5 years is a long time for a most beautiful & extremely talented actress like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to remain in oblivion. To miss the glamour oriented glory is not a small thing but once again when I met her recently on the eve of the release of her comeback film ‘Jazbaa’ released this Friday, she sounded as cheerful as ever. As if she was never away from B – Town arena.
Welcome Back to B – Town. Now tell us did you really, really missed the Bollywood Fraternity in the interim phase?
Honestly & frankly speaking no, I did not miss them at all. Moreover you can say that Bollywood is omnipresent in my house in the form of my Paa (Amitabh Bachchan), my Maa (Jaya Bachchan), my darling hubby (Abhishek Bachachan) & not to forget my adorable daughter (Aradhya Bachchan) as being born in a total film family ambience she can also be counted as one of the future member of the Bollywoodian film fraternity as who knows one day she might opt for the same filmy profession like the whole Bachchan clan.
So unlike the other Hindi film actresses even the Aishwarya Rai Bachchan could not resist the temptation of making a grand comeback to the celluloid silver screen with ‘Jazbaa’. How come?
Oh! Come on. Your sarcastic comment is totally uncalled for. But you are forgetting one basic thing that “Once an actress, always an actress”. Besides haven’t you heard that all actors have this thinking that they would like to keep on wearing their acting shoes till the last breath of their life.
So what took you so long to restart your cinematic journey with ‘Jazbaa’?
You can say that I was enjoying my blissful married life. I think I could not get enough love that my maa, my paa & my hubby were showering on me. And then my darling daughter Aradhya was born and I got busy in taking care of her and showering all my love on her.
Maybe it was the lack of proper offer that delayed your comeback in the Bollywoodian arena. Am I right?
No you are totally wrong on that score. As you see during my family oriented marital break I did not think about Bollywood at all. And when I was just about to think on these lines, director Sanjay Gupta along with Nitin Keni of Essel Vision offered me this beautiful script of ‘Jazbaa’ with a tailor made role for me namely that of lawyer Anuradha Verma, a defence counsellor who only takes up the cases of hardcore criminals to defend them in the court of law. And her success ratio in this regard is 100%. Until…….and therein lies the catch.
Do you think it was a mistake to take up such a matured & deglam role as your comeback venture?
No I don’t think so. In fact the character of Defence Counsellor Anuradha Verma comes with a bonus of many colourful shades attached to it. No I don’t think it is a deglam role, it’s not that I am walking around in the movie sans make up. Yes I do agree that it is a very powerful & overtly matured role of a scarred single mother of a 10 year old daughter who is kidnapped one fine day. And then Anuradha becomes like an angry tigress venting out her anger against all concerned. The film ‘Jazbaa’ also raises a pertinent question on the teenage rape issue, besides throwing light on varied other issue’s like the broken homes & the broken nay a constantly disintegrating relationships.
How was the experience of working in ‘Jazbaa’?
It was an out of the world albeit a thrilling experience while working for this crime thriller ‘Jazba’. I was very excited while working for ‘Jazbaa’. In fact I would like to add that working for ‘Jazbaa’ was also like a fun oriented crazy experience, besides I also got a chance to do some of the most daring stunts & action sequences without the help of using a duplicate. The film ‘Jazbaa’ was not only close to my heart but to everyone connected with it. The subject of ‘Jazbaa’ was so powerful that we all related to it. I think even the fans will relate to it. In ‘Jazbaa’ I pass through a certain incident in my life, which I had to deal with both on a personal as well as on a professional level. Initially, I had no plans to do ‘Jazbaa’, but certain reasons, the extreme liking of the script was one of them, compelled me to do it. And I am most happy that finally I ended up doing ‘Jazbaa’.
You made a comeback on the celluloid silver screen after a gap of 5 years. Did you feel any specific pressure?
No, none whatsoever. In fact not at all. You see, since childhood I have always believed in multitasking. Even when I grew up I never felt any pressure both on the home & on the career front too. I can manage everything on my own and of course with the cooperation of all my near & dear ones. That apart I am very thankfully indebted to all my fans & well wishers that they have not forgotten me, gave me the warmest welcome back and still like me a lot.
And what was your families reaction towards your comeback to the celluloid silver screen that too after 5 long years?
Oh! Needless to say that they are all happy for me and feel very proud of me in the moment of my comeback glory.
What preparation did you make for the role of a defence counsellor in ‘Jazbaa’?
I think for that all the credit should go to Sanjay Gupta, the director of ‘Jazbaa’, who has a good knowledge of law and he has taken great care to depict the finer & intrinsic points of a lawyer in lieu with all their nuances. My role of a defence counsellor has been depicted by him from the point of view of today’s generation.
What is your opinion about your co – star Irrfan Khan?
Well! Irrfan Khan no doubt was an integral part of ‘Jazbaa’. Even during the shooting of ‘Jazbaa’ he had extended his fullest cooperation. On the sets of ‘Jazbaa’ I found him to be a thorough professional, which by now, I think has become his 2nd attitudinal nature.
Your opinion about Sanjay Gupta, the director of your comeback film ‘Jazbaa’?
Oh! What can I say about him. He is a par excellence director. He is too good & knows his craft too well. That apart he is a chilled out guy on the sets. What more can I say. I really, loved working with him for ‘Jazbaa’. I will cherish this experience for a long time to come.
You still look trim & fit. Have you tucked up any secret up your sleeve in this regard?
No. No secret formula. It’s just that I am extremely thankful & extremely grateful to God – The Almighty that he has always helped me to maintain my figure. I only wish that I had done some workout before the shoot. Anyways my present look matches perfectly with that of the look of the charater of Anuradha Verma.
The film industry has changed a lot since you were away. So what difference did you notice since your comeback?
In my absence too I had noticed a rapid growth in the film industry. Even the commercial cinema has been progressing beyond imagination. A lot of difference can be noted in the vision & thinking of today’s generation. As far as technology is concerned we have moved far, far ahead of its time. Besides there has been a lot of change in the marketing strategies too.
Has motherhood brought any change in you?
A lot! Which I may not be able to describe in detail but suffice it to say that I am totally enjoying every bit of it. Being a mother has enriched my experiences a lot. Every day I am learning something new from my sweetest daughter Aradhya.
As a parting shot tell us if you are ready to spring any more surprises on your fans & well wishers?
Oh! Nothing of the sort. Let them first enjoy ‘Jazbaa’ to their heart’s content. Right now the whole Bachchan family is enjoying the golden moments of life and I most happy getting back to my normal life once again.
