Ash Puts Ramu On Hold

RAITEOUS

AMONGST ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT LOVE IS, IT IS ALSO BLIND. AND IN MANY CASES WE KNOW ALSO DUMB AND DEAF. YOU DON'T SEE THE FLAWS OF THE PERSON YOU ARE WITH; ARE INCAPABLE OF LISTENING TO SOUND ADVICE FROM FRIENDS; ARE SPEECHLESS WHEN IT COMES TO VOICING YOUR OPINIONS. THE ROSE-TAINTED GLASSES THAT COME AS LOVE'S ACCESSORY ARE MORE LIKE BLINKERS THAT YOU LOSE SIGHT OF REALITY. AND ALTHOUGH ETERNAL BELIEVERS IN IDEALISTIC LOVE MIGHT ADVOCATE LOSING ONESELF IN THE OVERWHELMING EMOTION, IT'S THE PRAGMATIC AND PRACTICAL OF US, WHO STAND THEIR OWN GROUND. AND IT'S THOSE WHO PRESERVE THEMSELVES AND THEIR IDENTITY THAT MANAGE TO PRESERVE THEIR LOVES AND STAND ITS TEST THROUGH TIMES.

Aishwarya Rai is one woman who you'd not associate with heart and its related matters, very easily. She is a headstrong woman who's known to calculate her moves with precision. Cutting your losses at the end of a move-gone-wrong is one thing; Aishwarya leads her life like its played out on the chessboard. And her genius mind is always a few steps ahead of you, pre-empting moves in her mind - all in black and white. Her tendency to put her mind over her heart has given her detractors ample scope to adorn her with adjectives like manipulative, cold and calculating. But forever bitten and never shy people like us, would rather do well following Ash, as our role model. We think, her cautious approach to life and love is what holds her in good stead. When you are at the top its only sensible to cushion your fall. Ash has had a long journey from being a rank outsider to the top. And after that trust is hardly going to be your bedside companion. If Aishwarya is wary and guarded, then rightly so.

Similar is the story of her 'current companion' Abhishek Bachchan. Born with a platinum spoon with diamonds encrusted, in the kingdom of cinema. He was to be the torchbearer of a legacy that scaled higher than Mount Everest. It was only natural that he was weighed down by the burden and the initial failure didn't help either. But like true gold that shines through the trial by fire, so did Abhishek. With a series of blockbusters under his belt, he rightfully claimed his place under the Sun. And these two glittering megastars, Ash and Abhishek, had to cross paths at some point or the other. At one point last year when they did, on the sets of J. P. Dutta's 'Umrao Jaan'; they both happened to be single and looking for love. And they found each other. Not sure if the onlookers were shocked or just curious. But the media went into a frenzy and so did the industry.

The couple had earlier sizzled with their on-screen chemistry in the raunchy 'Kajare re…' number. Aishwarya's critics went into an overdrive, playing psychoanalysts, reading into her multifaceted mind. From 'may be she knows her career is on the wane and would like to settle into Bachchan household', to 'she's trying to boost her flagging career by doing films with Abhishek who's flying high'; they drew varied inferences. Why wasn't anyone willing to buy that it was cupid's strike at two of the most eligible singletons in the industry? We just think some things are too good to be true, don't we? And two of country's heartthrobs getting together was just like a dream.

Of course, Ash's detractors believed their theories gathered proof, as the couple started signing films together, including the highly coveted Mani Ratnam's 'Guru'. We told you so, said their smirking faces that it was Ash's ploy all along. From being overshadowed by Rani in the recent past, Ash had indeed managed to regain the limelight, full throttle.

But it was hardly that Abhishek was the one suggesting Ash's name to his filmmakers, as was being claimed. Abhishek's not even the sorts to have any say in casting of his films, say his friends. And importantly over the years Aishwarya has been in the position to pick and choose the makers she'd work with and they'd have given their right arm to have her sign the dotted line. Ash's name needed no suggesting from anyone. It was just that with their off screen romance flourishing, so did the film makers' fertile imagination. They came in flocks to cash in on the buzz around the couple. Post 'Umrao Jaan' it was the 'Dhoom-II' makers, Yash Raj, who wrote in last minute changes in the script to bring the golden couple together. Even a genius like Mani Ratnam had been tempted to sign the couple together. Latest addition to the seekers was another high-profile name, that of Ram Gopal Varma.

While RGV and Aishwarya never worked together at the peak of their careers, he and Abhishek had gotten off on the wrong foot. Abhishek had dismissed Ramu's 'Company' in the role that gave us Viveik Oberoi, which had bruised the whimsical director's ego. But with reversal of fortunes in their respective careers, Ramu went to Abhishek with 'Naach', which won him a lot of acclaim. While Ram Gopal Varma's last success 'Sarkar' only enhanced Abhishek's hit list. During the making of the film, the Bachchans struck up a fond rapport with Varma, and Amitabh Bachchan has decided to stand by Varma through his worst days. And he's done that with 'Nishabd', Ramu's take on 'Lolita', and playing Gabbar in 'Ram Gopal Varma Ke Sholay'. The latter was an ambitious, big canvas project that Ramu was banking his last penny on. Unfortunately, the film was recently stalled due to legal troubles. Not one to waste time, as it in his case was literally loads of money, Ramu moved on to the other big project he was planning.

For 'Sarkar' sequel Ramu had already gotten the nod of approval from Bachchan Sr. and Jr. For the female lead he was set on casting Ash. After settling for the likes of Katrina Kaif and Tanisha in 'Sarkar' he was obviously raising the stakes of his film by approaching Ash, and more so because she was to be paired opposite Abhishek. With the Bachchans on his good side Ramu didn't really think Aishwarya would be a problem. Doing a small role in a film with the guy you're in love with is a small sacrifice right?

One does remember how the lead girls were reduced to nothing in the adrenaline infused 'Sarkar'. Aishwarya wasn't willing to take that risk at this stage of her career, when she's done the hard job of rebuilding it. She was bidding her time to weigh her options, as far as the film was concerned. Say insiders, Ash wants to gauge the response of her pairing with Abhishek post 'Umrao Jaan' and 'Dhoom-II'. It was never her idea to cash in on their personal life, in the first place. Her current actions just go on to prove that. Of course, that's a hard thing to explain to Ram Gopal Varma, who's in a rush to get his film rolling. But, if he wants to secure that casting coup, he will have to wait till Aishwarya decides to nod. For all those who thought she'd be controlled by Abhishek's dictate, here's the answer. And knowing the secure man Abhishek is, he'd understand his beloved's decisions and support her in his own silent way. At least, if anything, it proves that Ash isn't desperate for success and turning things around. Desperate is never pretty and Aishwarya after all, is the most beautiful woman in this world.