L'Oreal drops Aishwarya, opts for Freida!
International cosmetic giant L'Oreal Paris has surprisingly dropped Aishwarya Rai Bachchan from their 2011 global 'Happy New Year' commercial.
While Aishwarya is the only international brand ambassador to be dropped from the new campaign, L'Oreal dropped a second bomb by roping in Freida Pinto, Hollywood's Indian flavour of the season, in the commercial.
The brand's international ambassadors include Jane Fonda, Diane Kruger, Beyonce Knowles, Claudia Schiffer, Milla Jovovich, Patrick Dempsey, Rachel Weisz, Laeticia Casta, Evangeline Lilly and Gerard Butler.
All of them feature in the new campaign except Aishwarya, who was roped in by the company in 2005 as one of its global spokesmodels.
While L'Oreal Paris representatives in India couldn't be reached for a comment, the buzz doing the rounds is that the prestigious cosmetic brand has plans to rope in Freida as their new global spokesmodel from India.
The commercial, which has been uploaded on L'Oreal Paris' French site, features the brand's spokesmodels delivering hard sell lines in French and English.
Freida incidentally gets as much screen space as the other stars.
When contacted, Aishwarya's spokesperson claimed to be unaware of the matter. "I don't know anything about it. We need to check out the details," she said, adding: " Ash is busy with her upcoming performance at an awards function, so she can't speak on this issue right away." Interestingly, Ash along with Hollywood diva Eva Longoria, has been a regular at the Cannes Film Festival red carpet over the past few years as the cosmetic brand's spokesmodel.
Many in Bollywood feel the brand's disinterest in Ash could have to do with the fact that she hasn't been very active on the international front of late.
"She needs to be seen more in the West to get new work there. She needs to keep the excitement level going about her. Freida has been constantly in the global limelight in recent times. That could be a reason," says a Bollywood filmmaker who has worked with Ash.
Right now, Freida is clearly the exotic flavour of the season in the West. "Also you can't deny the fact that at 37, Aishwarya is no longer as young as she used to be. For westerners, she isn't probably as much a draw as she was about five years ago. Now, Freida has caught their imagination," says a media analyst.
In fact, L'Oreal Paris' UK portal states it clearly. It writes: "Freida, India's very own million dollar baby, has gone from strength to strength, be it upcoming international films or building her reputation as the young fashionista across the globe. Freida's name has been firmly engraved in the minds of all." Come to think of it, Freida is indeed going great guns in the West.
The brand's international ambassadors include Jane Fonda, Diane Kruger, Beyonce Knowles, Claudia Schiffer, Milla Jovovich, Patrick Dempsey, Rachel Weisz, Laeticia Casta, Evangeline Lilly and Gerard Butler.
All of them feature in the new campaign except Aishwarya, who was roped in by the company in 2005 as one of its global spokesmodels.
While L'Oreal Paris representatives in India couldn't be reached for a comment, the buzz doing the rounds is that the prestigious cosmetic brand has plans to rope in Freida as their new global spokesmodel from India.
The commercial, which has been uploaded on L'Oreal Paris' French site, features the brand's spokesmodels delivering hard sell lines in French and English.
Freida incidentally gets as much screen space as the other stars.
When contacted, Aishwarya's spokesperson claimed to be unaware of the matter. "I don't know anything about it. We need to check out the details," she said, adding: " Ash is busy with her upcoming performance at an awards function, so she can't speak on this issue right away." Interestingly, Ash along with Hollywood diva Eva Longoria, has been a regular at the Cannes Film Festival red carpet over the past few years as the cosmetic brand's spokesmodel.
Many in Bollywood feel the brand's disinterest in Ash could have to do with the fact that she hasn't been very active on the international front of late.
"She needs to be seen more in the West to get new work there. She needs to keep the excitement level going about her. Freida has been constantly in the global limelight in recent times. That could be a reason," says a Bollywood filmmaker who has worked with Ash.
Right now, Freida is clearly the exotic flavour of the season in the West. "Also you can't deny the fact that at 37, Aishwarya is no longer as young as she used to be. For westerners, she isn't probably as much a draw as she was about five years ago. Now, Freida has caught their imagination," says a media analyst.
In fact, L'Oreal Paris' UK portal states it clearly. It writes: "Freida, India's very own million dollar baby, has gone from strength to strength, be it upcoming international films or building her reputation as the young fashionista across the globe. Freida's name has been firmly engraved in the minds of all." Come to think of it, Freida is indeed going great guns in the West.
Aishwarya Rai is The Best Aunty!
Aishwarya Rai swears off work for two months to help her bro's wife with the newborn. Practicing already? Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has decided to stay at home for two months and help her bhabhi (brother Aditya's wife) Srima with her baby boy, who was born on November 26.
She will avoid most public appearances in the next couple of months, as she wants to spend as much time as possible at home. She will only attend those she had previously committed to.
Early warning
Says a source, "Post-Guzaarish, she missed the promotions so she could be with her sister-in-law.
Everyone is very excited about the baby, Ash more so. She had warned all her producers, organisers and media manager about the situation. " She will play the doting bua to the hilt in real life now.
