After getting part of the Bachchan clan, it seemed a little odd. But the way in which bahu Aishwarya Rai refused to work in the next movie of Vipul Shah. She simply said that she did not want to work opposite to her husband Abhishek Bachchan.

She has instead asked the filmmaker to cast her toughest competitor at present in the industry, Katrina Kaif, to work opposite to him. A source close to the development said that when Vipul spoke to Ash about the role she started thinking and then suggested that Katrina be cast instead of her.

This is not the first time though that such a stand has been taken by former beauty queen and a good actress. Earlier too she had refused to work opposite to Abhi during the flick, ‘Dostana’. Then came ‘Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey’ and ‘Game’, where the same response was given and each time she came up with one or the other excuse.

But Vipul has tried to pacify the rumor and said that they are still in the discussion mode. Meanwhile, the couple was given a award for the ‘India’s No. 1 Power Couple’ in Stardust.

Director Vipul Shah is on cloud nine these days. Even after his film starring Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ‘Action Replayy’, getting jolted at the Indian box office collections, the ace director does have a reason to smile.
The reports doing the rounds are that ‘Action Replayy’, has been given a place in the coveted library of the Academy of Motion Pictures. The director is busy making arrangements to have a copy of the movie sent to the Margaret Herrick Library.
If reports are anything to go by then this film will be kept in the permanent script collection of the library, and the students will be made to learn some tricks of the trade from this retro inspired flick. Director Vipul Shah is well known to make films which strike an instant chord with the International audiences. Even his film ‘Namaste London’ starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif had been given a similar invitation to be given a place in the well recognized library.

The flick, owing largely to its connection of the East and the West had elements of both societies beautifully portrayed and according to experts, is one of the few films that have left an impact on International audiences.
Even this film,’ Action Replayy’, has some very retro ideas instigated really cleverly by the writer and director, and the backdrop along with the costumes do have a lot of colorful magic of Indian cinema of then and now beautifully put together.

Beauty queen Aishwarya Rai dared to play an elderly role in the film ‘Action Replayy’. Her acceptance of the role in the film was preceded by a great deal of clarification by the producer-director of the film Vipul Shah. Aishwarya Rai said that it was the subject matter of the narration that interested her the most. She explained, “The humor quotient in the presentation of Vipul Shah drew the attention of mine so that I couldn’t say ‘no’ to the offer. Furthermore, to a large extent, the story of the film is set in the period of mid 70s and I felt it had a scope for performance.”

Answering a question, Aishwarya said, “I didn’t imitate or tag along any of the yesteryear actresses for my role in the film. I was just myself and it was more than enough.”

Aishwarya Rai, who plays a ‘typical’ girl of the 1970s in the retro comedy ” Action Replayy”, says she didn’t try to imitate any particular actress, but picked from the looks and mannerisms of all reigning heroines of that era.

“There isn’t any particular actor whom I followed. In terms of visual styling, make-up and hair, there are lots of actresses from that time. There is no signature reference of any particular actor of that time. It’s a collage of all actors,” Aishwarya, 37, told IANS in an interview.

Preceded by serious roles in period films like ” Umrao Jaan” (2006) and ” Jodhaa Akbar” (2008), it was the word ‘retro’ that caught her attention when the film was offered to her.

Aishwarya reveals that “Action Replayy” was originally a play by the film’s director Vipul Shah himself, and he did not deviate much from the original script.

“It’s wonderful that I had so much of period films to do and yet they are all different. When Vipul said he wanted to do a retro film, the word retro was quite catchy. He didn’t call it historical era, period piece, pre-independence, he called it retro era,” she said.

“The moment you say retro, we all go into the 70′s. I instantly knew it was different,” she said.

“It’s a fun genre. Vipul was very clear about the film he was making. It was a play that he made several years ago. He was very clear in his narrative, and didn’t want to change anything except when most necessary. Of course, we improvised, but not that much, because Vipul was clear about what each character was supposed to do,” Aishwarya said.

The actress said though it’s a comedy film, she got enough scope to exhibit her acting skills.

