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.

And on this side, dada ji and dadi ma because they are just so spirited. I hear so much about them. They are very present amongst us as a family. So I would have loved to get to know them. Get an incredible cultural insight and that would personally mean a lot to me.

Rajeev Masand: You are regarded as the most beautiful woman in the world. Has anyone told you you are not beautiful?

Aishwarya Rai: Well, I’ve had my days when a section of media has given me a badgering for not being able to pay attention to the apparent. I think we all ride the wave and go through the turf. But I just want to thank everybody in all humility for all the compliments. I’m only human and words do feel good so thank you.

Rajeev Masand: If you had the power to turn any one of your flop films into a success, which one would you choose?

Aishwarya Rai: Yes, I have had my fair share of flops. Actually I would choose my first one Iruvar, it was not commercially a huge success but definitely a movie that was way ahead of its time. I saw it recently again when I was filming with Mani (Mani Ratnam who also directed Iruvar). And when Abhishek and I saw it again we thought it was a brilliant piece of cinema. So that is why I think that movie deserved a wider audience.

Rajeev Masand: If you are told you are not allowed to laugh or giggle at the world’s funniest joke, would you be able to control yourself?

Aishwarya Rai: I’ve got this title of a ‘giggler’ because I’m a happy person. I love to laugh. I think its important to smile and laugh with life. Life as it is can be difficult, painful and exhausting. I see humour in strange things, sometimes at the tone of questions and at times because I have a flip answer going on in my mind but I’m answering it straight. So I actually laugh more at normal things in life than at a funny joke.

Rajeev Masand: When are we going to see you in a film with Shah Rukh Khan again?

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.

She is small, slim and graveeyed and I remember reading that these, her most outstanding feature, have been donated already to science.

She was not in the best of moods, struggling to control diva- esque tendencies – probably triggered by yet another unnecessary controversy, this time at Cannes, hanging over her head like a cloud of bad hair.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is ready to shoot but only on her own terms. And, she has too much on her mind as she comes to chat.

“You just know when you are home!”
Abhishek and I have been close throughout our careers. Within a year of our being together, he proposed to me and it was an immediate yes.

In Toronto, we had the premiere of Guru and there was a screening and a press interaction in New York and we were supposed to take the flight back, when he proposed.

And he said he had a reason for that, he said he used to be in New York at that very spot thinking about the possibility of us being together. It was not about the frills but about the personal emotion deep within.”

“My marriage was a glorious, fabulous, wonderful, superlative personal experience.”
And having said that, the circumstances were unimaginable. I never thought I would get married in the middle of a film. You imagine you would complete your work, indulge yourself. In movies, they show this entire preparation time and the irony was that I was doing that in Jodhaa Akbar.

Ashu (director Ashutosh Gowariker) would keep saying that your craft, your kala, is preparing you for this wonderful real life moment.

So, I was the bride in my work and its wonderful how my life has made me smile so many times and made me wonder at incidents where something is going on in your life and there is an interesting parallel on your work front.

“Abhishek and I have the ability to keep things real.”
Which is great and keeps our relationship what it is – an incredible friendship…we are brutally frank with each other, we are brutally frank about our life, we both have an incredible sense of humour and we have the ability to laugh with each other, at ourselves and with life and I think that is special.

“It starts with, I as an actor should want to do what I am doing, otherwise I will be cheating my work.”
If I am not comfortable doing what I am doing, the camera picks up every little thing, you cannot lie to the camera.

I have been fairly radical throughout my career in terms of trying to break out of the predictable journey of a leading lady. Early on, I took up mature roles and started working in regional cinema.

It was recognized that I had a dancing prowess and I could have been the next dancing superstar but I chose subjects where the directors wanted to create a slightly different character.

“The truth is, I did not go seeking to make an inroad into Hollywood or move there.”
The entire international interest in me started when Devdas went to Cannes. Coincidentally, Gurinder (Chadha) was meeting me with two script ideas at the same time. So naturally she became my first choice. It was suddenly perceived that Aishwarya has made this decision to go to Hollywood.

