Aishwarya with daughter Aaradhya

Aishwarya Rai slashes her fee for Heroine

Considering the poor show of Bollywood flicks at Box Office in 2011, B-town’s light-eyed beauty Aishwarya Rai has cut down on her fee for Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Heroine’, as the actress will be sharing profits with Arjun Rampal, Madhur Bhandarkar and UTV. Apparently, UTV Motion Pictures, Bhandarkar Entertainment, filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar and the lead stars of ‘Heroine’ have consciously taken a decision to stick to a budget of Rs 18 crore. Madhur Bhandarkar is known for keeping a strict watch on the budget of his film so far. ‘Fashion’ was made in less than Rs 15 crore. However, with Aishwarya and Arjun Rampal in lead and other three stars yet to be signed for ‘Heroine’, keeping a tight cap on the budget is going to be a tough decision. Said a source, “Every actor including Aishwarya Rai, Arjun Rampal and even Madhur Bhandarkar himself have slashed their fee.” “It’s a sensible business decision. Ash and Arjun will be sharing the profits of the film. They are confident of ‘Heroine’s’ prospects at the Box Office,” added the source.

Siddharth Roy Kapoor, CEO, UTV Motion Pictures said, “We have worked very successfully with Madhur in the past. Getting a film made within the right budget is crucial to insuring its commercial success. On ‘Heroine’ too, we have insured the same.”

‘Heroine’ was announced at Cannes Film Festival 2011.

Designers admire Aishwarya’s Cannes outfit

It’s thumbs up from designers for Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai who walked the red carpet in a beige one-shoulder Elie Sahab outfit on the opening day of the 64th Cannes International Film Festival. "I think Aishwarya’s outfit is very elegant and trendy. Its very sophisticated and reflects maturity. I would say it’s the perfect mix of east and west," designer Leena Singh of designer duo Ashima-Leena said. The actress completed her look with her hair tied up, simple earrings and Jimmy Choo clutch bag in her hand. Aishwarya has been attending the French film festival since 2002 as the global face of L’Oreal. Last year, the actress wore a violet blue fully embroidered tulle and mousseline gown, which also belonged to Lebanese designer Elie Saab’s fashion house. The designers feels that the 37-year-old actress’s stylish and classic look this year is much better than her previous ones.

"She is looking great. It seems she has lost a lot of weight and looks more fitter. It is definitely a better option than her previous outfit she wore on Cannes last year. It’s classic and stylised," said designer Charu Parasher.

Designer Alpana of Alpana-Neeraj echoed a similar view. "I think she has been wise with her pick this time. The colour, the work and her hairdo are taken care of in the right manner. The minimalistic approach makes her look young. And definiteley she looks far better than the previous years," said Alpana.

While Aishwarya’s hair was tied up, designer Reena Dhaka feels that the former beauty queen should have left her hair open. "It is very much of the 90s look, which is in fashion. I wish she would have let her hair down. I like her more in that," said Dhaka. Designer Pravesh of Pravesh and Jai says, "She has done full justice to the outfit."

Actress Minissha Lamba also walked the red carpet Wednesday in a one shoulder gown designed by Gauri and Nainika. Minissha was in Cannes to attend the premiere of Woody Allen’s "Midnight in Paris".

This year Bollywood will have a strong presence at the Cannes fest, which started Wednesday. Apart from Aishwarya and Minissha, actresses like Sonam Kapoor, Frieda Pinto, and actor Saif Ali Khan will be walking the red carpet at various events. The festival will end May 22.

Aishwarya Rai to launch her own fashion line

Actresses at some point in their career turn to experiment with other business opportunities. Lara Dutta recently turned into a producer also actress Amisha Patel launched her own production house. Similarly some of them have gone into the restraint business such as Shilpa Shetty. But the Bachchan Bahu as always has an idea which stands out from everyone else. She wants to launch her signature fashion line like many Hollywood celebrities. Said a source, "A few years ago, Ash was approached by some fashion houses abroad to be the face of their brand, or be associated with them at some level, but she had declined. Now, some big names from Europe are looking at a partnership with her. However, it is unclear if Ash will go for a joint venture or launch her own fashion line. She is keen to launch her exclusive fashion line that will travel globally. Whether it will it be prêt or haute couture, or Indian or Western is still up in the air."