After a while
Says a source close to Rai-Bachchan, "She deliberately finished all her film assignments by October. And she has not signed any film after Guzaarish.
She will finalise her next batch of films with Vishal Bhardwaj, Shyam Benegal and Madhur Bhandarkar after two months. "
Confirms Aishwarya, "I've just been travelling and shooting, of late. Now I'm taking time off to be with my sister-in-law and her baby. "
About her plans for 2011, she adds, "I don't think too far ahead. Every time I plan, I end up not implementing it. When I did Devdas in 2002, I had promised myself I'd work in a more phased manner.
I am yet to live up to that promise. If you remember, I married in the middle of my career. After that I took time off for my family. I had technically kept three months off. It turned out to be six months of no movies. "
"Hit Herione" vs. "Flop Actress"?
In a male dominated industry, rarely there is that Diva that has it all. Gone are the days of Hema Malani and Sridevi. The idea of a complete Superstar Actress ended with Madhuri Dixit. These days all we see are Heriones who are a part of Hit films. There are very few in between that are actual actresses with hit films.
On one side there is the likes of Katrina and Deepika who perfer to remain eye-candy in hit films like Tees Mar Khan and Housefull. On the other side there are actresses like Rani and Aishwarya who continue to ACT in films but don't achieve the blockbusters like Kat and Deeps do. Aishwarya has done an award winning job in Guzaarish and although the film is the best fo the year, it is not a blockbuster.
Either way it is a Win-lose situation. There is no current Sridevi or Madhuri Dixit who consistintly acted and performed Phenomenly in Phenomenly successfull films like Chandni and Hum Aapke Hain Kaun.
Whom do you prefer, a Hit hot Herione (Katrina) or a Flop talented Actress ( Aishwarya Rai Bachchan)?
Which do you think commands more respect in the industry?
Guzaarish : Movie Review
Story: They called him Merlin and anointed him the best magician. But Ethan Mascarenhas (Hrithik Roshan) has very little magic left in his life after a near-fatal accident that leaves him paralysed and confined to bed for life. Can the life-loving Ethan live out the rest of his life as a quadriplegic or has he a right to end the pain and opt for euthanasia (mercy killing)? While his best friend and lawyer Devyani (Shernaz Patel) is ready to fight his case, his devoted nurse Sophie (Aishwarya Rai) can't foresee a life without her beloved patient and is in a dilemma. Will she let go?
Movie Review: Guzaarish is an unusual film in many respects. Firstly, because it follows a film craft that is akin to pure art. Film maker, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his cinematographer (Sudeep Chatterjee) have created a collage of riveting paintings on screen, where both the interiors of a crumbling mansion and the outsides of an incandescent Goa landscape literally transport you to an art gallery. The exquisite detailing of Aishwarya's daily chores as she brushes her patient's teeth, shampoos his hair, scratches his nose, cleans his bed sores or simply draws the blinds to keep the sunlight out is mesmerising to watch, even as their rare outdoor soirees blind you with their exuberance. Catch Hrithik and Aishwarya enjoying a drive down the uninhibited Goan countryside and you can actually feel the breeze rustle through your hair....
But more unusual is the spirit of the film which supposedly articulates a plea for death but ends up serenading life and love with tenderness and restraint. Ethan may be plagued by his immobility and languishing body, but his eyes dance like a dervish. Despite his desire to die with dignity, there is a liveliness that surrounds him as he interacts with the few people around him: his student, the wanabe magician Omar (Aditya Roy Kapur), his lawyer friend, Devyani (Shernaz Patel), his die hard doctor (Suhel Seth), his mother (Nafisa Ali) and most importantly, his nurse, Sophie (Aishwarya Rai). Even the few flashbacks that the film features showcase him as an ardent lover and an adorable kid, who performs his first magic trick before his mother. Yes, death does hang around like a shroud, but life bristles and bursts through every frame of Guzaarish.
Then again, the film is one of the most unusual love stories of recent times. The relationship between Ethan and Sophie is much more than a patient-nurse bond and brims over with a passion that threatens to burst any moment. So what if almost everything is left unsaid between the two. The eyes -- and expressions -- say it all. Kudos to Hrithik and Aishwarya to create some of the most romantic moments on screen without resorting to cliche and stereotype.
The performances are uniformly good, with the ensemble cast, specially Shernaz Patel, providing great support to the lead actors. But in the end, it is Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai who leave an indelible impression with their interpretation of two extremely difficult and unconventional characters who do not have the usual props to express grief, joy, pain and passion. If Hrithik uses his eyes as his be-all and end-all, then Aishwarya is a stunning picture of fire and grace, walking away with certain scenes by her sheer vitality. Catch her outburst in the courtroom and her impromptu jig in the restaurant to understand how underutilised she has been in run-of-the-mill cinema. Equally noteworthy is the music score where Sanjay Leela Bhansali debuts as a music director.
A film like Guzaarish isn't made for the box office. It's made for the gratification of the senses. And that it does, in ample measure.