I said that I am open to cinema, just as I was when I did Iruvar, Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. When I joined films finally, it was after Miss World and films were already coming my way.

I have virtually been invited here and to date scripts come my way and by the grace of God, I am spoilt for choice. That is the same way I choose my English films.

I am sure people have wondered why I have said no to biggies like Will Smith, Michael Douglas, Rush Hour 3 or Troy. But, I had committed my time to Indian films.

“A day off is totally husband time and family time.”
When we were in Chennai shooting for Guru, we went with Abhishek’s friends from college time, to the theatre and we watched movies back to back, just that one evening we went from one theatre to the next in this multiplex

Abhishek and I love music and I have an incredibly full iPod now thanks to him. I have never been pseudo enough to say I like only English music and popular tracks of the time but also old classics and Hindi music of earlier times.

We also genuinely love watching movies. But most of all, we just love spending time together. Both of us are very talkative and we have to give each other time to speak before piping in.

“Professionally what was wonderful was being bestowed with the Padma Shri.”
People from the fraternity said you are the youngest from the industry to have received it thus far. I owe it to my parents and I devote it to them. It was very special when my in-laws said we welcome the fifth Padma Shri into the family.

And I am blessed with the best husband in the world because it reflects on his strength that he can stand by his woman on a public platform at every given opportunity and applaud her.

With a tight film schedule ahead, the actor will face the year with the cylinders that drive her, on full blast. While her achievements have been large, one wonders, what next?

With fresh faces bombarding the movie going public’s sensibility; will Aishwarya now appeal to a more mature audience? Not an older audience minds you, just a more mature one…. While the choices she makes today may be more critical than ever before, destiny’s child is not worrying any.

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.

She is small, slim and graveeyed and I remember reading that these, her most outstanding feature, have been donated already to science.

She was not in the best of moods, struggling to control diva- esque tendencies – probably triggered by yet another unnecessary controversy, this time at Cannes, hanging over her head like a cloud of bad hair.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is ready to shoot but only on her own terms. And, she has too much on her mind as she comes to chat.

“You just know when you are home!”
Abhishek and I have been close throughout our careers. Within a year of our being together, he proposed to me and it was an immediate yes.

In Toronto, we had the premiere of Guru and there was a screening and a press interaction in New York and we were supposed to take the flight back, when he proposed.

And he said he had a reason for that, he said he used to be in New York at that very spot thinking about the possibility of us being together. It was not about the frills but about the personal emotion deep within.”

“My marriage was a glorious, fabulous, wonderful, superlative personal experience.”
And having said that, the circumstances were unimaginable. I never thought I would get married in the middle of a film. You imagine you would complete your work, indulge yourself. In movies, they show this entire preparation time and the irony was that I was doing that in Jodhaa Akbar.

Ashu (director Ashutosh Gowariker) would keep saying that your craft, your kala, is preparing you for this wonderful real life moment.

So, I was the bride in my work and its wonderful how my life has made me smile so many times and made me wonder at incidents where something is going on in your life and there is an interesting parallel on your work front.

“Abhishek and I have the ability to keep things real.”
Which is great and keeps our relationship what it is – an incredible friendship…we are brutally frank with each other, we are brutally frank about our life, we both have an incredible sense of humour and we have the ability to laugh with each other, at ourselves and with life and I think that is special.

“It starts with, I as an actor should want to do what I am doing, otherwise I will be cheating my work.”
If I am not comfortable doing what I am doing, the camera picks up every little thing, you cannot lie to the camera.

I have been fairly radical throughout my career in terms of trying to break out of the predictable journey of a leading lady. Early on, I took up mature roles and started working in regional cinema.

It was recognized that I had a dancing prowess and I could have been the next dancing superstar but I chose subjects where the directors wanted to create a slightly different character.

“The truth is, I did not go seeking to make an inroad into Hollywood or move there.”
The entire international interest in me started when Devdas went to Cannes. Coincidentally, Gurinder (Chadha) was meeting me with two script ideas at the same time. So naturally she became my first choice. It was suddenly perceived that Aishwarya has made this decision to go to Hollywood.

