By Jilawatan

Actress Aishwarya Rai‘s journey into films has been incredible. From winning the Miss World title in 1994 to recently being honoured with the Padma Shree award. She has come a long way. On the occasion of her birthday on November 1, in an interview with CNN-IBN’s Entertainment Editor Rajeev Masand, Aishwarya answers her fans’ questions, which they have sent in through IBNLive.com and Twitter.

Rajeev Masand: If you could invite three people to your home for dinner who aren’t alive. Who would they be?

Aishwarya Rai: I would want to invite more that three over for dinner. Firstly, my maternal and paternal grandparents because I never had the chance to meet them. I would love to meet my parents’ parents and have a conversation with them to get to know them better.

By Jilawatan
Verve’s undisputed power cover girl, India’s highest paid, most in-demand actor; international face of the country; recipient of a myriad film awards and the big daddy of them all, a Padma Shri, reminds me of a little girl on a Ferris wheel – spinning ever upwards, almost out of control in the frenzy of her life.

Today, she is closeted in her vanity van at N. D. Studio in Karjat with make-up artist, Ojas. She is busy putting on a face, which to me seems so unnecessary!

Earlier, fresh countenanced, tired-eyed but oh so beautiful, she had made flash decisions on gowns (no saris); colours (out with that dull mauve) and silhouettes. The world’s most beautiful woman (so says Julia Roberts!) standing there in black tights and silver-and-white tee, could have slipped into anything and looked like a million bucks.

By Jilawatan
Verve’s undisputed power cover girl, India’s highest paid, most in-demand actor; international face of the country; recipient of a myriad film awards and the big daddy of them all, a Padma Shri, reminds me of a little girl on a Ferris wheel – spinning ever upwards, almost out of control in the frenzy of her life.

Today, she is closeted in her vanity van at N. D. Studio in Karjat with make-up artist, Ojas. She is busy putting on a face, which to me seems so unnecessary!

Earlier, fresh countenanced, tired-eyed but oh so beautiful, she had made flash decisions on gowns (no saris); colours (out with that dull mauve) and silhouettes. The world’s most beautiful woman (so says Julia Roberts!) standing there in black tights and silver-and-white tee, could have slipped into anything and looked like a million bucks.

By Jilawatan

She’s a former Miss Universe, and one of the most popular Bollywood stars in India these days. She’s also one of the busiest, and often has to turn down western productions because of her hectic schedule. But one opportunity Aishwarya Rai wasn’t about to pass up was ”Pink Panther 2”. The 35-year-old beauty plays the romantic interest in the film, but of course, she’s not all that she seems. The film recently screened Out of Competition at the Berlin Film Festival. Rai along with Steve Martin and Jean Reno were in town to present the film. Gaynor Flynn reports.

You’re the beautiful bad girl in this film, how does it feel?

Well bad has never been so good.

What was your reaction when you first heard about the Pink Panther 2 role?

By Jilawatan

Bollywood’s reigning queen aka most beautiful woman in the world Aishwarya Rai let slip a teeny weeny bit of information in a TV interview late last night.

Apparently Aishwarya and hubby Abhishek, after being married for four years are now ready to have a bunch of kids.

“Of course, babies, motherhood obviously” she said, “God willing it is an absolute gift. God bless when it is meant to be and of course.

We are looking forward to it and we will definitely cherish the experience.” Ash also talked about balancing marriage and work and how hectic her life has become.

“I got married bang in the middle of a film,” she said, “Five years ago you would asked me this question I would have never imagined this would have happened.

By Jilawatan

And Danny Boyle wasn’t just trying to make a statement. A different Ash in each of her ventures — that’s what Aishwarya Rai Bachchan aims for, even

if it’s a minuscule role in a Hollywood film.

Your latest Hollywood outing sees you in an avatar which is far from your leading lady image…
It’s not about whether I’m the leading lady in a project or who my co-star is. For me, the film-maker, script and role are deciding factors. And I have always tried to defy the obvious and test myriad characters. That’s why there’s an Iruvar, Josh, Khakee, Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai, Devdas, Raincoat, Chokher Bali and Shabd to name a few. As they have been saying in the West, ‘She is not house-hunting in Hollywood’. In fact, I’ve never done that. I’ve not gone to them looking for work.

By Jilawatan

Q: Was it Aamir Khan who had thrown Aishwarya Rai out of his movie a few years back? What had happened?
A: No, that was Shahrukh Khan who had her removed from the film Chalte Chalte when she claimed to have been harassed by Salman Khan on his sets.

Q: What are Vivek Oberoi’s upcoming films?
A: He will be seen in a Karan Johar production. He may also be in Prakash Jha’s next.

Have you ever watched an Aishwarya Rai interview? It is perhaps the single most tiring thing to watch on TV after the saas bahu serials. After the interviewer finishes his question, you turn to her expectantly to listen to her answer and what do you get? A lot of umm errr hmmm ahem etc before and after each word in the sentence till you realize that it will take a long time for her to reply and when she does in between all those umm errr hmmm ahem the reply shocks you with its inanity. Most of the questions posed to her are more intelligent than the answers and the poor interviewer continues with his questioning for the sake of the program whether the answer makes any sense of not!