PicShik Blog

It’s once again the war of the beauty queens - this time however, not on the silver screen but in the world of advertisements. Let’s take a look at who’s trying to dethrone Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

The World’s most beautiful woman and tinsel town’s most coveted ‘Bahu’ - Mrs Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has stiff competition, as Asia’s sexiest woman Katrina Kaif, readies herself to take over the throne.

It’s more and more signing of brands signing that the rising star Katrina Kaif has been doing these days, which seemingly is threatening Ash’s brand equity endorsements. The final nail in the coffin comes in with Katrina replacing Aishwarya, as a brand ambassodor for a popular diamond jewellery brand.

Certainly, the coup of the beauty queens is becoming a spectacle to watch out for, so is it marriage or is it age that’s placing Ash on the back burner? Abhisek Bachchan, quite miffed about these media speculations, recently commented that he’d be interested in knowing about this new development.

Well even the viewers would surely be interested in knowing the reason, that places Katrina ahead of Aishwarys in the brand equity race but till the mystery unravels, the war of the beauty queens is surely going to be a closely combative duel.

The India International Jewellery show saw Gili’s new glamorous brand ambassador, actress Bipasha Basu at her charming best. In an industry, where actresses never praise each other, the lady candidly declared that Aishwarya is her favourite actress.

“My favourite actress is Aishwarya”, said the sultry actress, looking bewitching in a set of Gili diamonds, which stood out on a black evening dress and the bangs accentuating her twinkling eyes.

When asked to choose between diamonds and John as her best friend, Bipasha stated that “My best friend is of course John, but my second best friends are diamonds, as diamonds a girl’s best friend.”

As a message for the viewers of Spicezee, Bipasha said, “I wish Happy Independence Day to all.”

When questioned on her continuous use of English in answering questions, the amused Bipasha stated that she would give an exclusive message in Hindi for Spicezee viewers, shortly before Independence Day.

Aishwarya Rai, who is currently busy with the Bachchans’ Unforgettable concert, says that as a co-star she had often asked Abhishek to experience a world tour. And when he finally agreed to it, they are dancing as husband and wife.

“You know, when we were co-stars, I always told Abhishek a world tour is something he must experience. In fact, for one of my world tours I had even asked my organisers to ask him to come onboard. He’d say, ‘Not yet, not yet’. And who would’ve thought when he’s finally ready for his first world tour, we’d go together as husband and wife,” says Aishwarya. “It’s a wonderful experience. We have danced together on screen and also performed together. But we’ve never been on a concert tour together. Even the audiences all over now respond to us as a couple. They keep showering us with blessings and good wishes.”

The actress took a break from her tour and flew back to Mumbai with Abhishek to meet her father who is unwell.

Seems like his show Dus Ka Dum is acting as a massive stress buster for Salman Khan. He made friends with Aamir yet again on the show, shook his leg with Govinda and allowed Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh to tease him about Katrina…

The latest we heard was he even spoke about Ash on his show!

One of the audience members told us, “Salman made his entry on this episode of Dus Ka Dum with the kite flying song from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam… much to the amusement of the entire audience who had not forgotten his Ash-connection! Surprisingly, Salman did not take offence when contestants or audience brought up Aishwarya’s name in conversation!

In fact, he took it in his stride without batting an eyelid and took her name purely as a co-star without any attempt to avoid the name. “Hum Dheel deke chuke sanam” is how he puts it!”

Abhishek Bachchan may be going on his first world tour with wife Aishwarya Bachchan in a few days but the seeds of the plan had been planted in the year 2003 when the two were working together in the film Kuch Na Kaho. How’s that? Well, none other than the Junior Bachchan revealed it to us as he sat next to his beautiful wife Aishwarya after attending a press conference on Friday night. “She was going for a world tour herself and sent the organisers to ask me to come for the tour as well. But I couldn’t go as I didn’t have dates. Ever since then, she’s not let me forget it and I promised her that we will go for a world tour together,” revealed Abhishek as Ash cuts in with a giggle, “But we didn’t know at that time that we would end up going as husband and wife!” Abhi adds, “If you see the footage right after we performed for the first time at an event, she gave me a huge hug backstage and said, ‘This is what it feels like!’”

The last few days have certainly been hectic for the Bachchan bahu as she came down with German measles and could not attend the rehearsals for the world tour which sees her sharing stage space with not just her husband, but father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Ritiesh Deshmukh as well. Her blue eyes have a tinge of red as she rues, “I lost 20 days because of that. I thought this time I have a lot of time to prepare but then this happened. I’ve started rehearsing now but hope to do my best,” even as Abhishek adds, “She was physically incapable of rehearsing but still, she was the most active member. She’s been on world tours thrice so her expertise came in handy. Even when someone used to ask dad about the tour, he would say ‘Ask Aishwarya’. She was the final authority.”

Speaking of Senior Bachchan, we’re curious who Ash considers a better dancer — hubby dearest or her father-in-law but — she ducks the questions. “Our performance in Amsterdam was proof enough that the three of us truly enjoy dancing,” she puts it diplomatically but Abhishek is more vociferous about his choice. “I personally think dad is far superior. His stage presence is unparalled,” he adds. And when it comes to Amitabh, even Aishwarya couldn’t agree more. “He just has to stand on the stage and that’s enough. I’ve been a part of this fraternity for a long time and I’ve always wanted to go on a world tour with him. It’s a privilege to be going with pa,” she adds. So we guess, it’s two wishes that got fulfilled for the lady with the blue eyes.