I said that I am open to cinema, just as I was when I did Iruvar, Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. When I joined films finally, it was after Miss World and films were already coming my way.

I have virtually been invited here and to date scripts come my way and by the grace of God, I am spoilt for choice. That is the same way I choose my English films.

I am sure people have wondered why I have said no to biggies like Will Smith, Michael Douglas, Rush Hour 3 or Troy. But, I had committed my time to Indian films.

“A day off is totally husband time and family time.”
When we were in Chennai shooting for Guru, we went with Abhishek’s friends from college time, to the theatre and we watched movies back to back, just that one evening we went from one theatre to the next in this multiplex

Abhishek and I love music and I have an incredibly full iPod now thanks to him. I have never been pseudo enough to say I like only English music and popular tracks of the time but also old classics and Hindi music of earlier times.

We also genuinely love watching movies. But most of all, we just love spending time together. Both of us are very talkative and we have to give each other time to speak before piping in.

“Professionally what was wonderful was being bestowed with the Padma Shri.”
People from the fraternity said you are the youngest from the industry to have received it thus far. I owe it to my parents and I devote it to them. It was very special when my in-laws said we welcome the fifth Padma Shri into the family.

And I am blessed with the best husband in the world because it reflects on his strength that he can stand by his woman on a public platform at every given opportunity and applaud her.

With a tight film schedule ahead, the actor will face the year with the cylinders that drive her, on full blast. While her achievements have been large, one wonders, what next?

With fresh faces bombarding the movie going public’s sensibility; will Aishwarya now appeal to a more mature audience? Not an older audience minds you, just a more mature one…. While the choices she makes today may be more critical than ever before, destiny’s child is not worrying any.

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?

I smiled because that’s what the film evokes. They sent me the offer, but for me to work outside of India my schedule is always a huge deciding factor and back home I’m spoiled for choice and its very easy in India to commit yourself for the next two years. And then when offers come from outside of India you don’t have the time and it becomes difficult to slot it in. However what happened with Pink Panther I got married that year. I got married in the middle of making movies. I was committed to two so I had kept a couple of months off towards the end of the year so that’s how we could squeeze Pink Panther in and my husband was like you have to do this. Its not an intense acting piece, its like a holiday and we’ve all grown up on it. You know you’re nieces and nephews are going to laugh and have a good time and tomorrow my kids. So it was just a laugh and I was happy to be a part of it and a great ensemble cast. Actors who have serious careers and yet here they are here being silly and having fun.

It’s a very physical role for you as well. Was that tough?

I loved that part. That was the fun. Steve kept saying we all love playing with guns so much we were like kids. It was tough on stilettos. Running on stilettos wasn’t easy. I wouldn’t recommend it but otherwise the climax was so much fun and they were having cake in their face. We were like kids.

But was the action difficult at all for you?

I enjoy action. I have done a lot of action in Last Legion and that was my first experience of action. Then I did two movies in India, which had action as well but not as much. And I realized that I really enjoy it and in fact on the set they teased me. They were like so you want to play Wonder Woman next. That was what was being talked about until the strike set in. So they were talking about all of that. I think action is a lot of fun.

Perhaps it comes so easy to you because you studied dance in your teens?

That’s what they said to me in The Last Legion. In that movie I was doing a lot of sword fighting and I didn’t have time to rehearse or train too much because again I was making a film in India. So I literally came in a week before we started rolling. And that’s the first thing the action directors told me. Your basics in dance is really helping you because I took to action like a fish to water because its choreography. I guess I was supple because of dance so it definitely comes in handy.

You started out wanting to be an architect right?

