special kind of mehndi has been ordered for the ceremony, like the one brought by Liz Hurley for her marriage with Arun Nayar last month.

Aishwarya will wear a traditional hand-embroidered sari with intricate gold work on her wedding day, said the actor's favorite designer in an interview published on Tuesday.

Neeta Lulla said, she designed the sari and a red and gold embroidered flowing skirt and cropped blouse for the actor to wear at a "mehendi'' ceremony on Wednesday. In Indian weddings, mehendi, or henna, is applied in elaborate tattoos on the bride's hands and legs.

Lulla told Mumbai-based newspaper that while she had designed some of Rai's outfits, the actor would also wear a sari created by famous Indian designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla.

A red and blue air-conditioned tent with huge mirrors is being readied in a garden adjoining the Bachchan's suburban family home for what is billed as India's "wedding of the year.''

The sangeet preparations are apparently entrusted to Abhishek's sister Shweta Nanda. Shweta's friends are queuing up to her, as they want to perform to the song "Kajra-re" from "Bunty Aur Babli" for the ceremony..

Ace choreographer Sandeep Soparker has been roped in to teach dance steps to Abhishek's friends for the occasion Both Rai and Bachchan have been practicing a dance routine they plan to perform before a selected group of relatives and friends during a musical ceremony on Thursday, the daily said.

Security has been beefed up to 'Z' grade and over 300 guards are deployed to tackle any eventuality, like gatecrashers or crazy fans breaking in. Rumour has it that the guests will have to use swipe cards for entry.

Some last-minute invitees are being included in the guest list, this time from the bride's side. The wedding card along with boxes of cookies-chocolates is now being dashed off to the bride's filmmaker-friends along with a personal request from the bride to be, her mother or her secretary.

The wedding is going to be a close-knit affair as Amitabh's mother Teji Bachchan is ailing. Invitees have been sworn to secrecy about the wedding details and also about the contents and look of the wedding card, the dress code etc.

"The fact is every guest is under an unwritten oath of secrecy. We aren't even allowed to talk about the wedding among ourselves. I'm not even discussing it with my wife.

We're being offered money by sections of the media to divulge details. One newspaper, which wanted to be shown the wedding card, even offered me the equivalent of what I make for five days of shooting. I naturally refused," said an invitee.

Among those invited are director Yash Chopra, filmmaker Karan Johar, industrialist Anil Ambani and influential politician friends of the Bachchan family.

"I have not been invited to the wedding. Regardless, I wish the couple best," Shah Rukh Khan told Mumbai tabloid .

"The Bachchans have asked us to keep this wedding a private issue and therefore we are maintaining silence," said actor Suniel Shetty, who has been invited to the exclusive function.

Media reports said that jewellery for the Ash had been specially brought from eastern Kolkata city, while henna used to decorate the bride's hands came from Rajasthan state. The bride will also receive famed silk saris from the city of Varanasi, in northern Uttar Pradesh state.

The wedding card is embossed in gold and personally signed by the groom's father Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya's parents.

Gregarious pals of the Bachchans, like Karan Johar, have retreated into a shell, pretending to be immersed in work or shooting to avoid talking about the wedding.

Abhi, Aish in London

With just a few weeks to go for their marriage, what are Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai doing in London?

Over the weekend, Ash and Abhi were in Malaysia where they performed at Zee Cine Awards. Now they have flown to London for another important event.

The couple will grace the premiere of Aishwarya’s much-awaited movie Provoked on Tuesday evening at the Empire Theatre, in Leicester Square. ‘Provoked’ is set for a worldwide release on the coming Friday.

The organizers have reportedly made special arrangements for Abhi and Ash’s stay in London. The couple might stay an extra day after the premiere to do some shopping for their wedding on April 20.

Sources say Aishwarya will continue to shoot for Ashutosh Gowarikar’s movie Jodha Akbar until a few days before the wedding.

‘Provoked’ is based on a real story of a Punjabi woman in the UK who suffered physical and mental abuse at the hands of her husband. Tired of torture, she killed her husband one day and was sent to prison, where, she said, she found freedom.

The movie was first screened at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, which was attended by Ash, director Jagmohan Mundhra , and Kiranjit Ahluwalia, whose story the film is.

Salman Khan invited to Abhishek-Ash wedding reception?

Rumour has it that Salman Khan has been invited to the wedding reception of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai .

While the Abhi-Ash wedding will strictly be a private affair (with relatives and close friends of the Bachchans and Rais), a large number of Bollywood celebrities are expected to attend the reception. And reports have it that Salman Khan, Aishwarya’s ex-flame, has also been invited.

According to the buzz, it was Amitabh Bachchan himself who called Salman’s father Salim Khan (who co-wrote scripts for many Bachchan films) and invited the entire Khan family to the reception.

Vivek Oberoi , another ex-boyfriend of Aishwarya, has reportedly not received invitation either from the Rais or the Bachchans.

It is also learnt that Salman Khan is planning to gift Abhishek a specially tailored Sherwani as the wedding gift.

Abhishek thinks Big B’s acting in 'Nishabd' better than 'Black'

Amitabh Bachchan has once again surprised his fans with his superb performance in Nishabd .

