Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was
thrust into the international arena in 1994 when she was crowned Miss
World. Early aspirations to forge a career as an architect fell by the
wayside as she was quickly propelled into the world of Indian cinema.
Courted by cosmetic giants L'Oreal and watchmakers Longines, amongst
others, to become the face of their brands, with the increased profile
came a role as unofficial global ambassador for India.
Celebrated the world over for her natural beauty, she also won recognition for her acting prowess, with films such as
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam giving her popular approval, while her performance as Binodini in Rituparno Ghosh's 2003 film
Chokher Bali and her portrayal of a depressive woman in Ghosh's 2004 relationship drama
Raincoat afforded her critical acclaim.
Digital Spy / Priya Joshi
In an exclusive interview with
Digital Spy,
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan discussed the growing profile of Indian cinema
in the West, how becoming a mother has affected her professional
aspirations and why she has no regrets about turning down Hollywood
roles.
We have in recent months seen you at high-profile
international events in Cannes, the Sound of Change concert and last
week at Royal Ascot. Why is it important for our cinema to be
represented on an international platform?"Yes, here we are
celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema. Cannes has given us this huge
platform, and that in itself is a huge statement. We're always
appreciative of our host's grace, wherever we may be welcomed, but that
does not mean that's the barometer of India cinema's placement on the
international platform. These are two different things. When you say how
has it evolved? Do we recognize the platform that Indian cinema has
been given? Of course. And typically India of us, we gracefully
acknowledge our host's grace and we thank you for celebrating us and our
cinema.
"As a part of my fraternity, I'm not saying a profile
in the West is pivotal to our presence. So if you find an audience,
great. If not, that's fine as well, because our cinema finds its
audience wherever it's meant to in the world and our cinema is
celebrated as glorious as it is in our own diaspora. But at the same
time to any creative individual, creative world or creative facet, the
wider the audience the better. You receive a sense of contentment
because creativity wants to find its audience. The larger the audience
the better. The more pockets in the world, the more interesting and
exciting because it just makes it that much more liberating. This makes
it that much more liberating for the various facets of creativity to be
explored. That's what it really is. Does that mean that it's imperative
to your sense of being? No. But is it exciting to find a wider audience?
Oh yeah. I think any creative individual will give their vote to that. "
You
are the first commercial star of Indian cinema to really be recognized
on a mainstream global platform. How hard or easy has it been for you to
win that recognition in Hollywood when it was a world that seemed so
inaccessible for Indians outside of the stereotypes? "In
terms of finding that first international recognition of my work, coming
back to Cannes is such a milestone in my life because it began actually
with
Devdas. Coincidentally it was the same year that Gurinder
[Chadha] was already talking to me about possibly collaborating, and it
just so happened that
Bride and Prejudice came after my
experience here at Cannes. So if I look at it myopically, they were all
probably happening simultaneously at Cannes, and I guess that was the
way my life was meant to chart its course, but from a documentary
perspective, if you define it in a linear way, it started with
Devdas here at Cannes.
"It
was the first time that the world's media recognized my work as an
Indian actor, received it very, very positively, and I was very thankful
for the grace and the appreciation because if you look at
Devdas it
is a beautiful movie. It is very operatic in its visualisation. It
exists in a particular world of our cinema and to still see that
celebrated the way it was globally by this varied audience, whether it
was from a critiquing perspective or the international audience here in
Cannes, it was very overwhelming positively, and it truly touched my
soul that our work was appreciated till this date. Last night, people
are like, '
Devdas… amazing!' 13 years since, people still celebrate that work."
Today
every major star in Hollywood is clamouring to work with you, but did
it need an Indian director such as Gurinder Chadha to cast you in films
with Hollywood actors such as Dylan Mcdermott in Mistress of Spices and Martin Henderson in Bride and Prejudice for you to get recognition as a viable star of mainstream film? "I am very, very thankful to Gurinder because that film [
Bride and Prejudice]
was such a clever piece of work, because there she was adapting an
English classic, making it so human and so normal in that very Indian
family atmosphere which is so natural to us, and presenting it with what
was recognized as very signature Bollywood, bringing the musical aspect
- and it was widely appreciated the world over. Wherever I went, people
recognized that. I was amazed at the number of people who had given it
[an] audience.
"Even when I was honored at the
Time dinner
to have Nicole Kidman turn around and say, 'I love that movie and I
watched it with my kid'. You have your fellow actors saying they enjoyed
your cinema, you have an audience across the globe saying they loved
that piece of work, yet back home people thought it was just such a
normal Indian movie. But that's why it was so clever, because here she
has taken a classic and made it look so normal and drawn a huge global
audience into what is essentially us and our cinema. And that is why the
collaborations with Gurinder have truly been another milestone for our
cinema."
