HRITHIK & I SHARE ENTHUSIASM: AISHWARYA

Big news is that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is making a third film with Sanjay Leela Bhansali called Guzaarish after Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas, and it stars Hrithik Roshan.

The actress, intent in the dense forests of Kerala with husband Abhishek for Mani Ratnam’s Raavan, took a call and spoke to BT about it. “We’ve evolved mutually, grown as individuals and artistes, we’re similar totally driven and adoring, the passion is mutually addictive, we don’t meet for months, but every time we meet we pick up the threads naturally,” said Ash about her filmmaker friend.

But, Guzaarish is going to be different from their first two films. “This time we aren’t going into the glamour zone,” said Ash. “Sanjay was so energized when he found the right script for us to work together in. ‘This is it,’ he said. For the first time I didn’t even read the script before I said yes. It’s a very real, very strong drama. I respect filmmakers like Sanjay, Mani Ratnam and Shankar who make the films they do because they have to. The family that I’ve married into, this belief and faith in the work we do is principal. Ma or Pa only goes into projects with complete confidence. I follow that faith.”

She laughed when asked whether filmmakers who wanted Aishwarya Rai Bachchan would settle for no other actress, “I don’t know, but when I am not able to do a project they discuss the option with me. I treasure that relationship with my directors where they don’t see me as just their heroine but a colleague even if I’m unable to do their films.”

That apart, Ash is thrilled to be working with Hrithik again. They were offered Mission Kashmir soon after Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, but she couldn’t meet the schedule, so her role was done by Preity Zinta.

Then they almost did Krissh, but that, too, didn’t materialise. Hrithik has admitted that the former Miss World is his favourite co-star.

“We did an ad-film together before working in Dhoom 2 and Jodhaa-Akbar. Hrithik, Sanjay and I are compatible people very focused and zealous about our work. The two films Hrithik and I did were poles apart and now Sanjay’s film takes us into a totally different subject. Like I said, there’s no glam zone in this one. I go completely by my confidence. I chose to do Dhoom 2 after ten years in the industry and not at the start of my career. I was just cracking a genre. And then I moved on. On the other hand, I was content being totally deglam in Guru. If I get loved by my audience for it, then nothing like it,” she said.