Well I started out I was a science student and nobody in my family belonged to the movies or showbiz whatsoever. I was very academically orientated and initially I thought it would be medicine and many of my friends are doctors and I do still love the subject. And at 18 you start thinking about life, and that’s’ the time you choose your career and I was thinking is this what I’m going to dedicate myself to for the rest of my life? And I suddenly thought well I love medicine but I’ve always been very emotional and a highly sensitive human being and I thought will I be able to commit to a career as emotionally demanding as this and balance it out with a family in the future? So I suddenly decided to choose architecture. Now architecture was not a childhood dream. It was for me a mix of science and art and I was inclined both ways so I decided to explore this field. And I must say I enjoyed it very much. In the meanwhile I had started doing a bit of modeling on the side. It started with me doing it for a professor who was suffering from cancer. She was also a photojournalist. She passed away soon after but I did one fashion feature for her. That got a lot of attention and so I started to get a lot of offers. Through peer pressure there was this whole idea of doing the pageant which I initially did as a laugh because I was like yeah whatever. So Miss India happened and then after that you get chosen to go to Miss World. Then I won so I had to take a year off so that’s how all that came about.

You’re a huge star in India, can you have a normal life there these days?

Well I hope I’m normal.

But do you need bodyguards for example?

It would be irresponsible to go without security. Not just for myself but even for where I’m going to because if things get out of hand. It’s a very if, but situation. You know its just people and so its unpredictable because you never know how people are going to react and so yes we do keep security for that very reason. And I do try my best to live a normal life but I do confess that I can’t just take a stroll in India so when we come out of India we love to walk as and when we can but one in six is an Indian. We are everywhere. So we just say a thank you for the complements.

What’s next?

Oh my goodness, many films. My schedule is full for the next two years in India. [laughs]

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.

I would have said I would wrap-up my work, take a couple of months off, pamper myself and then gotten married. But there I go bang in the middle of a historical piece.”

Ash is now officially the highest paid Bollywood actress as she appears in Rajnikanth’s upcming sci-fi romantic flick ‘Robot’. She says that she has always been a fan of Rajni and that shooting for ‘Robot’ was extremely exciting “Firstly because we’ve all grown up watching Rajinikanth films and all those moves – it’s been exciting, everyone around me was excited about me working with him.

So that got infectious. The first time he made a subtle move – the kind that we see on television or in spoofs I almost let out a chuckle and thought, ‘Oh my God! I have seen this moment right here. I just saw a Rajini moment!’ I was beeming throughout.” Although unlike the current trend, Ash has no interest in IPL. “We have not thought or discussed it at all” she asserted.

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.

Could you be explicit about your character, Sonia, in the Hollywood flick?
The role is in keeping with the film’s genre. It is a Clouseau vehicle and not an acting piece. Sonia is pivotal to the drama. But if you ask if the story revolves around her, the answer would be in the negative. In fact, all the other members of the cast other than Clouseau, are character actors here. The ensemble cast is fantastic. It’s like a Chaplin or a Laurel Hardy comedy.

What will be your response to detractors calling your role in the film a blink-and-miss one?
It would be a ridiculous response from those who know about the Pink Panther series. And for those who don’t, I would say that if they’ve accepted me in a Khakee and a Mohabbatein and weren’t so myopic then, why do they have to do it now? It’s just cinema.

Is it pressurising for you to choose the right project?
We, actors are very greedy. We’d love to do it all. Variety excites us. I’m blessed that I’m spoilt for choice in terms of projects. Time, schedule, the combo of script, role, film-maker and sometimes, my instinct, determine whether or not I’ll give my nod to a project.

What’s your take on Abhishek’s Delhi 6 and his on your next international release?
I enjoyed the latest from his stable. It speaks of an issue without being too heavy. We keep discussing how both films have a fantastic ensemble cast.

So, who do you think Abhishek rocks with on screen?
I’ve never got down to looking at it that way. Come to think of it, we both have been paired the maximum together. You know, apart from many factors, availability also becomes a criterion in such cases.

And what do you have to say about the Slumdog Millionaire bashing?
I haven’t yet watched SM, thanks to my schedule. But I’d say, it’s just a movie. Danny Boyle wasn’t trying to make a statement. It’s an international film after all, and you have to acknowledge Danny. And we are happy about Rahman, Resul and Gulzar saab. It’s time we applaud and appreciate an accomplishment.

