20 April, 2004 - The 100 Most Influential People in the World

Artists & Entertainers

In music and movies, fashion and food, television and architecture, they have explored new territory, set new standards—and made the world an immeasurably richer place for all of us.

Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya Rai gets the sort of web adulation that even Britney Spears might envy. The 17,000 sites in her honor include poetry sites, a "Hindu shrine" site, even a site dedicated to her eyes (which she wants to leave to science when she dies).

"She deserves to be pampered with roses, smothered with caresses; iridescent as the moon, she is life, body, soul and, yes, heart," reads one paean from a fan. For billions more, from Kabul to Kuala Lumpur, "Ash" is the most recognized female face in Bollywood, as the Indian film industry (the world's largest) is widely known. Now she is about to make a breakthrough in the West. This spring the 30-year-old former Miss World will return to Cannes as the new face of L'Oréal and then tour Britain, the U.S. and Canada in a Bollywood road show. A string of Western film roles will follow: Coline Serreau's Chaos, in which she plays a prostitute who is rescued by a housewife, played by Meryl Streep; Singularity, a historical drama about British colonial India from Roland Joffé (The Killing Fields); and Bride and Prejudice, director Gurinder Chadha's follow-up to her 2002 hit Bend It Like Beckham. None of that means Rai has given up Bollywood. She's starring in four Indian films to be released this year and has signed for five more.

Rai finds her arrival in Hollywood a little hard to believe. "For a long time I was skeptical," she says. "But now I'm realizing it might be for real." Her hope, she says, is to lead an Indian invasion, to "catalyze" Bollywood's crossover to the West and "open the doors for everybody else." But with aspiration comes fear too. "I'm stepping out of my comfort zone," she says, "leaving all that adulation to be a newcomer again." Somehow, we suspect, the adulation will follow her.

22 March, 2004 - More Hollywood projects for Aishwarya

Aishwarya Rai is on the verge of signing of two more Hollywood projects in the next 12 weeks. This includes writer/director Barton Randall’s I Know A Place and another big project, according to Simone Sheffield of Canyon Entertainment who is Aishwarya Rai’s manager.

Sheffield further informs that Rai’s other Hollywood project Chaos with French director Coline Serreau co-starring Meryl Streep had to wait for producer Laura Ziskin to complete production of Spiderman. “Chaos will go into pre-production in the fall,” she says.

Sheffield also rubbishes the rumour about Rai acting in a James Bond film. “That got blown out of proportion, based on a general meeting involving other business. There is not even a script written for the next Bond film slated to begin in 2006.”

01 March, 2004 - Aishwarya's Hollywood Journey

The golden girl of Bollywood Aishwarya Rai has launched her new ship towards the destination of Planet Hollywood. The green-eyed porcelain beauty that planted smiles on millions of Indian faces will shine bright on the Hollywood sky. Ash has more than dozen projects on hand as she turns executive producer with 'I Know And I Care', a fun-filled drama by director Barton Randall. Gone are the days when Indians were treated as secondary actors. Now they are in the driver's seat. The impressive Ash's Hollywood diary speaks volumes of her potential as an international celebrity.

The list includes films like 'Bride and Prejudice', 'Mr. Surprises', 'Singularity', 'Chaos', 'The Nisha Sharma Story' and 'I Know I Care'. The icing on the cake will be Gurinder Chaddha's 'Bride and Prejudice' that opens in theatres on Oct 7. Jane Austin's 'Pride and Prejudice' inspires the film. Ash plays the eldest daughter of a middle class NRI family. She plays the character of "Lalita" along with Raima Sen, Namrata Shirodkar and Meghna Kothari. New Zealand actor Martin Henderson plays romantic lead opposite Ash. There will be no nudity or any revealing clothes for her in any of international projects, according to Ash' manager. He also stressed that her dialogues will not be offensive. In Roland Joffe's 'Singularity' she plays opposite to Brendan Fraser. Brendan has played lead roles 'Bedazzled', 'Mummy' and 'Mummy Returns'.