Aishwarya confirmed, "I have plans. I have a multiple connected idea and it’s something I will definitely get into. I’ve wanted to do this for a decade, but I had put my plans on a backburner, and now I better get my act together. I always want to give my hundred per cent and more to everything that I do. There was so much happening around me that I had kept it on hold."

The bollywood beauty has made a mark on the international fashion front with her perfect dress sense, make up and styling at various international red carpet events. So, if she comes up with her own fashion line, we hope, it’s going to fascinate the people worldwide.

Aishwarya, Sonam, Frieda to dazzle at Cannes

Three Indian actresses - Aishwarya Rai, Sonam Kapoor and Freida Pinto - will walk the red carpet at Cannes this year on different ocassions. Aishwarya, a regular at the prestigious gala for last 10 years, feels with "both beautiful women" India will have a "stronger presence". "Several countries have always had more than one L’Oreal Paris spokeswoman at Cannes and I'm glad India is finally getting the same recognition. I am happy that with Sonam and Freida, both beautiful women, being invited to the festival this year, India will have a stronger presence, which is a clear sign of the growing importance of the country," said Aishwarya.

Aishwarya, who celebrates a decade of representing L’Oreal Paris at Cannes, will walk the red carpet at the opening ceremony of 64th Cannes International Film Festival May 11. She will also attend the opening gala cocktail and dinner. She is scheduled to attend various events the next day.

"Being at Cannes for L’Oreal Paris has been an absolute pleasure and to experience this for the 10th consecutive year has been quite overwhelming," she said.

The three Indian beauties will represet India for cosmetic brand L’Oreal Paris at Cannes and for the first time the brand is taking three spokeswomen representing India to the event.

L’Oreal Paris has been the official make-up artist of the festival for 14 years and this is the first year Freida and Sonam will represent it at Cannes.

Sonam, who will walk the red carpet May 15, said: "It has always been my dream to walk the red carpet at Cannes and it is soon going to be a reality thanks to L’Oreal Paris. I look forward to meeting actors and filmmakers from the world over and attending screenings of some interesting films. But what excites me the most is meeting the L’Oreal Paris international dream team of make-up artistes and seeing how they transform me for one of the most glamorous red carpets in the world."

Freida will represent L’Oreal at the amfAR (The American Foundation for AIDS Research) dinner and after-party May 19. The event, co-sponsored by the brand, aims at raising money for the fight against AIDS.

"It is every actor’s dream to attend this festival but I am especially privileged as I also get to lend my support to an important cause by attending the amfAR dinner when I’m there," said Frieda.

L’Oreal will introduce its first dream team of three renowned make-up artists - Karim Rahman, Billy B and Rie Omoto - who will design exclusive make-up looks for all the spokeswomen, jury members and actresses.

Other L’Oreal spokespeople attending Cannes this year are Cheryl Cole, Eva Longoria, Gwen Stefani, Claudia Schiffer, Patrick Dempsey, Diane Kruger, Jane Fonda, Milla Jovovich, Aimee Mullins, Laetitia Casta, Paz Vega, Fan Binging, Ximena Navarrete, Zhang Zilin, Ines de la Fressange, Gong Li, Doutzen Kroes and Li Bing Bing.

Aishwarya Rai to go solo at Cannes Festival

After four years of marriage and an equal number of headline grabbing appearances on the French Riviera, Aishwarya Rai will be going solo at the Cannes red carpet this time. The Bollywood beauty won’t have Abhishek on her arm this time around as he will be busy shooting in Russia. "I can’t go this year to Cannes with Aishwarya. We were there together last year to promote ‘Raavan’ but this year I will be shooting in Russia that time," said Abhishek. This will be the actress’ tenth consecutive Cannes outing and Abhishek is proud of the achievement. "I am very proud of her. I think she is the only Indian actress to have that," said the 35-year-old actor. The couple made their debut at the coveted film festival in 2007, while Aishwarya’s first appearance was in 2002 with her ‘Devdas’ co-star Shah Rukh Khan.

