Showtime: FEBRUARY 01-15, 1998: Aishwarya Rai rejects Sooraj Barjatya

PHOTOGRAPH: ASHOK SALIAN 

MAKE-UP, HAIR AND CREATIVE STYLING: MICKEY CONTRACTOR 

OUTFIT: ANNA SINGH - THE DESIGN STUDIO

Before her hits, her second year in Bollywood, despite a series of flops, Aishwarya Rai was gracing cover after cover - as she sold magazines like no one else. Her success was inevitable - her roster of producers and directors wer second to none - and oh my she made the industry gilrs insecure. 

And, the power she had to reject Sooraj Barjatya... which sounds like a scandalous headline, but it wasn't. Her dates and diary was full - and btw, wow, she dodged a bullet. Kareena Kapoor went on to do the film - the infamous Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon. Which was not only the worst film in the director's career, but the biggest flop of the year, if not decade. 

The cover features the following text:

• Top Header: IS THE A.R. RAHMAN MAGIC FADING AWAY?

• Magazine Title: SHOWTIME

• Publication Details:

  • A MAGNA PUBLICATION

  • FEBRUARY 01-15, 1998

  • RS. 15

• Cover Headlines (Left Side):

  • ART ATTACK! HOW PARALLEL CINEMA HAS BECOME THE INDUSTRY'S NEW PASSION!

  • VOLTE-FACE: WHY AISHWARYA RAI REJECTED SOORAJ BARJATYA!

  • DEADLY! THE SUNIL-KARISMA WAR RAGES ON!

  • DUMPED! ADITYA'S CLASH WITH A TOP DIRECTOR!

Rekha in and as Umrao Jaan

 

Golden gal: Rekha: Burning amber

 Rekha brought high glamour to fashion shoots in film magazines. 

Aishwarya Rai in Dil ka Rishta

A dreadful film... that many Aishwarya Rai fans have seen several times as she looks so staggeringly beautiful in it. 

Ash in Dil ka Rishta. 

Young Aishwarya Rai as a model for Ritu Beri

The staggering beauty of young Aishwayra Rai in the 90s in Mumbai as the top model of her, if not all, time.  

Vinod Khanna, Shobhaa De and Rekha: The rockin 1970s

 

She was an occasional model and Stardust's most famous editor, the De-vine Shobhaa De. 

Seen here with stars Rekha and Vinod Khanna - but doesn't she look better than both?! 

The perfection and perfect symmetry of Aishwarya Rai's iconic face

 

Dazzling photos of Aishwarya Rai at Cannes over the years

Aishwarya Rai serving face at Cannes is nothing new... But when you line up the photos, good gravy, she was stunning. 

Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha: Our favourite on screen Bollywood couple

 

Can ever get enough of these two super duper stars. Both incredible actors, looked so glamorous in the 1970s and 1980s, such charisma, fashion, style, elegance, eloquence, diction, voices, performances, and both were fun to watch as dancers. They were ... they are good at the dramatics and the comedy, tragedy and they raged so eloquently on the big screen. 

Their birthdays are a day apart... and fate has kept them apart. 

The fans want to see them together again on the big screen... alas... 

Stardust 1995: Sonali Bendre, Raveena Tandon, Bobby Deol and Mamta Kulkari

 

The young guns taking over Bollywood in the mid 90s! In 1995, the ages of these actors were: Sonali Bendre: 20 years old (Born: January 1, 1975) Raveena Tandon: 22 years old (Born: October 26, 1972) Bobby Deol: 25 years old (Born: January 27, 1969) Mamta Kulkarni: 22 (Born: April 20, 1972)

Young, hopeful, full of dreams and ambition... in 2026... look where they are. Mamta Kulkarni has found religion to whitewash her image and disgraced life (google away - the drugs scandal will haunt her forever). 

Sonali Bendre was no great shakes as an actress but easily the most stunning supermodel of her time. 

Bobby 2.0 is more interesting than his first stint in Bollywood.

Raveena Tandon was a firecracker then, now and forever. Can't believe her young daughter is an actress already. Raveena looks better now than ever before.