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Aishwarya Rai
Two of the biggest stars in Bollywood, the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie of their particular movie scene, are going to tie the knot. Sometimes called the most beautiful woman in the world, Aishwarya Rai will marry her fellow Indian movie star Abhishek Bachchan. The couple announced their engagement yesterday after weeks of speculation.
Aishwarya Rai was Miss World and has been on the cover of Time Magazine. Abhishek Bachchan is less well-known worldwide, but is huge in the Indian community. He is the son of Amitabh Bachchan, a living legend in the world of Bollywood cinema. Abhishek is 30 and Aishwarya is 33. According to the Telegraph, Bachchan and Rai were engaged in a private ceremony on Sunday at the Bachchan residence in Bombay after astrologers declared that the day was auspicious. Amitabh told CNN IBN, "I was the first person he called once the engagement had been made. I am really happy and delighted for them."
Word leaked out about the ceremony and, according to reports from the Telegraph, thousands of fans and well-wishers started to crowd around the gates of the Bachchan residence, dancing, singing, and weeping through out the night. A fan told the BBC, "Their engagement happened late but it is great that they have decided to get married. Nothing can be better than this for them both."
Another fan spoke to the BBC, "One is a former Miss World, while Abhishek is Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan's son, so both are high profile and suited for each other."
Not everyone is ecstatic. A young female fan also spoke to the BBC about her feelings on losing the single status of the Bollywood icon, "I don't like Aishwarya Rai and I don't like their pairing. Abhishek is so good, he should remain a bachelor for sometime as his career is just taking off. I also think he should marry someone younger, he can get a more beautiful woman than Aishwarya!"
Komal Nahta, a Bollywood expert told the BBC that he doesn't think the marriage will be the end of Aishwarya Rai's acting career, although it's worth noting that she has signed fewer contracts for films in recent months and doesn't have many new releases waiting to come out. "I don't think she will give up acting, she will continue to pursue her career as Aishwarya Bachchan."
Rai and Bachchan can actually be seen on screen together right now in Guru, a film that just opened in Toronto, a film that caused the Bollywood press to assume that marriage for the two was a foregone conclusion because their on-screen chemistry was so strong. They have actually starred in a few films together but none have been big box office hits. Last November, the couple visited a temple in the holy city of Varanasi to work out their astrological differences and the rumors of an impending engagement really heated up.
Bollywood movie stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai are engaged and will marry later this year, the former Miss World's manager confirmed Monday, ending months of speculation about their relationship.
Rai and Bachchan exchanged engagement rings in a small ceremony before a small group of relatives and friends late Sunday, Hari Singh told The Associated Press.
"Yes, it is true. Abhishek and Aishwarya are engaged," Singh said. "The wedding will definitely take place this year."
There has been speculation for several months about the love lives of the two actors, and news of their engagement was the top story in several Indian newspapers. The Times of India newspaper reported the wedding would take place in February or March.
"The children (Abhishek and Aishwarya) have decided (to marry)," Amitabh Bachchan, Bollywood legend and Abhishek's father, told The Times of India. "We are very happy."
Abhishek Bachchan, 31, and Rai, 33, have worked together in several movies.
In "Guru," Bachchan plays a man from a small Indian village who works his way to becoming a top industrialist and Rai plays his supportive wife.
The two also starred in a period drama "Umrao Jaan," "Kuch Na Kaho" or "Say No More" and "Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke" or "Two and A Half Words of Love."
Rai has acted in more than 30 movies.
Bachchan comes from a famous Bollywood movie family -- his father, Amitabh, and mother, Jaya, are among India's best known actors.
Aishwarya Rai was Miss World and has been on the cover of Time Magazine. Abhishek Bachchan is less well-known worldwide, but is huge in the Indian community. He is the son of Amitabh Bachchan, a living legend in the world of Bollywood cinema. Abhishek is 30 and Aishwarya is 33. According to the Telegraph, Bachchan and Rai were engaged in a private ceremony on Sunday at the Bachchan residence in Bombay after astrologers declared that the day was auspicious. Amitabh told CNN IBN, "I was the first person he called once the engagement had been made. I am really happy and delighted for them."
Word leaked out about the ceremony and, according to reports from the Telegraph, thousands of fans and well-wishers started to crowd around the gates of the Bachchan residence, dancing, singing, and weeping through out the night. A fan told the BBC, "Their engagement happened late but it is great that they have decided to get married. Nothing can be better than this for them both."
Another fan spoke to the BBC, "One is a former Miss World, while Abhishek is Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan's son, so both are high profile and suited for each other."
Not everyone is ecstatic. A young female fan also spoke to the BBC about her feelings on losing the single status of the Bollywood icon, "I don't like Aishwarya Rai and I don't like their pairing. Abhishek is so good, he should remain a bachelor for sometime as his career is just taking off. I also think he should marry someone younger, he can get a more beautiful woman than Aishwarya!"
Komal Nahta, a Bollywood expert told the BBC that he doesn't think the marriage will be the end of Aishwarya Rai's acting career, although it's worth noting that she has signed fewer contracts for films in recent months and doesn't have many new releases waiting to come out. "I don't think she will give up acting, she will continue to pursue her career as Aishwarya Bachchan."
Rai and Bachchan can actually be seen on screen together right now in Guru, a film that just opened in Toronto, a film that caused the Bollywood press to assume that marriage for the two was a foregone conclusion because their on-screen chemistry was so strong. They have actually starred in a few films together but none have been big box office hits. Last November, the couple visited a temple in the holy city of Varanasi to work out their astrological differences and the rumors of an impending engagement really heated up.
Bollywood movie stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai are engaged and will marry later this year, the former Miss World's manager confirmed Monday, ending months of speculation about their relationship.
Rai and Bachchan exchanged engagement rings in a small ceremony before a small group of relatives and friends late Sunday, Hari Singh told The Associated Press.
"Yes, it is true. Abhishek and Aishwarya are engaged," Singh said. "The wedding will definitely take place this year."
There has been speculation for several months about the love lives of the two actors, and news of their engagement was the top story in several Indian newspapers. The Times of India newspaper reported the wedding would take place in February or March.
"The children (Abhishek and Aishwarya) have decided (to marry)," Amitabh Bachchan, Bollywood legend and Abhishek's father, told The Times of India. "We are very happy."
Abhishek Bachchan, 31, and Rai, 33, have worked together in several movies.
In "Guru," Bachchan plays a man from a small Indian village who works his way to becoming a top industrialist and Rai plays his supportive wife.
The two also starred in a period drama "Umrao Jaan," "Kuch Na Kaho" or "Say No More" and "Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke" or "Two and A Half Words of Love."
Rai has acted in more than 30 movies.
Bachchan comes from a famous Bollywood movie family -- his father, Amitabh, and mother, Jaya, are among India's best known actors.
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