Aishwarya Rai proud of Sachin and Team India

Overwhelmed after India won the World Cup after 28 years, bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai is proud of Team India and Sachin Tendulkar. "Delirious with joy…screamed hoarse…Love India and Love India Team…Full power and God Bless…and much love to Sachin…So So Happy…Team India is the BESSSTT," Aishwarya said in a SMS released by her publicist. India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in the World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium yesterday to lift the World Cup for the second time after 1983.

Aishwarya Rai to honour Hugh Jackman

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai will present a memento to Hollywood star Hugh Jackman at the FICCI-FRAMES 2011 annual convention on the business aspects of the entertainment and media industry on March 23-25. The 37-year-old star will honour Jackman on the final day of the event. Aishwarya, an internationally known actress, was asked by FICCI and its entertainment committee’s co-chair, filmmaker Karan Johar, to attend the function and present Jackman with a memento of appreciation.

The 42 year old, Jackman, has played a variety of roles in Hollywood and is well known for his role as Wolverine in the popular "X Men" series.

Siddharth Kapur preferring Aishwarya over Vidya

Vidya Balan may not be happy with this news. Rumours have it that Vidya’s ‘boyfriend’ and UTV’s head honcho Siddharth Roy Kapur is very keen to make a film with Aishwarya Rai. The story of his film is reportedly very similar to his girlfriend’s film. Vidya and Siddharth have been an item for sometime now. So it is expected that Sid would cast his girlfriend in his film. But being the professional that he is, he feels Aishwarya and not Vidya would be apt for the film which is to be directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. Said a trade source, “Madhur Bhandarkar had almost shelved Heroine. He even told this to a senior journalist over a cup of coffee on March 2 that he wasn’t keen to make this film because Milan Luthria’s making The Dirty Picture(starring Vidya in the lead) that’s also set against the backdrop of the film industry.

Madhur felt it would be a bit much to have two films releasing around the same time with similar subjects." However UTV bosses, Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur, were of the different opinion and want Madhur to continue working on Heroine. The team has earlier produced superhit film ‘Fashion’. Sources have added, "It is Siddharth who even spoke to Aishwarya Rai asking her whether she would meet Madhur for a basic narration of Heroine."

Now, with Aish and Vidya playing similar roles, one has to wait and watch which film would do well at the box office. And more importantly, which film would Sid like to watch, his own film or his girlfriend’s film.

Aishwarya Rai plays lead role in Heroine

Queen of bollywood Aishwarya Rai has finally pipped Katrina Kaif and won the lead role in Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Heroine’. It is believed that Madhur has already met Aishwarya along with his UTV producer Siddharth Roy Kapoor. Buzz has it that Aishwarya loved the subject and the rest of the modalities are being worked out. After Kareena Kapoor refused to do the film, Katrina Kaif and Aishwarya Rai were the top two contenders for the lead role in the film. Said a source, “Madhur Bhandarkar is known for his realistic cinema and has been fairly successful at that. He had finalised Kareena Kapoor for the lead role of ‘Heroine’ however Kareena had some reservations about the love making scenes and she opted out of the film. Ever since there has been speculations that who will star in the film. Recently there were talks that Madhur is speaking to both Katrina and Aishwarya Rai for the film but it is Aishwarya Rai who was always on the director’s mind.”

Added the source, “Madhur has also reworked on the script to suit Aishwarya Rai as it has been a long unfulfilled dream of Madhur to work with her. The meeting happened last evening and the deal has more or less been sealed. The finances have to be worked out with UTV who are co-producing the film with Madhur.”

Aishwarya and Katrina fighting for Bhandarkar’s Heroine

It’s a battle between Salman Khan’s ex-girlfriends as Aishwarya Rai and Katrina Kaif are two top contenders to play Marilyn Monroe in Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Heroine’. Bollywood was abuzz with rumours that UTV, the producer of the film, was keen on Aishwarya to play the lead role in the film. However, to make the things more interesting, the producers have now decided to include Katrina Kaif in the fray. Heroine- is now a toss-up between Aishwarya and Katrina. The film will go on floors as soon as either of them is finalized. The rest of the cast is not going to be too difficult to put together. Apparently, Madhur Bhandarkar had decided to shelve the film when his first choice, Kareena Kapoor, backed out at last minute. “Yes, he had put it off. In fact, he was very, very disappointed that Kareena could not come to terms with the role,” said the source.

