Will Ash & Abhi Survive The Storm?
this is taken from stardust magazine!
The Brangelina couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie began their relationship on a hate brigade. The public outcry was totally against them. There were fans out there who wanted to lynch Angelina, and even called her a witch. But today, almost a year since, and POST a peaceful divorce in October, Brad has been looking for a secret shack to exchange his 'I Dos' with his woman. It is the hatred of the others that brought them close. Love 'n' hate have a strange relationship as Ash and Abhi will learn back home!
At the 'Dhoom-2' outdoor in faraway Brazil, after facing the rather public outburst back home, the lovers were going to find their haven and bliss, and mix business with generous dollops of pleasure. Abhishek and Aishwarya had virtually stepped out of the shadows. He, out of singledom and mingledom, and she, out of her steady relationship with Vivek Oberoi. If all the world loves lovers, this duo was generating a rather opposite reaction. The sceptics were far out-weighing the blessings. The hate mail Bachchan and Rai were provoking was astounding. After all, what could public opinion so not like about a couple that was experiencing the most ecstatic emotion.
Albeit, not much was going to bring Ash down, it was her search for Mr. Right which, as per practical judgement, seems to have ended on Abhishek, with Salman, her earlier Mr. Right turning to Mr. Fright, and next Mr. Right, Vivek, turning to Mr All Wrong. But with Abhishek, for the first time, she was the seeker. She was not in the position of power as far as this relationship was concerned. It was a typical situation when she wanted more in terms of commitment than Abhishek had to offer. With three films signed on with Jr. Bachchan from 'Umrao Jaan', to 'Dhoom-2', to Mani Ratnam's 'Guru', the Ash-Abhi duo are the 'It' couple in the industry. And makers are obviously hoping that the off-screen chemistry will show on screen. But as the old adage goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and familiarity does breed contempt.
The last schedule threw the duo together for a period of two months. There was no snatching moments anymore. They were just thrown together time and time again without any respite. The same couple who was all into each other at the Jaipur outdoor of 'Umrao Jaan' where they were taking every first opportunity to be in each other's company, seemed to have cooled off as per eyewitnesses. The first flush of love has now settled for something more regular, and even mundane. The couple have come out of the shadows. They might have not declared their amorous intent from rooftops, but they have been spotted together at various occasions nonetheless.
As one of Abhishek's close friends volunteers, "Abhishek is in a phase of his life when he is in the single lane seeking companionship, sometimes exclusively, sometimes not. His modus operandi is pretty clean and clear. He puts all his cards on the table. The last time he was dating Dipannita Sharma, he made it very clear that this was not something that would see itself to the altar. But all women want to believe they have hooked this most eligible bachelor. In fact, Dipannita put an end to her steady relationship with Kunal Kapoor (of 'Rang De Basanti' fame) when she thought she had hitched her carriage on the Jr.B wagon. But once things soured, the model-turned-actress was bitter about being dumped, post Aishwarya's entry. But she must have been kidding herself if she thought Abhishek would settle with her. Their arrangement was always transparent. If she was living in hope, that is totally her problem."
"There are everyday reports in the media about the Rais matching horoscopes and the Bachchans giving their whole hearted blessings to the couple. But the fact remains that Abhishek is simply not looking for marriage, and his par-ents are simply not putting any pressure on him. They are in no hurry for him to settle down. Perhaps, here is where the difference of opinion creeps up. Aishwarya is looking at this relationship as a long-term commitment, and she wants her seriousness to be met with an equal fervour, if not more. Ash has always been used to her beaus, be it Salman or Vivek, pressing her for marriage. This time round, it simply is the opposite of that, and it is not very easy for a woman of her stature to digest.
The insecurity is making her behave totally out of character. Even at Abhishek's birthday party, she is said to have chided the Jr.B on his proximity with Priyanka, and he wasn't allowed to exchange more than polite hellos with Rani. Abhi did humour her then, but this increasing pattern of behaviour is not said to be going very well with him. At the 'Dhoom-2' outdoor for instance, Bipasha who has been very friendly with Abhishek in the past, was seeking his company as she was not familiar with anybody else in the unit. Aishwarya did not take very kindly to this friendly overture. In fact, when Hrithik returned for the delivery of his baby boy, Ash was really not needed at the outdoor. But the busy actress stayed back just to stop Bips in her tracks. Now Abhishek is a person who will give his woman freedom, but expects the same in return. He does not want to make public appearances with his woman hanging on to his arm. Fortunately, Ash too wanted the same things earlier, but unfortunately, she has changed her mind. And the man in her life does not like it too much."
The friend continued the eye-spy tale as she gave more dope on the Bachchans' inside secrets. "It has been an open secret that Jaya aunty (Bachchan) has never sought an actress bahu. She has discussed this with Shweta and had asked her to look for some industrialist heiress from the Delhi circuit. With Aishwarya coming into the picture, one would have assumed that Abhi would be off the marriage market, but he is still hot property there. That must not make Ash very secure!"
The rumblings between Jaya Bachchan and Aishwarya have been heard of in filmi circles and this is one would-be saas-bahu show that would find viewership. But we believe that Ms. Rai can be credited with more smartness than simply crossing swords with Mrs. B. Besides, they have hardly spent enough time in each other's company to get on each other's nerves.
As you read this write-up, the couple would have returned from the 'Dhoom-2' outdoor and headed for Chennai, for the first narration of Mani Ratnam's 'Guru'. We sincerely hope the duo gets the oxygen of spending time apart, and realizing each other's worth, or to put it in Abhishek's friend's words, "Right now, he is just feeling trapped, he has been single for some time now, and has almost forgotten what it is like to be in a monogamous relationship. Maybe, if Ash was not so demanding, he would get his groove back. But she needs to be as cool, calm and collected. For once, it is the ice maiden in her that can only make the situation work in her favour."
Sports
Jodha Akbar
2