SPECIAL FEATURE: AISHWARYA RAI
A Radio Sargam Special

Aishwarya Rai's international movie career has the world talking. The beautiful Indian actress has been hitting the headlines ever since she announced receiving attention from major Hollywood producers. Her first steps in the right direction was bagging British director Gurinder Chadha's big budget musical Bride and Prejudice. As the title suggests, the film is based on the classic novel Pride and Prejudice. It features an International cast, headed by Aishwarya Rai opposite Hollywood star Martin Henderson. The likes of Anupam Kher, Namrata Shirodkar and Sonali Kulkarni also feature. Trailers for the much-awaited movie have already started showing in UK cinemas and created lots of buzz. However, although the filming is now complete, Bride and Prejudice will not release until November 2004.

Luckily that hasn't stopped Aishwarya starting work on her next International assignment. Discussions are being finalised for the movie ‘Chaos', which will begin filming in September 2004. Aishwarya apparently plays a prostitute who is badly beaten by street thugs and finds support from a female stranger. The film is an English language remake of director Coline Serreau's critically-acclaimed French drama, also titled Chaos. This time around Aishwarya is lucky enough to share screen time with the veteran actress Meryl Streep.

Undoubtedly Aishwarya has a very bright future and promises to become Bollywood's biggest ambassador in Hollywood. "There are a lot of seniors (Indians) who have worked internationally. If I can contribute to that movement that means putting Indian women in the international pulpit,” Aishwarya comments. "Since I have achieved a certain position here, it doesn't mean I can accept any kind of role. It means I have to reinstate the faith that my people, Indians, all over the world have in me. So, on that basis, I choose my roles internationally."

The New Year has also started with new rumours for Aishwarya. The international media have been gossiping about the Bollywood superstar being approached for the next James Bond movie. Some have even suggested that Aishwarya has met leading man Pierce Brosnan and agreed to the role as long as a body double is used for the more risqué scenes. These rumours have been circulating for some time now but have always been denied by Aishwarya as well as her American agents.

“The story is totally untrue and has been created in hopes of selling newspapers,” Simone Sheffield of Canyon entertainment (Aishwarya's US agency) told the media. ‘‘Ash did not see Pierce Brosnan at a party in Hollywood or agree to do anything with a body double. She's not the next Bond girl. As a matter of fact, Ash has been filming on remote Indian locations for the past six weeks without any telephone contact and much less she could be at a party with Pierce. 'We are in negotiations now for Ash to star with Brenden Fraiser in 'Singularity' for director Roland Joffe of Warner Brothers. Details would be given when it is a done deal'', she said.

Luckily Aishwarya has not forgotten her Bollywood roots. She recently appeared in Khakee alongside the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgan and Akshay Kumar. There have been rumours she's sending feelers to Sanjay Leela Bhansali about returning to the cast of Bajirao Mastani too, but her agents are quick to deny this, stating: "Ash said she is absolutely not doing this film". However fans can also watch her in future films such as Kyon, Ho Gaya Na (alongside Amitabh Bachchan once again and also her reported boyfriend Vivek Oberoi), Rituparno Ghosh's Raincoat (she recently started filming alongside Ajay Devgan), and also the Imax film Taj Mahal, which will release in 2005.

WRITTEN BY ROBEEL HAQ