Bachchan’s performance in Ram Goal Varma ’s film is very unconventional by Bollywood standards. He has no punchy dialogues, no long monologues and no passion-filled spiels. Big B’s character in the film is very realistic and so is his performance.

Terse dialogues are punctuated by long silences in which camera lingers on Bachchan’s facial expressions. Just by a single expression, Big B brings out a series of thoughts his character may be going through. It is a performance of great control and equanimity.

Abhishek Bachchan , who had some apprehensions about the movie when he saw the rushes months back, was reportedly moved to tears by Big B’s performance after a special screening of the film last week.

So much that Abhi thinks his dad’s performance in ‘Nishabd’ is better than in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black .

“He (Abhishek) feels my performance in Nishabd is better than Black. Abhishek made an interesting observation. He said I had huge props in Black. In Nishabd I performed without any,” Mr. Bachchan is quoted as saying by a Mumbai-based tabloid.

Abhishek was not the only one. Even filmmaker Ravi Chopra was deeply moved after watching the film.

Source:

Double celebration for Abhishek as 'Guru' completes 50 days

It is time for celebrations to continue as Bachchan household as two of the films starring Abhishek Bachchan has achieved a box office milestone.

While 'Dhoom 2' would be completing 100 days this weekend, 'Guru' too has entered in its 8th week hence completing 50 days at dozens of centers. While for 'Dhoom 2', the credit has gone to Hrithik Roshan in a major way, for 'Guru' Abhishek Bachchan can stake the claim for coming in his own and deliver a superlative performance.

This Mani Ratnam film has already netted more than 40 crores and still showing promise of a few more weeks at the theaters before the film's original DVDs and VCDs hit the stands.

Source: IndiaGlitz

The pleasant surprise for Abhishek Bachchan

Mega superstar Amitabh Bachchan gave his son Abhishek Bachchan a pleasant surprise on his birthday on Monday.

Bachchan surprised Abhishek with a Rs 1.7 crore white Bentley car as a gift.

Abhishek’s lady love the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai , who was unable to go to Bikaner to usher in the birthday, was present at the Chhatrapati Shivaji airport with a bouquet to greet him on his arrival in Mumbai.

Abhishek later went for a drive in the new car with Ash and soon after drove back to the Bachchan residence in suburban Juhu.

Ash's gift, if any besides a bouquet, remains a guarded secret.

"Her gift to Abhishek is too personal and confidential," Ash's secretary Hari Singh said.

Earlier, Bachchan along with Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh flew to Junagarh Fort in Rajasthan where Abhishek was shooting his forthcoming film Drona , to cut the birthday cake at midnight.

"I have been coming to Rajasthan on and off for various reasons. This time, however, I am here to celebrate Abhishek's birthday," Bachchan told reporters at Nall airport.

After getting off the chartered flight from Mumbai, Bachchan went directly to the hotel where his son and other members of the crew were staying, and spent the rest of the day watching the film shoot, the sources said.

The local fan club had made a beeline at the airport on hearing that the megastar was coming.

Jaya Bachchan and Ash could not join them there but were able to meet Abhishek as he returned to Mumbai by evening.

When asked about why Ash did not join Abhishek at Junagarh on the 'D' day, Singh refused to comment saying it was a personal matter.

Abhishek Bachchan on Guru

Abhishek Bachchan obviously needs to introduction. His film Guru where he plays the title role is all set to hit the screens this Friday and IndiaFM caught up with him in an exclusive interview where he spoke about the film, on working with Mani Ratnam, his co-stars and a whole lot more.

This is your second movie with Mr. Mani Ratnam, how was your experience with him?
Working with Mani is always a great experience. According to me, he is possibly the most gifted and talented director that we have in India today. He is a great ambassador to Indian cinema, and just to get the opportunity to stand in front of his camera is a matter of great pride and honour for any actor. I know a lot of actors who strive to work with him. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to do two films with him already.

What is Guru all about?
Guru is about Guru. I think the poster has brilliant lines. It says a villager, visionary, winner. It is the life story of Gurukant Desai. It is a rag to riches story of a common man from a small village who has a large dream- a huge dream and how he sets about achieving it. It is a very interesting film. After a long time, we are going to get to see a film which is specifically about just one character and its growth.

You are playing Gurukant Desai. Tell us something about this role, and how did you get into this character?
I guess Gurukant Desai is from a small village in Gujarat, how he leads his small village in the chase of his dreams. He finishes his studies and comes to Mumbai. Gurukant’s greatest ability is that he never says No. He never gives up and he will do whatever it takes to achieve his goal. Once he has decided he wants to achieve something he will do whatever it is to achieve it.

As the film’s promotion line says, “the most controversial man of the year”, tell us something about that. What is the controversy in the film?
There is no controversy in the film; it is just that Gurukant Desai, through the screenplay of the film ends up being very controversial because when you start achieving what you have set out to achieve. He ruffles a few feathers; people who have already established and who rule the country are not really happy with this common man who has come out of nowhere and who is achieving stuff that even they have not managed to achieve. Especially when he achieves it in a span of five years which they have taken generations to achieve.

