| Aishwarya Rai has at last beaten King Shah Rukh Khan — at least where sexiness is concerned. In E! Entertainment Television's 101 Sexiest Celeb Bodies list, Ash ranks at No 7, while Khan is way down, at No 74.
Some of the others Ash has managed to beat include Jennifer Lopez, Gisele Bundchen, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Colin Farrell, Johnny Depp, Ashton Kutcher, Elizabeth Hurley, Justin Timberlake, Pamela Anderson, Demi Moore, Jennifer Aniston and Enrique Iglesias.
In a brief chat with us, Ash's international business manager Simone Sheffield, of Canyon Entertainment, tells hitList how the world perceives Aishwarya Rai… With her being ranked No 7, how would you explain Ash's emergence as an important global entity?
Aishwarya has made people see India and Indians in a new and positive light. I don't think people in India understand her impact. I find it funny when I read false statements like "she can't find work in the west" - that is far from the truth. We receive many offers for films that she simply has no interest in, or is not available. What are the international projects that Ash shot for in 2005?
She shot for Mistress of Spices, Provoked and The Last Legion. Common sense will tell you she can't work in Hollywood and Bollywood at the same time - there are only 12 months to the year!
Right now, she is working non-stop (Umrao Jaan and Dhoom 2) and has done so for the past four years that I have known her. She is by far the most professional and certainly the hardest working actress I have ever encountered in the 30 years I have been in this business.
Ash is now dedicating 2006 to her projects in India — all of which are major films with fantastic directors and co-stars. She has enough pending offers to keep her busy past 2009.
How has the NRI community responded to Ash?
Based on the emails I have received from NRIs over the past three years, they have been ultra supportive and positive. The Indian sector in the US alone is vast and economically powerful.
We are seeing a crossover growth in their music - with many international artistes mixing eastern and western sounds and clothes. I received thousands of emails after Aishwarya draped Oprah (Winfrey) in the sari.
Aishwarya's segment was the number one story on the 60 Minutes website, following her appearance on the show last year, and her official website, www.AishwaryaWorld.com, continues to get overwhelming numbers.
Aishwarya may still be the new kid on the block - but she is certainly one that everyone wants to live next to.
upala@mid-day.com |
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