However, with the current development in ‘Heroine’, the source added, “Everything is okay. Both Aishwarya and Katrina are fine actresses. Both can do ample justice to the role, which requires a lot of style and character as well. Bhandarkar and UTV took a joint decision to revive the project and short-list Aishwarya and Katrina as the options for the lead role. The decision was taken as the film’s script is extremely hard-hitting and such a story is just waiting to be told.”

Meanwhile, a source close to Madhur Bhandarkar said, “After the moderate success of ‘Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji’, he is considering venturing into other genres like comedy and action as well. He is also keen to revive Heroine with UTV but he is yet to give them a green signal.”

Aishwarya Rai sparkles at Oscar Awards

Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai added some Indian glamour to the Oscars with an on-trend shimmery number at the 83rd Academy Awards where sequins dominated the red carpet. The 37-year-old actress sparkled in a bronze Giorgio Armani Prive gown with rows of amber sequins and beaded detail at the waist, while husband Abhishek Bachchan stuck to a traditional black tuxedo. The actress teamed the shimmery gown with a Jimmy Choo clutch, vintage jewellery and smoky eyes. Like Abhishek, musician A R Rahman who walked the red carpet with wife Saira, too wore a tuxedo while his partner chose a flamboyant fusion ensemble consisting of a golden sherwani and cigarette pants. Like Saira and Ash, the shimmer trend was followed by Gwnyeth Paltrow, who wore a gold Calvin Klein number and Halle Berry who stole the show in a nude sparkling number by Marchesa.

Hilary Swank’s glistening silver Gucci column gave way to a romantic ostrich feather skirt, while the sparkling bodice of Mandy Moore’s romantic Monique L’Hullier dress appeared to have been sprayed on.

Shimmering nude was also an age-appropriate choice for 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld, nominated for her role in ‘True Grit’, who won a Fifties-style dress by Marchesa.

While Celine Dion, wore a full-sleeved silver column dress, Amy Adams added a pop of colour to the red carpet with a sequinned navy gown by L’Wren Scott, which she teamed with green accesories.

Other than the sparkle, another major trend was the resurgence of the red carpet favourite, voluminous red gowns.

The bustled creations worn by Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Hudson, and Sandra Bullock, were in the same traffic-stopping hue of red. Penelope Cruz too showed off her post-pregnancy bod with a sequinned red gown by L’Wren Scott.

And while black remained a popular choice, with famously eccentric British star Helena Bonham Carter opting for it, there were some surprises from Cate Blanchett who wore an lavender Givenchy Haute Couture gown with yellow embellishment, and an unusual purple-burgundy hue seen on both Natalie Portman, in Rodarte, and Scarlett Johansson in Dolce and Gabbana.

Abhishek-Aishwarya to attend Oscars

Bollywood’s one of the most loved couple – Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai have been invited by the Academy to grace the glittering Oscars Award ceremony on Sunday. Buzz has it that the beautiful couple, Abhi and Ash, are busy shopping in Los Angeles these days for the duo wants to make a conspicuous red carpet show. Apparently, Jr Bachchan and his beautiful wife Aishwarya are one of the few Indian celebrities attending the prestigious awards this year. Amitabh Bachchan is ecstatic about the news of beta-bahu gracing the Oscars 2011. Big B posted on his blog, “Abhishek and Aishwarya have been invited by the Academy to attend the Oscars on Sunday.”

The Bollywood megastar also informed that Abhishek and Aishwarya will join American actor Warren Beatty, whom they met during their shopping spree at Los Angeles.

