New name, new career for Bollywood star

New name, new career for Bollywood star
by Jeremy Page, April 27, 2007

Aishwarya Rai, the Bollywood megastar, is to carry on acting after her marriage last week, breaking the mould for Indian actresses who generally retire after tying the knot.

But in a careful nod to Indian tradition, the former Miss World has adopted the surname of her new husband, Abhishek Bachchan, and decided to live in the Bachchan family home in Bombay.

The decisions were announced by her father-in-law, the 66-year-old screen legend, Amitabh Bachchan, whose own wife, Jaya, largely gave up acting after their marriage in 1973.

They reflect the delicate balancing act Bollywood actresses must still perform to maintain their allure as screen sirens, without offending their deeply conservative fans.

“Jaya and I have insisted that Aishwarya must continue with her acting career. There is no problem or issue with us,” Mr Bachchan senior told The Times of India in his first interview since the wedding.

“They will live with us,” he said. “This decision came voluntarily from both Abhishek and Aishwarya.” He added that his 33-year-old daughter-in-law wanted to use his surname and had already signed her first autograph as Aishwarya Bachchan.

If the new Mrs Bachchan continues her career, as her father-in-law’s comments suggest, it would set a precedent for Bollywood actresses.

For decades they have concealed and delayed wedding plans in order to maintain the illusion that they are single and eligible to play young romantic leads. Once married they typically retire and have children, returning to the screen years later to take on more matronly roles.

But industry insiders say that the new Mr and Mrs Bachchan – dubbed “Abhi-Ash” by Indian media – could exploit their status as Bollywood’s hottest couple by making several films together in the next few years.

The couple are considered India’s equivalent of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and any film they appear in is almost guaranteed to be a box-office success.

Source : New name, new career for Bollywood star article on TimesOnline.co.uk