Abhishek Bachchan is playing the perfect doting husband to wife Aishwarya Rai. When she fell ill after rigorous rehearsals for their much talked about ‘Unforgettable’ world tour that kicks off in Toronto Friday, Abhishek learnt her steps too.

“We have been rehearsing for the tour non-stop for nearly a month now. Shiamak (Davar) has been working us around so hard to get our dance steps right that my wife Aishwarya fell sick with exhaustion. For three days, she could not move out of the house,” said Abhishek.

“That put an additional burden on me as I had to do her steps also, not only at the rehearsal hall but at home too in order to teach her the dance steps Shiamak had given her for the songs she would be dancing to during the tour,” he told reporters.

Abhishek says now he is ready to pitch in for both his father, Amitabh Bachchan, and wife.

“I told the ‘wizzies’ (members of Wizcraft, which is putting together the tour) that if she falls sick again and won’t be able to dance during the show they should not get panicky because I have learnt all her steps and might as well double for her.

“Moreover, dad’s body is also no longer as nimble as it was. In case he gets tired during the tour I may have to do the ‘Kajra re…’ number all by myself. Well, I am prepared for that, too,” Abhishek said with a straight face during a media meet here. His impromptu ‘act’ threw everybody into splits at the event.

Apart from the Bachchans, Preity Zinta, Riteish Deshmukh, composer duo Vishal-Shekhar are also part of the tour. There will be some guest stars as well — Akshay will perform in Toronto, Shilpa Shetty in Britain and Madhuri Dixit in the US.

They say imitation is the best form of flattery. But one finds no reason as to why would someone like Priyanka Chopra want to flatter Aishwarya Bachchan? Strange as it may sound, but the fact is that at the red carpet premiere of Love Story 2050, Priyanka Chopra walked in a look that was so very similar to that of Ash’s on day one of Cannes 2008.

If one has to play the popular game of ‘Spot the 10 differences’ between the two photographs, then, the first difference would obviously be the face but spotting the rest 9 differences seem as tough as combing a bald man! The irony is that Priyanka is one chic who has never drawn flak for her dressing sense, but something somewhere went wrong here.

With a figure to die for, the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai Bachchan says that she not only avoids diets but is also a complete foodie. “I love food. I eat a lot. And I am not embarrassed about it. I know it is kind of impossible to believe that I love eating and indulge in all my favorite foods whenever I get the chance, but that’s the honest truth.” Ash said to an unbelieving audience recently. But in public Ash exercises restraint so that people do not stare at her. At home she gives way to her weakness. The only time Ash had to diet was to prepare for the role in Dhoom 2 in which she had to cut her weight to a miniscule 54 kilos.“It was a painful experience. I had to be 54 kgs and so for a month I was on a strict diet. That was the most painful period for me. And to add to my misery, I had to work out” Ash remembered.

At present Ash said she has a good metabolic rate and does not need to work out but she hits the gym a couple of times a week to keep fit. Reminiscing about her movies she says she looks well fed in most movies except ‘Dhoom 2’ in which she looks well toned. But ‘Dhoom 2’ brings back unpleasant memories of her dieting.
Ash revealed that during the shooting of Sarkar Raj , the Bachchan family used to carry home cooked food.
But Ash said, “ I love all cuisines. And any time is a good chow time.”

The Sahar police station detained a man on security grounds as he was found loitering around the international airport premises on Monday evening. The man, Manju Kumar, 25, tried to enter the terminal 2A, the Arrivals saying he wanted to meet Aishwarya Rai and propose to her.

Besotted by the actress, Kumar came to Mumbai all the way from his home town in Karnataka on Monday to “receive” her at the airport.

“I wanted to meet Aishwarya Rai and propose to her. I really like her,” said Kumar. Thinking that Rai was on her way back home from the International Indian Film Awards awards held in Bangkok recently, Kumar wanted to ask her to marry him. Asked whether he knew Rai was already married to Abhishek Bachchan, Kumar just smiled.

Kumar allegedly asked the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) guards permission to enter the terminal to meet Rai. He was handed over to the police by the CISF guards stationed near terminal 2A. Kumar was then interrogated by the Sahar police. “He is a mentally deranged person. We informed his parents back in Karnataka. They came and took him back home on Tuesday afternoon,” said Dilip Patil, senior police inspector of Sahar police station.

Well, the sources say yes. The perfect looking couple, who seem to have no fights, has finally started to live a normal married life. And with a normal married life, come the enhancement called fights. But then, this couple seems to not know how to deal with it. Recently, at IIFA, the male Bachchan seemed to have lost his temper on Ash and the couple was found screaming so much that the voices could well be heard outside their room.Apparently, the reason was the typical eager-to-catch-attention nature of the actress. While Jr. Bachchan tried to keep her low in an award function, the lady was busy being over expressive with Kunal Kapoor at an award function. This allegedly made Bachchan to excuse himself and Ash, to take her to a corner and talk about the issue. Ash seemed to be unconvinced and thus the duo, later had a huge fight!!
Now, this is like what it is to be really MARRIED!!!