“This film gave me the opportunity to do something. We have pushed the envelope even in the comedy genre, where we have revisited another era. Of course, visually there are aspects of styling, make-up and costume, and there are nuances in acting. As my character is very boisterous in the beginning of the film and then becomes mellow and feminine, we have spoofed it in the acting style of that time,” said Aishwarya.

Did she ask for tips from her parents-in-law Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan?

“No, I didn’t sit with Ma or Paa because, like Paa has always said, your work speaks volumes. You need not sit with them and literally speak. You have their films to refer to,” she said.

Aishwarya feels her career has come full circle in the past two years as she is doing films with directors she worked with in her initial days.

“I am thankful to get such good roles in my career. It’s a blessing and there are lots of very good memories and they were fulfilling,” she said.

Her Diwali release, Action Replayy, may not have left viewers impressed, but Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is unaffected. “Thanks to Vipul (producer-director Vipul Shah) I thoroughly enjoyed playing Mala. She’s in-your-face, chirpy and vibrant. I’ve never played such a character before. I was so

kicked about reliving an era in which my parents-in-law started working together. I’m really satisfied with the outcome,” she says.

Unique character
To portray authentically the 1970s, the period in which the movie is set, Akshay Kumar admitted that he had modelled his looks on a character played by late actor Sunil Dutt. Did Ash, too, inject into her character certain traits based on a female actor in the 1970s? “No, I didn’t do that because Mala is unique. She is a girl of the 1970s but clearly unlike any actor of the time,” says Bachchan, admitting she enjoyed her recent small screen debut with a performance on Zee TV’s Dhinchak Diwali to promote her latest film.

Quite presumably, her favourite ‘70s icons are her parents-in-law Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan. “They are two of Bollywood’s biggest stars for me. I live with them. They’re a really warm and accommodating couple. They dote on me and I respect them as much as my parents,” she says adding she feels their chemistry looked stunning in Abhimaan. “It’s one of their finest performances. They look great together, always. I’ve so much to learn from their 37 years of marriage. It takes a lot from both the partners to ensure that the marriage survives the tests of time.”

Not too personal
The actor is extremely happy for her husband, Abhishek, who beat her in the rapid fire round on season 3 of Koffee With Karan. “The hamper has anyway come home. So, it’s fine if he’s won,” she says smiling.

Given the format of the show, was she uncomfortable at any point answering personal questions? “Nope,” says Bachchan. “Karan is family. Speaking with him was like catching up at home. It was fun. And no question of his was overly personal or difficult for me to answer. We haven’t worked together, but we still share a great rapport.”

Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s turning a year older today and on the cards is a dinner party with close friends and family. How hubby Abhishek’s making it all the more special for her, the actor’s not telling, but is looking forward to the surprise. By her own admission, she’s in a “very happy phase of life” and “thankful to God for whatever He’s given”.

“I feel blessed to be surrounded with so much love and affection from everyone around,” she says. So, how special are birthdays for her? “It’s a special day for me, because it means so much for those around me, who try their best to make it special for me. It makes me want to thank God for all the blessings even more,” says Aishwarya.

This time around, the actor has more reason to celebrate than just her birthday though. A hit in her kitty with Robot, the actor has her hands full with two films due to release soon. And going by the positive response both the films — Vipul Shah’s Akshay Kumar-starrer and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Hrithik Roshan-starrer — are generating, she’s set to cement her reign at the BO. Not surprising considering the actor has the biggest money riding on her films this year.

Unaffected by either hits or flops, her marital status or age, the actor’s Bolly status may be, but so is Aishwarya. “With every passing year, one adds a whole new volume of experiences and moments to one’s character that help you evolve as an individual. But besides that, I fail to see what age or an actor’s marital status has to do with doing good work,” she counters. As for the number game, she adds, “It has never mattered to me. What I enjoy is the process of working towards making an entertaining film as an actor and fulfilling the filmmaker’s vision.”

Ask her about her future plans, and Aishwarya’s pretty clear about them too. “I have none,” is her quick reply. “I live in the moment. I don’t set out doing anything with an agenda. I just trust life and believe that it has the best in store for me and it’s never let me down too,” she smiles.

Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Action Replayy’ is all set to release this Diwali and the eager public can’t wait to lay their hands on the 1st day 1st show tickets. However, it is the yesteryear mega star Rajesh Khanna who shall be the very first person to watch this film.

In ‘Action Replayy’, the characters of Akshay and Aishwarya do the time travelling to go back into the retro age of 70s. Since most of the film is set on that era, a huge tribute has seemingly been paid to Rajesh Khanna who was the emperor of the 70s.
And Akshay Kumar has resolved to make Rajesh Khanna come out of his confinement and watch the film. Akshay has coaxed Vipul Shah to arrange for a special screening for Mr. Khanna who is, incidentally, Akshay’s father-in-law as well.
Akshay recalls how he used to queue up outside the theatres to watch his idol’s ‘Aradhna’, ‘Amar Prem’ and ‘Kati Patang’. And now that Akshay is paying a homage to his idol cum father-in-law, he is adamant that he be the 1st person on the planet to watch that film.
“Yes, Mr. Khanna will be the first person to watch the film. I’m determined about that,” signs off Akki.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Akshay Kumar, the deadly duo who are the lead stars of the forth coming Vipul Shah’s ‘Action Replayy’, were supposed to turn DJs for the promotion of the flick, at a posh Mumbai pub, The Esther’s, in Colaba, on the 30th of September, but the scheduled event had to be called off.

Going by the reports doing the rounds, it was the Ayodhya Verdict which was declared on the 30th due to a postponed date which was the reason behind the director planning to re schedule the entire event.

Thus, now the date has been fixed as the 9th of October, but even this date has certain hurdles to clear. First and foremost, the venue will have to be shifted to some other place, as Esther’s has already been booked for the 9th.

The second problem is that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who was also supposed to turn the tables along with co star Akshay, will not be in town on the re scheduled date, as she is scheduled to go to the ‘Pusar International Film Festival’ for which she had committed a long time ago.

Thus, the responsibility now lies entirely on Action star Akshay Kumar’s shoulders, to turn the tables for the jiving, dancing public, going retro, as ‘Action Replayy’, is a complete retro stylized flick!

However, reports are that the director will be organizing something better after Ash returns. Since the flick releases this Diwali, there’s still plenty of time for more promotional activities.

Blame it on the proverbial date issues, but Aishwarya Rai Bachchan won’t be present at the Action Replayy retro musical event, initially scheduled for September 30. After the Ayodhya verdict was deferred, lead actor Akshay Kumar and producer-director Vipul Shah decided to reschedule the

“It’s an important day for us and the mood was not to go clubbing yesterday,” reasons Shah. He justifies his decision to shift the event date. “I may have to find an alternative venue in case first choice, Poly Esthers, Colaba, is not available.”

That’s not the only hitch. Rai who was not present when the first theatrical promo was unveiled on Kumar’s birthday last month, will be missing in action again. “She’s going for the Pusan International Film Festival, it’s a prior commitment. So, Akshay will be the solo hero and we’ll plan something with her after she gets back,” says Shah.

He adds that they had no other option because the Diwali release is to open on November 5 and his promotional drive needs to get into top gear. “We will have to rework the event keeping in mind that now only Akshay will be turning the tables. But we’ll come up with something really spectacular.”

Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai got groovy to the tunes of Zor Ka Jhatka in Vipul Shah’s Action Replayy.

The song will have Ash dress up like Beyonce wearing a hot dress and also move and shake to a hip hop tune. The song that goes on air today will have the actors going retro.

A source reveals that during the shoot of the song Ash refused to let photographers take full-length pictures of her in the short dress.

“She’s wearing a golden-coloured short dress with sequins on it. The look is very similar to an ensemble Beyonce wore for her music video Upgrade U. However, she didn’t let any one on the set take any full-length pictures of her. She said it was too short and it made her feel self-conscious.”

To look like Beyonce, Ash even watched a few of the pop singer’s
videos and mastered her moves.