Aishwarya Rai on Vogue cover once again

Bollywood diva Aishwarya Rai has made it to the cover of Vogue for the third time, sporting an all black feathered look. The magazine carries interesting tidbits on the former beauty queen from 10 men who know her well. The magazine has spoken to people including Ash’s husband Abhishek Bachchan, designer Manish Malhotra, director Ashutosh Gowariker and ace make-up artist Mickey Contractor. Abhishek shared the memories of his first meeting with Ash saying: "The first time I met Aishwarya was in August 1997. I was on a recce for my father’s film ‘Mrityudata’ in Switzerland and she was shooting her first film ‘Aur Pyar Ho Gaya’ with my dear friend Bobby Deol. I remember one evening Bobby invited me over to his hotel for dinner and Aishwarya and the rest of the unit were there. That was the first time I actually met her."

"If you ask her, she will tell you the same thing - that the minute we came together, we both knew that this was something for keeps. So, there wasn’t just this ‘one’ defining moment, it always felt perfect," he added. Others too have shared similar interesting episodes related to the beauty queen.

Anaita Shroff Adajania, the fashion director for Vogue India magazine, has styled her for the shoot.

Aishwarya denies to dance with Shahrukh

While most actresses can only dream of shaking a leg with Shah Rukh, stunning beauty Aishwarya Rai has denied the offer repeatedly at an award function. The actress was approached for performing with Shah Rukh on her hit number ‘Kajra Re’. But no amount of convincing could coax Ash into grooving on the song as she maintained that it was a family song that she performed with her father-in-law and husband exclusively for ‘Bunty Aur Babli’. Confirms a source, "Shah Rukh had planned a gig around Bollywood heroines over the years and he wanted it to conclude with Aishwarya’s performance. He had planned to dance with her to ‘Kajra Re’. But Ash refused. Her argument was that ‘Kajre Re’ was a family song and that she performed the number in ‘Bunty aur Babli’ only with her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan and husband Abhishek and that she will not dance to that song with anyone else.”

Left with no option SRK had little choice but to scrap the plan.

In the past too Ash has never been intimidated by any of the three Khans. The actress has refused offers even if they meant heavy professional losses for her. While she is little seen onscreen with Aamir and SRK, she had completely refused to work with Salman in 2003 by issuing a press release in which she stated, "For the sake of my well-being, sanity, my dignity and the self-respect of my family, I will not work with Salman Khan anymore. I maintained a dignified silence but he attacked the dignity of my family and me with irresponsible rumour mongering. I stood by him, enduring alcoholism, misbehavior, and in turn I was at the receiving end of abuse, infidelity and indignity."

Freida Pinto replaces Aishwarya Rai as Indian Face of L’Oreal

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai, famed as one of the most attractive women in the world, has been permanently replaced by ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ star Freida Pinto as the Indian face of L’Oreal. The two have been pitched against each other after, the 26 year old, Freida, featured in the cosmetic firm’s ‘Happy New Year’ television commercial with the brand’s other global ambassadors - but not Aishwarya. “I don’t know anything about it. We need to check out the details”, said a spokesperson for Aishwarya. “Ash is busy with her upcoming performance at an awards function, so she can’t speak on this issue right away,” the spokesperson added.

The model-turned-actress has been representing the brand since 2005, while Pinto joined in 2009.

Aishwarya Rai to sue Elle magazine

Aishwarya Rai is in a foul mood and it’s all owing to her recent Elle magazine photo-shoot that spurred quite a racial row. The actress, who appears to be a few tones fairer than her original skin tone, is peeved with the publication for making her look several shades lighter. The actress, who is always politically correct and rarely indulges in any show of emotion, has been fuming ever since the cover hit stands. Said a source, “Aishwarya’s first reaction was disbelief. She believed that these things don’t happen anymore. Not in this day and age when women are recognized for their merit, and not for the colour of their skin. She is currently verifying this skin-whitening allegation. If there is any proof of this, she might even take action.” As per reports, the doctored image was brought to Ash’s attention by her fans, who flew into a rage after they saw that their icon was made to look ghastly white on the cover.

However, this isn’t the first time that the magazine has preached Caucasian standards of beauty. It might be recalled that in September this year, the US edition of the same magazine had featured on its cover an African-American actress, Gabourey Sidibe, with a much paler complexion.

