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Ash: Bollywood`s beauty queen
By Lata Khubchandani
Aishwarya Rai was perhaps destined to be a celebrity. After winning the Miss World in 1994 one could see all her latent professionalism come to the fore.
Even before she was being groomed for the beauty contest, she had been offered modeling assignments and had happily accepted them, unlike our Miss Universe Sushmita Sen who scouted round for work after her parents once lectured on the merits of "earning one's own income before splurging it"!
In school, she was not only good academically, but was also good at singing, dancing and took part in every activity, except sports. She wanted to take up science in college, but changed her mind and took up architecture instead.
She reflected once: "I had the kind of body language that models have, in fact, I used to be teased for posing all the time." She also admitted: "My perceptions of life have been very adult. That has made me a sort of child-woman quite early." Most people had high opinion about her professionalism and practical approach very early in her career.
After swearing that she wouldn’t enter films and go through the song and dance routine, she signed on films. And, despite her initial films failing miserably, she held on. Aishwarya Rai, behind those angelic looks, hides a shrewd mind that ticks all the time trying to figure out her next best move and her next image to be promoted. In that effort, she doesn't spare anyone. Her family, her boyfriend and all related to her have realised that the girl will do what she pleases. And, if she makes a wrong move, her next six moves are made to justify that one wrong one.
With regard to films, she has proved that she was only as good as her director could mould her. Otherwise the face remains beautiful but plastic, her potential has been tapped by the likes of Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas), but she still has to de-Aishwarya-ise herself to get out of the practiced smiles and mechanical actions which the modeling world taught her.
Early in her career, she figured out how this film industry works and cultivated all the right people, viz the producers- Subhash Ghai, Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan (his brother Sohail Khan and Bunty Walia own a production house). Her antics with the producers were the talk of the town. But films like Jeans, Josh, Dhai Akshar Prem Ke, among others, though hyped by the media, did little for her career. In Bollywood, you either should have the talent (like Kajol) or you need to know how to press the right buttons to land meaty roles. Aishwarya, certainly, proved to be an expert in the latter.
In her effort to woo the right people, Salman Khan became the first casualty. Always known for his overt emotions, he became obsessed with her beauty. She happily fed the relationship, even hurting her parents, moving into Salman's house, until she realised all her undercover moves were being exposed by Salman's uncontrolled behaviour.
While a malleable Salman was a joy, to be with an angry Salman proved very difficult for her, The lady, herself very circumspect, couldn't deal with his behaviour, and their relationship has been swinging on and off since it started. Even in this very personal involvement her need to keep her own image clean drove her to give interviews which showed him up badly.
The girl is definitely shrewd. Now she needs to concentrate on her career. She is already aware of this and is making all the right moves towards that target; wooing international projects to prove that she has what it takes to go international. But, in reality, what it takes for an Aishwarya Rai to make it is hard work and honesty and a little less manipulation, a little less of planned chess board moves.
Recently, after working in Rituparno Ghosh’s Choker Bali she gifted each member of the cast and crew with silver Ganeshas. Right moves calculated to win over hearts. She has everything in terms of looks and figure. This, for her, is more than half the battle won. But, too much strategizing has made the industry wary of her.
Most heroes feel, or are made to feel, that they're special and then the lady moves on leaving them gasping. The damsel from Mangalore has proved that she is capable of good performances, but in a true commercial spirit, she has one eye on the main chance and that keeps her from a sincere performance.
The calculated moves come through on screen, however much she may try to camouflage it. Here is one fabulous looker who could make it big. Perhaps, she'll now concentrate on acting than on just signing on big banners.
firstknight
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