There are very differing sensibilities
in Hollywood regarding on-screen kissing and exposure, and you have
steered clear of such. Do Indian actresses have to comply with Western
standards to be accepted in lead roles in Hollywood, and is it fair that
you have to consider the conservative sensibilities of your Indian
audience, with the result that some great roles in international films
are off limits? "Firstly, let's show respect to our own
cinema. It is recognized internationally, so let's not even go down the
road of 'What have you done on the global platform?' One in six people
on this planet is an Indian. Secondly, if you have done a couple of
English projects they have found their audience. When it comes to saying
no, it was my comfort as an Indian girl about the kind of roles I'd
assay on screen, and that's not something I've done only in English
cinema. Even in Indian cinema, there is so much work that I have
accepted because I'm comfortable and so much I have declined because I
haven't been comfortable. I think people have to acknowledge that basic
truth rather than think risqu roles only exist in English films. Risqu
roles even exist in India, and I didn't make those choices either."
Your
red carpet appearances are an endless focus of media interest. What
goes into preparing your wardrobe for a major event such as Cannes or
Royal Ascot?"Scheduling. It's the truth. I think this
answer will be boring, but it's the absolute, actual, honest truth. It's
scheduling first to begin with, because it depends on how much time you
have in your schedule to dedicate when you come in, and that's a basic
truth. Depending on the time that you have, you're able to look at
designer outfits, you're able to schedule in fittings and then,
depending on what fits, of course by then, you've chosen a couple of
options that you're comfortable with and what you like, and then
whatever fits on the day you go with. It's as simple and basic and
honest as that. I guess people would like a much more dramatic answer
than that, but I'm not the person to create one."
PA Images / Alastair Grant
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan attends Ladies Day at Royal Ascot 2013
"Wow.
I don't know about changing my perspective, because motherhood is such a
glorious blessing and I am very thankful for that. It's such a
beautiful experience. I so strongly recommend it. It's bliss, love and
fulfillment of another level. And truly, nothing can ever pressure you
or make you feel down ever from this moment on. It's like you just felt
the light from up there, that's why you know why it's called a blessing.
Nothing makes you feel down. When I'm with her the day can be packed,
there can be so much going on, you can be sleep deprived, anything, but
nothing makes me feel down.
"Strangely nothing makes me feel
tired, fatigued at all. I've gone days and nights without sleep, and
still the mind is in such a positive space it just doesn't make you feel
fatigued. You don't feel it, and for that just thinking you've
discovered yet another facet to life. In terms of perspective to my
career, that will not change because it's about who you are. Who you are
as a person. I've always been the kind of person that if I take on
anything professionally it means commitment to me, so you take it on if
you can commit to it and if you know you can accommodate and give your
best to it, and that's what you do and I have always done that
throughout my life - before marriage after marriage, before motherhood,
after motherhood. So that's just the way I am and this is just who I am
always going to be, irrespective of whatever experience I am blessed
with or challenged by in life."
How have you been able to juggle the demands of motherhood with your professional commitments?"It's
just a year and a half since I had her. On May 16, [it's been] 18
months. Time's flown by. I have been multi-tasking in fact very early.
Professionally it's been a lot of endorsement work, a lot of meetings, a
lot of business plans, and there's been a lot of time been consumed in
preparatory work, scripts being listened to, ideas being discussed - but
in terms of a film role, that hasn't begun, but that's in the anvil."
Any signs that Aaradhya has inherited the Bachchan acting gene? (Laughs)
That's precious! Any 18-month old would be the most fascinating person,
because there she is becoming a little person now feeling these
emotions and expressing them and stringing her little sentences
[together]. That's an original. And she's an original."
What does the cinema of India mean to you?"It's
very precious. I have been an admirer of Indian cinema, I have been an
audience of our cinema and I consider myself blessed to have been part
of our cinema, and I think it's wonderful to be present at a time when
our cinema celebrates such a milestone. It's wonderful to belong to a
cinema at this special time in its history."
Who is the greatest star of Hindi cinema?"Oh.
It's difficult, and I'd be accused of bias, but worldwide currently Pa
[Amitabh Bachchan] is absolutely iconic, he's celebrated, he's
respected. He definitely is deservedly iconic, and I say this without
any bias, and if I am accused of it so be it."
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