A friend said, “No one in any part of the world looks at Ash with culture-specific eyes. Though she has represented India on many international forums she is regarded as a world citizen. She is clearly the global face of the contemporary Indian woman. The last thing she’d want is to have a global image coloured by a racial suggestion.”

Aishwarya Rai to reveal all in her autobiography

Aishwarya Rai has been booked or so it appears as the sassy actress has been offered a whopping amount to reveal all about her life in her autobiography. Approached by a leading foreign publishing house, the stunning beauty was handed out a blank cheque by the publishing house asking her to quote her price for the venture. However, even though Ash in unsure about the project she hasn’t refused the offer yet. Confirms a source, "Ash remains a global icon who has managed to be at the top of the game for years despite constant good work from younger actors like Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra. Though the industry feels that Kareena is the numero uno star in B-town, in terms of global presence Ash wins over them all. Publishers want to explore the possibility of an autobiography of her journey from modeling to films and her relationships to marriage. They feel here is a fantastic real-life story to be told."

“Ash is unsure whether it is the right time to write a book. She respects her privacy and this is the major roadblock in sealing the deal," adds the source.

What’s more is that Aishwarya too confirmed that she got the offer but refused to give a definite comment by saying, “There is a right time for everything to happen”.

Aishwarya Rai keen to work with Rituparno Ghosh

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai is looking forward to working again with national award winning director Rituparno Ghosh. "I loved working with Rituda. It was a wonderful experience. I loved being Binodini in his ‘Chokher Bali’. Even working with him in ‘Raincoat’ was a brilliant experience. I am looking forward to experiencing it again. So far my schedules have not permitted," said Aishwarya while addressing a promotional of ‘Guzaarish’. In ‘Chokher Bali’, Aishwarya played a young beautiful widow Binodini who falls in love with a married man Mahendra, played by Prosenjit Chatterjee. The film revolved around the characters of Binodini, Mahendra, Mahendra’s wife Ashalata, played by Raima Sen. The film received the 2004 National Film Award for best feature film in Bengali.

‘Raincoat’ was a story of two lovers Neeru, played by Aishwarya, and Manu, played by Ajay Devgan, who were separated by fate. The film won the National Film Award for best feature film in Hindi in 2005.

"Rituda is also a very dear friend. He has discussed a lot of subjects with me. Recently we met at the national awards ceremony. He was asking me when we can work together again. I told him ‘you tell me, Rituda’," she said.

"I was very busy for the last two years. I am looking forward to working with him. So let’s see what lies in store," added Aishwarya.

Aishwarya Rai not to use TV shows to promote movies

Gorgeous actress Aishwarya Rai was under considerable pressure to appear on TV reality shows to promote her films ‘Action Replayy’ and ‘Guzaarish’. The lady who did make an appearance on Akshay Kumar’s show, ‘Mater Chef India’ is very clear in her head that she will not use TV shows to promote her films and even otherwise. Said an insider, "There was considerable pressure on Aishwarya to be on these reality shows for her two back-to-back releases. But she is very clear about her dos and don’ts. Being on reality is a complete no-no for her. She did make an exception for Akshay’s ‘Master Chef’. But no song and dance reality shows for Aishwarya. And no game shows. Two weeks ago she stayed away from ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ as part of the promotion for ‘Action Replayy’. This week Aishwarya refused to go on the popular music contest ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’. Hrithik Roshan had to go alone."

The muse of ace director Sanjay Leela Bhansali did make it to Dubai to promote her film with Hrithik Roshan but did not accompany him to the sets of ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’. Defending her reservations, the filmmaker said, "I completely respect her decision because I know she is not doing it as a fashion statement. Aishwarya truly believes in whatever she does. So there’s never that doubt that she is just doing it throw her weight around. Her decisions are always well thought-out."

Buzz has it that the Bachchan bahu has been approached to be a part of a big television show at a price that no other lady from Bollywood could ever imagine.

Now is it Aishwarya’s bond with the show that is stopping her from making an appearance on other TV shows or is it Salman Khan’s stern decision not to let the lady promote her film ‘Action Replayy’ on his show ‘Bigs Boss’ which eventually hurt her inflated ego is something to wonder about. Or is she acting too pricey? No matter what her decision has certainly made eye brows raise.