When I arrive at Janak, the Bachchan family's office bungalow, for my meeting with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, I'm slightly worse for the wear. Mumbai's molasses-slow traffic and blistering heat have turned all my pre-meditated composure to mush. "She's just another woman I chant to my nerves as I go upstairs, "just like anybody else
Of course, that's not even slightly true. Former model and beauty queen, Bollywood nobility, global celebrity and supra brandAsh will soon be closing in on two decades of consistent and momentous success, a phenomenon as common to the average celeb as punctuality. Then there's that little thing about her gob-smacking good looks. Today, clad in a tank and jeans with only a wing-tipped sweep of eyeliner and a huge grin, her extraordinary beauty is even more startling. The nicer surprise though, is her affability. She fluffs and adjusts the sofa cushions till I say I'm comfortable, and thinks it's ridiculous I'll have nothing to eat or drink after all I've been through to get here. Finally, she sinks back into her end of the couch with a languorous smile. She tells me that after two and a half years of rigorous shooting schedules, five film releases last year, and endless award functions, she's taking a time-out
Lately I've been having a lot of fun, relaxing days. I love movies and so does Abhishek, so we sit at home and just chill. The way our lives go, an ideal vacation is being home, or catching up with friends. When we can manage it, going on drives with music is just bliss. We're easy people. Simple, everyday things give us pleasure
Over the last decade, Ash has amassed an incredible repertoire of work. From hulking epics like Devdas and Jodhaa Akbar, to art-house gems like Chokher Bali and also unabashed commercial bonanzas like Dhoom 2 and Robot. She knew right from the get-go that she wanted to be a versatile performer and if that meant taking the path less trod and risking comfort and commercial success for a chance to grow her craft, she would do it. In the end, her gamble paid off manifold. Today, she has to her credit dizzying star power, is an actress par excellence and cannot be pigeonholed by genre, age nor marital status