So obviously, when there is a new entrant into a field who starts doing very well, the people at the top do not like it. So, hence, there is a huge campaign to try and bring him down. The authorities do not believe how somebody can have such a meteoric rise and they do not want this man to succeed. Hence he is always dragged into the controversy which is a bit sad because in life when something does have a meteoric rise, we do not tend to believe it. Gurukant Desai is one such a character who does achieve and does achieve very fast through his sheer hard work and brilliance. Hence he turns out to become a very controversial figure, so the tagline, “the most controversial man of the year.”

What is the one thing you like about this character?
I like the fact that despite achieving whatever he achieves near the end of his life where he has conquered all his dreams; he still has never lost that small town boy in him; you can still see that villager within him. In other words, he stays very routed to where he is from. He remembers where he is from and I like that about him. I think it is very important, no matter who you are, where you come from or what you have achieved to remain routed.

I like his brilliance. I think he is a brilliant mind, the schemes he devises when he faces to the problem, how he decides to tackle that problem, he does it all on his feet and he is very fast and he is a brilliant mind, I like his mind.

So is that the reason you took up the film?
I think that first and foremost, when a director like Mani Ratnam offers you a film; I do not think any actor has to really bother about what the role is going to be. It just so happened that when Mani came to me with the film I knew that it is going to be a great character like this. Guru is a film, which actors do not get everyday. I am pretty convinced that I will never get a movie or a character like Guru ever again. It is once in a lifetime opportunity and there was no way I was going to let that up.

We spoke to Mani Ratnam and he said that you have put on the weight for your character, is it true?
What does it like? Yes, I put on eleven kilos for the film.

Do you like experimenting with your characters?
I think experimentation derives from what you want to do. We do not experiment. We are actors and we enact a role. Gurukant Desai is a different role than what Jay Dixit was in Dhoom. They look different, they are different people. So you will have to do whatever it takes to make that character as believable as possible. I think if I would have put a white wig and white moustache and put on padding all over myself, it would take away from the believability factor of Guru.

Yes and it looks very artificial.
Yes, we are actors. We are meant to mould ourselves to what the character demands and Guru demanded all this, so we did it.

A. R Rehman’s has done its music. Tell us something about it?
A. R Rehman is a genius. He is a maestro and I think he is an exceptional talent and he has given some wonderful music for Guru.

Which is your favourite track?
My favourite track would probably be Tere Bina.

How was it working with Aishwarya Rai, Madhavan, Vidya Balan and Mithunda?
It was wonderful. Look at the star cast that Mani had put together. Any actor is going to be excited to work with Mithunda, Aishwarya, Vidya and with Madhavan. They all are immensely talented actors and as actors and actresses. They have achieved so much. So it is obviously a dream to get a star cast like this to work with.

What is the USP according to you of Guru? What do you think why should people come and watch Guru?
Because they want to. It is wrong to say what the USP of the film is because there in itself you defeat the purpose of the film. I think that a film has to entertain you. That is the most important thing and you cannot have one unique selling point of a film. Why should people come and watch the film? They should come and watch Guru if they want to watch the film. It is as simple as that. They should not come and watch the film, because it has some fantastic songs. It is a nice star cast and the costumes are good. They should come watch it because they want to watch it.

What is the first thing comes to your mind, when I say Guru?
The movie. Nowadays whenever anybody says Guru I think of the film.

Tell us something about your other film.

I am currently shooting for a movie called Drona, which is directed by my friend Goldie Behl but the next release after Guru, would probably be Jhoom Barabar Jhoom which is directed by Shaad Ali. After I finish Drona, I will start work on Sarkar and take things forward from there.

Hello I am Abhishek Bachchan

Toronto mayor David Miller has personally invited Abhishek Bachchan and the star cast of ‘Guru’ for the world premiere of the film ‘Guru’- India 's first mainstream international premiere in Canada.

Says Mayor Mr. David Miller, “It's a pleasure to host the world premiere of ‘Guru’ in Toronto. This presentation represents a landmark event for the city of Toronto and all of Canada. It is an unprecedented occasion for the city to have film artists of the stature of Mani Ratnam, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, along with the producer Bobby Bedi choose to premiere this major film outside of India. That they would select our city is an indication of the high regard Indian filmmakers have for Toronto. This is an opportunity to bring Indian Cinema to a larger appreciative audience and, at the same time, to further develop economic, creative and personal ties between our two countries."

Abhishek Bachchan, who plays the main protagonist in the film seemed pretty excited about ‘Guru’ being the first film to be premiered in Canada. Says Abhishek, “Hello, I'm Abhishek Bachchan. You have always come to see my movies and now its time to come and see you. Join me for the world premiere of my film ‘Guru’ in Toronto, Jan 11, 2007 . See you there!!”

The organizers are expecting around 10,000 people to line up the street for a glimpse of the Abhishek Bachchan and Aiswarya Rai for the red carpet premiere in true Hollywood style.

The film opens in theaters Canadawide Cineplex, AMC and Empire January 12th, 2007

Source: Indiaglitz