Once in an interview, Aishwarya Rai talked about how the media tried to portray her as a non-actress and refuted the claims of her life being a fairytale.
Aishwarya Rai broke many hearts when she married Abhishek Bachchan in April 2007. The duo has been married for 17 years now and is hailed among Bollywood's IT couples. They are parents to their daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan, who turned twelve years old in 2023. Aishwarya and Abhishek are successful actors of their time, but the former has been taking things slow ever since she became a mother.
In a 1999 interview with Filmfare, Aishwarya Rai opened up about her then-released film, Aa Ab Laut Chalen, and shared that she and her co-star, Akshaye Khanna, had a lot at stake. When asked about the reason behind her statement, Aishwarya said that the media was calling her a cold fish and a non-actress. She added:
"According to the media, I'm in a terrible shape. I'm supposed to be a cold fish, a non-actress and my films aren't doing well. (I am looking so hassle-free) because I feel hassle-free, thank you. I'm getting at least two offers every day. But I'm biding my time, I'd rather look before I leap."
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When Aishwarya Rai was asked if the remarks made by the media hurt her, she gave a strong response. The actress said that she needed some time so that she could soon prove everyone wrong. She added that it was the faith shown by the producers, directors, and distributors that kept her going. Aishwarya said:
"Boy, it does. Just give me time. I'll prove everyone wrong because I'm growing every day. Actually, I'm having the time of my life. While a section of the industry and the media have written me off, I'm raring to go. What keeps me going is the faith that the producers, directors... and believe it or not... the distributors have shown in me. That's touching."
Speaking along the same lines, Aishwarya Rai recalled shooting for an emotional scene for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. The actress shared that the director had thought that she would take multiple shots to do the scene as she had not experienced pain or heartache in real life. However, Aishwarya added that people often perceive her life as a fairytale, without realising that she is also a human. In her words:
"The other day, I had to get into a lather for an emotional scene for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Sanjay thought we'd have a long day ahead. But the scene was okayed in one take... he took another one just for safety. He couldn't believe the fact that I did the scene without any hoo-hah. Since I haven't experienced pain or heartache in real life, he thought it would be difficult for me to sum up the emotions. I guess my life is perceived as... a fairy tale... it's forgotten that I'm human, too."
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Aishwarya Rai is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful women in the world. In her youth, she was crowned Miss World, following which she entered modelling. However, her initial movies, including Iruvar, Aur Pyar Ho Gaya, and Jeans didn't work well in Mumbai. In the same interview, Aishwarya was asked if she ever thought that her va-va-voom looks have worked against her as an actress, and she replied:
"Look, I can't fight the looks I've been born with. If I'm blessed with good looks, so be it. But for Pete's sake, don't knock my hard work, my professionalism. I'm only three-films-old. I haven't given any of my directors any reason to complain."
Indeed, Aishwarya Rai has come a long way in her career, and her stardom knows no bounds. However, the media scrutiny of her life has remained the same to date.
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