It will be interesting to watch on screen chemistry, as it will be a rare treat for audiences. Aishwarya plays the title role in 'The Nisha Sharma Story' that will be ready by the end of the year. 'Mr. Surprises' brings the combination of top most Hollywood actors with Ash. Jude Law, Keanu Reeves will be the lead actors. Ash will be moving in the company of the most accomplished Hollywood actress Meryl Streep in 'Chaos'. French director Colin Sereanu directs this film. British director Barton Randall directs her in 'I Know I Care'. Ash feels that roles of substance are important to her, as she wants to be a cult figure in international arena of entertainment. Ash's Hollywood journey might relieve her from her hangover of ouster from 'The Rising'!

24 February, 2004 - SPECIAL FEATURE: Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya Rai’s international movie career has the world talking. The beautiful Indian actress has been hitting the headlines ever since she announced receiving attention from major Hollywood producers. Her first steps in the right direction was bagging British director Gurinder Chadha’s big budget musical Bride and Prejudice. As the title suggests, the film is based on the classic novel Pride and Prejudice. It features an International cast, headed by Aishwarya Rai opposite Hollywood star Martin Henderson. The likes of Anupam Kher, Namrata Shirodkar and Sonali Kulkarni also feature. Trailers for the much-awaited movie have already started showing in UK cinemas and created lots of buzz. However, although the filming is now complete, Bride and Prejudice will not release until November 2004.

Luckily that hasn’t stopped Aishwarya starting work on her next International assignment. Discussions are being finalised for the movie ‘Chaos’, which will begin filming in September 2004. Aishwarya apparently plays a prostitute who is badly beaten by street thugs and finds support from a female stranger. The film is an English language remake of director Coline Serreau’s critically-acclaimed French drama, also titled Chaos. This time around Aishwarya is lucky enough to share screen time with the veteran actress Meryl Streep.

Undoubtedly Aishwarya has a very bright future and promises to become Bollywood’s biggest ambassador in Hollywood. "There are a lot of seniors (Indians) who have worked internationally. If I can contribute to that movement that means putting Indian women in the international pulpit,” Aishwarya comments. "Since I have achieved a certain position here, it doesn't mean I can accept any kind of role. It means I have to reinstate the faith that my people, Indians, all over the world have in me. So, on that basis, I choose my roles internationally."

The New Year has also started with new rumours for Aishwarya. The international media have been gossiping about the Bollywood superstar being approached for the next James Bond movie. Some have even suggested that Aishwarya has met leading man Pierce Brosnan and agreed to the role as long as a body double is used for the more risqué scenes. These rumours have been circulating for some time now but have always been denied by Aishwarya as well as her American agents.

“The story is totally untrue and has been created in hopes of selling newspapers,” Simone Sheffield of Canyon entertainment (Aishwarya’s US agency) told the media. ‘‘Ash did not see Pierce Brosnan at a party in Hollywood or agree to do anything with a body double. She’s not the next Bond girl. As a matter of fact, Ash has been filming on remote Indian locations for the past six weeks without any telephone contact and much less she could be at a party with Pierce. 'We are in negotiations now for Ash to star with Brenden Fraser in 'Singularity' for director Roland Joffe of Warner Brothers. Details would be given when it is a done deal'', she said.

Luckily Aishwarya has not forgotten her Bollywood roots. She recently appeared in Khakee alongside the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgan and Akshay Kumar. There have been rumours she's sending feelers to Sanjay Leela Bhansali about returning to the cast of Bajirao Mastani too, but her agents are quick to deny this, stating: "Ash said she is absolutely not doing this film". However fans can also watch her in future films such as Kyon, Ho Gaya Na (alongside Amitabh Bachchan once again and also her reported boyfriend Vivek Oberoi), Rituparno Ghosh’s Raincoat (she recently started filming alongside Ajay Devgan), and also the Imax film Taj Mahal, which will release in 2005.

10 January, 2004 - Aishwarya all set to conquer North America!

Aishwarya Rai might soon be a star in North America with her taking on the role of the leading lady in a North American film titled 'Chaos'.

