It takes a superstar to
bring a city’s traffic to a
standstill.
On a lazy Sunday afternoon, all roads in Vadodara led to the jewellery showroom which Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was inaugurating.
Looking stunning in a green anarkali, she took just a few seconds to win thousands of fans over when she asked them, “Kem cho? Maja ma? Gujarat mein aa ke kabhi ‘aav jo’ kehne ka mann nahi karta!”
Later, while talking to us at a city hotel, she added, “While playing Nandini (a Gujarati girl) in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, I came to know a lot about Gujarat and its people.
I can even speak in broken Gujarati! While everyone knows about the warmth that celebrities experience from this beautiful state, I also feel that Gujaratis have the utmost regard for values like faith, trust, love and loyalty.
And of course, they are open and expressive when it comes to emotions! Gujarat is going from strength to strength and I salute the great success story of the state.”
A doting mother to Aaradhya in real life, she says, “I feel like I know about every little aspect of motherhood already. I feel blessed to have Aaradhya in our lives.
However, I don’t quite understand the obsession about her and it’s amusing when people ask me what we want her to become once she grows up. Arre, she is just one year old! Let her experience life and enjoy her growing up years! As a mother, I look at my parents for inspiration. If I can do even half of what they did for me, I will be a supermom!”
Quiz her about when she will be seen on the big screen again, and she smiles, “Things don’t happen overnight in the film industry. I am already listening to scripts and the moment I feel I have zeroed in on the right one, we will start filming. However, I find the term ‘comeback’ really fascinating! I became a mother and wasn’t it natural that I would take a break from work?”
Taking a retrospective look at her life, she sounds a little philosophical, “In life, change is the only constant. I have been through different phases too, like marriage, motherhood and so on. With every new experience, there is growth and discovery. I feel blessed for the life that I lead, to have such fantastic parents, husband and in-laws. It’s humbling that the people of this country have showered all of us with such love and warmth.”
This recently-appointed goodwill ambassador of the United Nations also knows about her responsibilities. “I want to work in different countries, but have started with India. I want to help in the fight against AIDS and the stigma associated with it.” She adds, “With elections approaching in Gujarat, I would urge the youth to vote. It’s a responsibility that we shouldn’t neglect.” (Agencies)
