Portraits

Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Madhuri Dixit and Akshay Khanna in Mohabbat (1997)

Madhuri Dixit and Akshay Khanna in Mohabbat (1997).

Saroj Khan choreographs. Madhuri Dixit's most frequent collaborator.

Er... why do the lead romantic pair look so pissed?! lol. Sun in the eye?!

Aishwarya Rai in Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000)

Aishwarya Rai, 27, in Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000).

Anyone else think this is Ash's best performance and film... of all time?!

Monday, 29 April 2024

Aishwarya Rai at her fittest: Dhoom 2 (2006)

Aishwarya Rai, 33, at her fittest: Dhoom 2 (2006)

Aishwarya Rai in her first film poster: Iruvar (1997)

Aishwarya Rai, 24, in her first film poster: Iruvar (1997)

Shabana Azmi sits for a portrait for the late great Gautam Rajadhyaksha

Sunday, 31 March 2024

Aishwarya Rai in her first Hindi film Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (1997)

Though the film was written off originally, the movie more than doubled its budget at the box-office making it Aishwarya Rai's first official Hindi hit.

Originally the critics were not that kind to her - but the industry was. She bagged all the mega banners in one go; be it Mani Ratnam, Shankar, Yash Raj, Subash Ghai and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. She had also been offered Karan Johar's films and Rajshri's (but it didn't come to being).

She was compared to Madhuri Dixit in 1997 - from her first film when Madhuri had done 70 films already, which wasn't a fair comparison. In just 3 years of course, Ash climbed to the top with sheer hard work and dedication.