Movie bosses have been scouting locations for the film in Vancouver, but nothing has been finalized as yet. Aishwarya will co-star with Hollywood actress, Meryl Streep, who recently stood out in the role of an elderly, bespectacled and Yiddish-accented rabbi in HBO's 'Angels In America', according to a report in the Daily Mail.

'Chaos' is the English remake of critically acclaimed French director, Coline Serreau's social drama revolving around a bourgeois French couple who accidentally witnesses the violent beating of a young prostitute played by the Bollywood queen, by her pimps. While the French woman played by Streep empathizes with the prostitute's suffering, her selfish husband disapproves of his wife's concern.

Streep's character traces the prostitute to the hospital where she is recovering from the beating and the two gradually develop a deep bond. The French woman helps the prostitute find a new life, and the prostitute helps the woman find a new identity. The Frenchwoman realizes that her life has been changed forever and she can never return to her selfish husband and son.

08 January, 2004 - Bollywood Star Aishwarya Rai Takes On 'Chaos'

Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai, who is rumored to play the bond girl in Bond 21, has signed up to play the lead role in Chaos.

Rai, the highest paid actress in Bollywood, will be joined by Meryl Streep in the movie. The duo will make this the first movie to both star an A-List Hollywood star and an A-List Bollywood star in a major production.

Chaos is the English remake of critically acclaimed French director Coline Serreau's social drama revolving around a bourgeois French couple who accidentally witness the violent beating of a young prostitute (Rai) by her pimps. While the French woman (Streep) empathizes with the prostitute's suffering, her selfish husband disapproves of his wife's concern.

Troubled by guilt, Streep's character traces the prostitute to the hospital where she is recovering from the beating and the two gradually develop a deep bond. The French woman helps the prostitute find a new life, and the prostitute helps the woman find a new identity -- she realizes that her life has been changed forever and she can never return to her selfish husband and son.

Movie producers, according to the Vancouver Sun, are scouting locations in Vancouver, Canada for the movie, although no final decision has been made.

07 January, 2004 - Bollywood Actress Aishwarya Rai Finds Chaos

Forget all those rumors that Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai will be starring in the next James Bond, she'll be joining a different Hollywood production instead. According to the Vancouver Sun, the highest-paid actress in Bollywood, who recently appeared on the cover of Asia's Time magazine, will star opposte Meryl Streep in the drama Chaos.

The film is an English remake of critically acclaimed French director Coline Serreau's social drama revolving around a bourgeois French couple who accidentally witness the violent beating of a young prostitute (Rai) by her pimps. While the French woman (Streep) empathizes with the prostitute's suffering, her selfish husband disapproves of his wife's concern.

Troubled by guilt, Streep's character traces the prostitute to the hospital where she is recovering from the beating and the two gradually develop a deep bond. The French woman helps the prostitute find a new life, and the prostitute helps the woman find a new identity -- she realizes that her life has been changed forever and she can never return to her selfish husband and son.

Serreau, an actress and screenwriter who wrote the original comedy Three Men and a Baby (not the Hollywood version), will also direct this version of Chaos. The film, originally scheduled to shoot this month, starts up in March.

07 January, 2004 - Queen of Bollywood may reign here

The Queen of Bollywood may be coming to Vancouver to star in a film that will likely propel her to stardom in North America.

India's blue/green-eyed Aishwarya Rai, the highest-paid actress in Bollywood, who recently appeared on the cover of Time (Asia), will star in the drama Chaos.

The movie's producers have been scouting locations for the film in Vancouver, but no word yet on whether they've made a decision.

And more big news -- Rai's co-star, in the lead role, is the brilliant Meryl Streep, who recently outdid herself as an elderly, bearded, bespectacled, Yiddish-accented rabbi in HBO's recent coup, Angels in America.