What about Bengali ventures?
Well, Rituda has been trying to meet me during my stay here. In fact, I’m always open to working with him. He keeps talking about his ideas with me and there’s an idea that we are discussing.

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.

Q: Is it true that Aishwarya Rai is older than Abhishek Bachchan?
A: Yes, she’s 35. He’s 33.
Q: What in your view explains the phenomenal success of Ghajini?
A: Aamir Khan is a brandname right now much like Tom Hanks in Hollywood used to be post-Forrest Gump. People know they will get superior quality cinema with enough star quotient, the latter which he worked upon by building up his body for the role.
Q: Why isn’t Amitabh Bachchan in the list of top 10 box office draws for 2008? Is he not a factor at the box office anymore?
A: Post 2007, Amitabh Bachchan has lost some sway at the box office. Is he finished? In the past he’s usually come back strong but only time will tell. Teen Patti is carrying decent reports.
Q: Who would you say is the star of the decade?
A: The decade is not over at the box office yet. But recapping the top stars of the individual years at the box office. 2000 – Hrithik Roshan (KNPH), 2001 – Sunny Deol (Gadar, Indian), 2002 – Shahrukh Khan (Devdas), 2003 – Hrithik Roshan (Koi Mil Gaya), 2004 – Shah Rukh Khan (Veer Zaara, Main Hoon Na) 2005 – Abhishek Bachchan (Bunty aur Babli, Sarkar, Dus, Bluffmaster), 2006 – Hrithik Roshan (Dhoom 2, Krrish), 2007 – Akshay Kumar (Welcome, Heyy Babyy, Bhool Bhulaiya, Namaste London), and 2008 – Aamir Khan (Ghajini).

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!

Unlike other beauty contestants, Ms Rai still lives in the beauty pageant. There is very little of her that comes through in an interview. Every word she says is carefully and calculatingly delivered for maximum impact. You can see some furious thinking going on as she talks pausing before each word as though weighing it, leading to a very protracted and labored replies to questions. Her pose i.e the chin up as soon as the camera turns on her, also reeks of Miss India training.

Now she is married to a man who is not only eloquent but knows what he is talking about. The decimation of Ms Rai has begun.

I was watching a CNN IBN program the other day. The program played host to the entire Sarkar Raj Bachchan clan i.e Aishwarya, Abhishek and Amitabh with Ramgopal Verma. While Abhishek handled all the questions with aplomb, Aishwarya came off as an air head with her err umm hmm routine. In fact she did not manage to say a single sentence and hubby had to intervene to save her face and airtime. And intervene he did with a grim face and none of the newly wed infatuation he displayed not too long ago. The charm of Ms Rai seems to be wearing off.

There was a moment in the interview when the interviewer turned to Abhishek and asked “How does it feel being the son of one of the best actor in the world and being married to the most beautiful mom in the world.” The “mom” was a slip of the tongue. Aishwarya corrected him immediately, and then realizing that she may have insulted the MIL turned to hubby and said ingratiatingly “Of course he has the most beautiful Mom in the whole world.” The decimation of Aishwarya Rai, the person was complete.

Whether at a Awards function or film premier, Aishwarya stands behind the Bachchan men and hubby even replies to questions thrown at her as she characteristically wastes time on the umm errr hmmm ahem routine.

The fact that she was now a Bachchan was delivered rather bluntly by hubby when he said “My father is the center of my universe”. I gasped and looked at Ms Rai, she sat like a dumb blond without batting an eyelid.

R.I.P Miss Aishwarya Rai. Long live Mrs Airwarya Bachchan.

Was it really worth it? I mean marrying into the so called “First Family” of Bollywood for the sake of the title Mrs Bachchan! Or was this an enormous endorsement campaign? Perhaps the Bachchans and the Rais laugh their separate ways to their banks. Nothing else can explain this marriage.

p.s Ms Rai Bachchan, your neck shows your age. Time for a neck lift!