Interview : I came away enriched: Aishwar

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Hibernated

Posted: 19 years ago

Interview : I came away enriched: Aishwarya

Aishwarya Rai may be out of Mumbai, shooting for some film abroad. Though she has not been seen in screen for a long time now, she makes up for it with the news she makes, some true, others figment of some imagination of the gossip mongers. Aishwarya clears the air now that all the news are hardly true, as she gears to face the audience with her forthcoming release 'Umrao Jaan'. Get to know what she has been doing all this while, her take on her films and also Abhishek Bachchan.

Excerpts from the Interview:

You've been out of sight for long. Where were you?

I've just been working. There's been no attempt whatsoever at hibernation. It's probably due to my constant traveling for filming. Even if I'm away at work, the media makes up for it with lots of episodes. Most of them are pure entertainment; hardly any true. And since my schedules keep me away, it becomes very difficult for me to keep pace with clarifications –before the next one's out. I definitely try and bring some semblance of reality to whatever information is being disseminated though. God knows from where these interesting episodes come out. It might make for a great work of fiction.

How has it been shooting for Umrao Jaan?

This is the first time I'm playing a courtesan and it has been an incredible journey for me. It was very educational. I was revisiting a certain era of history and learning the nuances of mujras, shayaris and ghazals from those who are much so well-versed in the culture like J P saab, Shabanaji and Javedsaab. I came away enriched.

People want to learn about your relation with Abhishek Bachchan?

How I, or we, have dealt with it is very apparent. There's nothing to be put down in words. In terms of personal interaction, we share the same comfort level that we've always shared, starting from Dhai Akshar Prem Ke. There's a fantastic working atmosphere and a friendly relationship that has grown with our growth in Bollywood. Abhishek is a fantastic actor and I appreciate his evident talent. It's been a joy working on the sets. It's fun watching him deliver. It's great to see the growth, commitment and flair with which he does so. He's completely committed to what he does. It's a good feeling.

Has the rapport you share with him build the chemistry is Umrao Jaan?

As a team we've succeeded in telling the story and doing our jobs as efficiently as expected. It's a job well done.

Why was Abhishek Bachchan missing from the promotional appearances for Umrao Jaan?

He doesn't have free dates. He's busy shooting for his films, but director J P Dutta has already spoken with the producers of his films to give him dates to promote the film with us.