Portraits: October 2024

Saturday, 26 October 2024

Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar in Khakee (2004)

Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar in Khakee (2004)

The dazzling excess of Devdas: Aishwarya Rai at her imperial best

The dazzling excess of Devdas: Aishwarya Rai at her imperial best

Released on July 12, 2002, there was an unquestionable queen of Bollywood. Madhuri Dixit had passed the baton...

Aishwarya Rai in Taal

Aishwarya Rai in Taal

Released on August 13, 1999, there was a new female superstar on the horizon at the turn of the new millenium. The face of Indian cinema changed to a model turned beauty queen. There have been several Miss India's before, but no one like 'the' Aishwarya Rai.

The significance of Aishwarya Rai and her power at the box-office has been underreported - people went to movies (some terrible ones) just to see how she looked, danced, and sometimes performed. She took every critic's note on the chin and strove ahead. As she herself, in her first film, she was being coming to the first lady of Bollywood. She was sensational in Taal - a film of incredible ingredients not the least of which was the music.

1999 was her year, like 1989 was Sridevi's year; a double nominee for Taal and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. (Sridevi in 89 had Chaalbaaz and Chandni!).

Saturday, 19 October 2024

Kajol's outtake with Shahrukh Khan: DDLJ publicity shoot

Released on October 20, 1995, Kajol and Shahrukh Khan changed the trajectory of Indian cinema and romance on film.

For our gen, the movie was soul stirring, an awakening of the possibility of what Hindi films could be, led by a young gen director. The old guards changed, a new era was ushered in.

Aishwarya Rai in Iruvar: 6 Films of Mani Ratnam with Aishwarya Rai

Released on 14 January 1997, Aishwarya Rai, 24, finally made her big-screen debut in the Tamil now-classic, Iruvar. A double role, her staggering beauty lit up the big screen. For a first film, it was a brave performance. Guided by her 'guru' Mani Ratnam, it began the longest professional association between the two, director and muse. All her career highs link Rai and Ratnam.

Iruvar (1997)
Guru (2007)
Raavan /Raavanan (2010)
PS1 (2022)
PS2 (2023)

Friday, 18 October 2024

Aishwarya Rai in Devdas: Classic Bengali Styling

Aishwarya Rai's portraits in Devdas to me are like Raja Ravi Verma's classic paintings; timeless. For eons, future generations will refer to her look, styling, wardrobe, makeup and her sharp painstakingly crafted aesthetics as the highest benchmark of the classic Indian beauty caught on film.

In all its glorious excess, Rai walked like poetry in motion, a still portrait that magically came to life. Such extreme visual appeal meant that critics - whose job it is to criticise by pure definition - went after her for other reasons other than her finely honed craft. Under the stewardship of ace director Bhansali, Rai went from model to deification.

Did she peak by age 29? One wonders...

Thursday, 17 October 2024

Aishwarya Rai by Shantanu Sheorey

Wednesday, 16 October 2024

Aishwarya Rai in Taal: Styled by Neeta Lulla

Aishwarya Rai, 26, in Taal: Styled by Neeta Lulla

Tuesday, 15 October 2024

Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya Rai at a ... guessing DeBeers event in India... so perfect Nakshatra diamonds ambassador - but good lord, who looks this good ina. simple black sari - other than Ms Rai?!!