The first ‘bahu’ of Bollywood, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, may have competition back home from sis-in-law Shrima Rai, who won first runners-up at the Shrima Rai Mrs India contest. We speak to the lady… How did Mrs India happen?
I was busy with investment consulting for Standard Chartered, when I decided to send my portfolio to Gladrags. I was shortlisted and here I am.
All your family was there except Aishwarya. Why? All my family was there to support me. Pa-in-law and mom-in-law were nervous, but Aditya was the most nervous! Ash could not come as she was busy shooting for her film, but that didn’t stop her from calling and messaging me.
Did you get some modelling tips from her? Ash is a pro at walkign the ramp and has won pageants too.
She shared some tips with me regarding the walk and expressions, but the one important thing she told me was that I should forget about everything and just enjoy the experience. And that actually helped me a lot.
Tell us about your chemistry with the Rai family. How did you meet Aditya? Aditya and I are distantly related and met at a party hosted by a common aunt. We hit it off instantly and soon decided to marry. After the marriage, we stayed with his family for three years and that was when I bonded with Aishwarya too. Aishwarya has always been this bubbly girl.
Did she discuss her personal relationships at home? Like any other person, she did discuss her personal stories too. But, it wouldn’t be correct for me to comment now. She’s happily settled with Abhishek and I’m happy for her.
What do you like best about Abhi-Ash? They are one of the cutest couples I have ever known. They are so close that they complete each others’ sentences. It’s absolute fun to watch them narrate their experiences, of a shoot or anything else. They both add so much humour to it that by the end of it we’re in splits. They also tease each other like kids.
Are you open to movie or modelling offers? I haven’t been approached so far, but yes, I’m open to such offers. Any directors you would like to work with? Mira Nair, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Rituparna Ghosh, Karan Johar… I like their work and everyone of them has a different vision and it would be a dream to explore them all! Who are the actors you really admire in Bollywood? I would start with Ash, then Rani, Kangana, Abhishek, Shah Rukh Khan, Amit Uncle and Aamir Khan!