Chaos is the English remake of critically acclaimed French director Coline Serreau's social drama revolving around a bourgeois French couple who accidentally witness the violent beating of a young prostitute (Rai) by her pimps. While the French woman (Streep) empathizes with the prostitute's suffering, her selfish husband disapproves of his wife's concern.

Troubled by guilt, Streep's character traces the prostitute to the hospital where she is recovering from the beating and the two gradually develop a deep bond. The French woman helps the prostitute find a new life, and the prostitute helps the woman find a new identity -- she realizes that her life has been changed forever and she can never return to her selfish husband and son.

Rai, now 29, began modelling and acting in commercials as a child, and planned to become an architect before she was named "Pepsi Girl" for India and the Middle East.

In 1994, "Ash" was crowned Miss World, and was runner up for Miss India the same year.

She then bounded into superstardom with her films Iruvar (1997), Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (1997), Jeans (1998), Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), and Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai (2000), winning many awards and rave reviews.

She has just wrapped the lead role in Bride and Prejudice, Gurinder Chadha's (Bend It Like Beckham) next movie, a Bollywood version of the Jane Austen classic, shot in North London.

Julia Roberts has called Rai "the most beautiful woman in the world".

On the side, the so-called "Bollywood pin-up" is ambassador for Longines watches and last year became the first Indian actress appointed to the jury of the Cannes International Film Festival.

The multi-talented Serreau, an actress and screenwriter who penned the original comedy Three Men and A Baby (later translated and shot in Hollywood), will also direct this version of Chaos.

The film, originally scheduled to shoot this month, starts up in March.

22 December, 2003 - Playing the wrong girl is Bollywood's latest

Now, even a Bollywood trend is red hot! Yes, the latest buzzword in the film industry is to play a screen prostitute. The obvious reasoning for this sudden rage is to blend in that one role the glam factor of a commercial flick and the expression quotient of an arty film.

And it is not just Kareena Chameli Kapoor. Suchitra Pillai played a sex worker in Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II. Manisha Koirala too became a member of the Market. Then there is Neha Dhupia, playing a prostitute in Deepak Shivdasani's Julie.

Now comes the interesting bit with Kalpana Lajmi making a film about a prostitute. Going by her impressive track record, almost everyone is ready to don the sex worker's poise. The two actresses shortlisted are none other than Preity Zinta and Bipasha Basu. For Bips, it would be a first time while Preity has played a similar character in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke.

And if you are still not convinced that playing prostitute is the in-thing, Aishwarya Rai herself is playing one in her first Hollywood venture Chaos, alongside Meryl Streep.

28 October, 2003 - Ash signs Hollywood film

Mumbai: Aishwarya Rai is really smart and professional, not to mention beautiful. Unlike most others who crow about their Hollywood 'offers', she has just gone ahead and signed an international film 'Chaos', starring alongside Oscar winner Meryl Streep.

Streep plays the lead role in this remake of the French social drama, filmed by critically acclaimed French director Coline Serreau. It is learnt that Serreau, who had directed the original French film, will direct the English version too.

The drama revolves around a bourgeois French couple who witness a violent beating up of a young prostitute by her pimps. The French woman empathizes but her husband shows a cold shoulder. Feeling guilty the woman traces the prostitute to the hospital where she is recovering from the beating.

Here, the two develop a special bond gradually; the French woman helps the prostitute find a new life and the prostitute helps the woman find a new identity.

Aishwarya will play the prostitute in the film while Meryl Streep will play the French woman. The shooting for the film is expected to commence March next year.

26 October, 2003 - Prostitute roles no longer a taboo for Bollywood belles

Call it a latest fad or a leap forward from the conservative mindset, prostitute roles are no longer a taboo they once were among Bollywood actresses.

With a number of Bollywood belles playing sex workers in films, it seems that the penchant for variety has taken over the hesitancy that had its root in conservatism. Bollywood actresses are no longer the sweet-talking fairies or nymphets as they were once projected in films. Times, it seems, are changing fast.

Recently, Manisha Koirala was seen playing a sex worker along with sensuous Shweta Mennon in Prakash Shaw’s ‘Market’.

