Chemistry is a given when it comes to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. It's hard not to sizzle on screen with the 'World's Most Beautiful Woman' by your side. Ash kick-started her movie career with Mani Ratnam's Iruvar, where she dazzled as a flirty, vivacious actress opposite Mohanlal. However, it was soon found that casting her with certain heroes guaranteed a Molotov cocktail at the box office and at the gossip mills.
Her much awaited movie Sarkar Raj is all set to reveal how she matches up to husband Abhishek Bachchan and father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan. While we wait, here's a look at some of the actors in Indian cinema who paired up with her—for better or for worse.
Films: Dhoom 2 (2006), Jodhaa Akbar (2008)
Aishwarya's most recent onscreen romance is the core of one of the biggest movies of 2008—Jodhaa Akbar. Rai as the beautiful and spirited Jodha and Hrithik as the regal Akbar, sizzled on screen with their excellent chemistry. This came as no surprise because India's best-looking onscreen couple had set the screen on fire in their previous film, Dhoom 2.
Their talked about 'kiss' in Dhoom 2 was just an appetiser preceding the great romance to be enacted in Jodha Akbar. Though the 'kiss' worked wonders at the box office and generated a great amount of interest in their pairing for Jodha Akbar, the Bachchans found it too hot to handle. They made sure that the scene was pulled out of Dhoom 2 a few weeks after the movie released.
Films: Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1998), Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam (2002)
The two megastars came together for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's huge hit Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. The romance in the film, which got nipped in the bud by the plot, bloomed in real life. Ash confessed on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal that she thought Salman was the sexiest guy on earth. The two were touted as the hottest couple in Bollywood.
But the relationship soon spiralled out of control with Salman going loco—getting abusive not just towards Ash, but also to her family and friends. Ash was thrown out of Shah Rukh's Chalte Chalte thanks to Salman's disruptive behaviour on the sets. After their very public break-up, they were last seen together on screen in Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam, a film that took almost five years in the making.
Films: Kyun...! Ho Gaya Na (2004)
Vivek Oberoi famously gave Ash 30 gifts for her 30th birthday and a puppy named Sunshine. He called a press conference to announce that a drunk Salman Khan had kept him awake one entire night with 41 drunken calls and countless SMSes, all threatening him to lay off Ash. He blushed on TV and made all the right lovey noises when asked about Ash. However, despite the song-and-dance off screen, Aishwarya and Vivek fizzled on screen in their one film together: Kyon Ho Gaya Na.
The beautiful locales of Coorg or the presence of a dignified Amitabh Bachchan could not save this dud. It didn't take long for fans to figure out that Oberoi was the only one being vocal about their relationship. Ash moved on quickly—to another star named Abhishek Bachchan.
Film: Kandukonden Kandukonden (1999)
The older-man-younger-woman combo was never more romantic than with Aishwarya Rai's Meenakshi and Mammootty's Major Bala in Rajeev Menon's directorial debut. The two were perfectly matched as lovers who went beyond the norm in this Indian adaptation of Austen's Sense & Sensibility.
Rai plays the role of the idealistic, starry-eyed belle from a little town. And Mammootty delivers a restrained and classy performance as a disillusioned ex-commando. The two create magic as they both discover a love that looks beyond his disability and her fears born of an unpleasant tryst with love.
Co-star: Abhishek Bachchan
Film: Umrao Jaan (2006), Dhoom 2 (2006), Guru (2006)
Though Umrao Jaan was a box office bore, it would be unfair to judge the Abhi-Ash chemistry by that flop. Dhoom 2 had them on either side of the fence with the law. Mani Ratnam's Guru is where their special chemistry could blossom. Ash, as the feisty young Sujatha who makes a gradual transition into the supportive wife, meshed well with Abhishek's portrayal of the fiercely ambitious Gurukant Desai. The spark soon translated into real-life romance and Abhishek and Ash tied the knot on April 20, 2007, in a ceremony that proved to be Bollywood's most talked about wedding.
Aishwarya is indeed the queen of Bollywood. Not only is she one of the most sought after actors, but she is also part of Bollywood's most famous family. It looks like we can expect a lot from this family of top stars in Sarkar Raj.
Co-Star: Shah Rukh Khan
Films: Mohabbatein (2000), Devdas (2002), Shakti: The Power (2002)
King Khan and Aishwarya may have had a 'tame' start—in Josh as brother and sister—but the film hinted at the onscreen magic the two could make. However, their second venture didn't do justice to their pairing. As star-crossed lovers in the melodramatic, sleep inducing Mohabbatein, their chemistry was limited to Ash's sporadic Tinker Bell-like visits that were absolutely devoid of magic.
All that changed when the two explosively paired up for Devdas. Ash as the sprightly Paro and SRK as the indecisive Devdas delivered a box office hit not just in India but across the world. The same year, the duo rocked the airwaves with their sexy 'item' song Ishq kamina in Shakti: The Power. The chemistry was, of course, off the charts.
Film: Bride & Prejudice (2003)
Ash made her foray into Hollywood with this adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. What wowed audiences was her role as the leading lady opposite the very hot Martin Henderson of Torque fame. The two brought alive Elizabeth and Darcy, albeit in an Indian context. Bride & Prejudice might have had many in splits with its melodrama, but it didn't once drop in the romantic ratings. Henderson and Ash's chemistry was quite palpable.
ok Gyus with whom you want to see Aiahwariya. again
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