We know that Kareena Kapoor is playing a prostitute in Anant Balani’s Chameli which is based upon a single night encounter between a bank employee (Rahul Bose) and a prostitute.

And the latest one to join the bandwagon is none other than Aishwarya Rai.

Ash has been signed to play a prostitute in the Hollywood production ‘Chaos’. The film has Meryl Streep playing a leading role alongside Ash.

25 October, 2003 - Ash plays a prostitute in ‘Chaos’

Bollywood stunner Aishwarya Rai will be seen playing the role of a prostitute in a Hollywood movie ‘Chaos’.

The movie, also starring the renowned actress Meryl Streep in the leading role, is a remake of a critically acclaimed French director Coline Serreau’s social drama that revolved around a bourgeois French couple who witness the violent beating up of a young prostitute by her pimps. While the French woman empathizes with the prostitute’s suffering, her selfish husband disapproves his wife’s concern.

Troubled by her guilt, the French woman traces the prostitute to the hospital where she is recovering from the beating. The two develop a special bond gradually. Thereafter, the French woman helps the prostitute find a new life and the prostitute helps the woman find a new identity.

It is learnt that Ash will play the prostitute in the film while Meryl Streep will play the French woman.

Serreau, who directed the original French movie, will direct the English version too.

The shooting for the film will begin in March next year.

Ash who is a self confessed fan of Streep says: “I am highly excited about the film. I have always been a fan of Meryl Streep’s since childhood and would love working with her.”

24 October, 2003 - Ash for Chaos?

The news is finally out! Aishwarya Rai is doing a Hollywood film. Hollywood star Meryl Streep will also star in the lead. The film, a French remake, titled Chaos to be directed by French director Coline Serreau, will have Aishwarya Rai play a foreign prostitute. Confirming the news Ash said, "Yes I'm doing Chaos with Meryl Streep. Working with Streep will be a dream come true for me. I have been her fan since childhood. I'm also excited about my role in the film that of a prostitute. This is for the first time that I'm playing such a role." The film that was to hit the floors in January will now begin in March 2004.

The story revolves around a couple Helene and Paul who happen witness the brutal beating of a prostitute Malika by her pimps. Paul vamooses from the scene. Helene later feels guilty for having fled the scene and goes to meet Malika in the hospital. She helps her recover. And both elaborately plan to get Malika her freedom and revenge. Helene's life changes forever as she is not willing to go back to her selfish husband and son. Meryl Streep will essay the role of Helene while Ash plays the prostitute Malika. Ash has been in news off late.

Her performance in Rituparno Ghosh's Choker Bali has been highly appreciated. Plus the film has become a huge hit in Kolkatta. The Asian edition of Time magazine had Ash on the cover describing her as the queen of Bollywood. And now this! Hope this Hollywood venture is just one of the many that will follow!

23 October, 2003 - Ash, Meryl Streep in Chaos

Aishwarya Rai has signed a film opposite Meryl Streep as a foreign prostitute in Chaos. A remake of a critically-acclaimed French director Coline Serreau’s social drama, Serreau will direct the English version too.

Aishwarya confirms having signed Chaos. “I play the role of a foreign prostitute in the film. It will be the first time I am playing such a role and I am highly excited about the film. We begin shooting in March next year. I have always been a fan of Meryl Streep’s since childhood and would love working with her.” The film, originally scheduled for a January 2004 launch, has been postponed to March due to a bereavement suffered by Streep.

Serreau’s French film revolved around a bourgeois French couple, Hélène and Paul, who witness the violent beating up of a young prostitute, Malika/Noémie, by her pimps. Paul runs away from the scene and Malika lands up in hospital.

Overwhelmed by guilt, Hélène finds Malika in the hospital and nurses her through her recovery.

Hélène realises that her life has been changed forever and she can never return to her selfish husband and son. Malika and she come together and work out an elaborate plot to get both Malika her freedom and revenge.

It is reported that while Ash will be playing the role of Malika, Streep will be essaying the role of Hélène.