Aishwarya Rai is an Indian actress and Bollywood star who won the Miss World beauty pageant in 1994. This beauty was unlucky for a long time in her personal life, until she met the actor Abhishek Bachchan on her way. In 2007, the couple got married, and four years later their daughter Aaradhya was born. In 2009, Aishwarya and her wife were invited to their show by the American TV presenter Oprah Winfrey. She noticed that their family union is no less popular in the world than the couple of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.
Towards happiness
After winning the Miss World contest, Aishwarya Rai did not build her modeling career for a long time, and in 1997 switched to acting. Her path in Indian cinema was not without failures and criticism, but this beauty with a radiant look quickly managed to become a Bollywood star and even go international after the success of The Bride and Prejudice.
With Salman Khan
At first, the girl's personal life was also not quite successful. In 1999, while filming the romantic comedy "Yours Forever", she met the famous actor and Indian film star Salman Khan. This relationship has received tremendous attention from the local press. Journalists wrote about Khan's numerous betrayals and indecent behavior towards his beloved. There was also information about the constant complaints of Aishwarya's parents about her boyfriend. In Indian society, where traditions and centuries-old moral norms are still strong, such a scandalous romance could not end in a happy marriage. In 2001, the couple announced their separation. Many years later, Aishwarya called the relationship with Salman "a nightmare in her life," accusing her ex-boyfriend of verbal and physical humiliation, as well as infidelity.
After breaking up with Khan, the girl briefly dated actor Vivek Oberoi. She met her future husband Abhishek Bachchan in 2000 on the set of the film "A few words about love". Then both were not free and communicated like friends. It is no coincidence that Abhishek got into the cinema. He was born into the family of a Bollywood star - actor Amitabh Bachchan. His father is considered one of the most influential personalities in Indian cinema. Over a long career that began in 1969, Amitabh has appeared in nearly 200 films. Bachchan Sr. connected his fate with actress Jaya Bhaduri. They had two children - daughter Shveta and son Abhishek.
The heir to Amitabh Bachchan was born in April 1976, he is 3 years younger than his wife Aishwarya, who was born on November 1, 1973. Abhishek made his film debut in 2000 in the film Forsaken. On the set, he met a young actress Kareena Kapoor, and in October 2002 they announced their engagement. True, already in January 2003, the lovers unexpectedly parted.
Meanwhile, Aishwarya and Abhishek began to work together a lot. In 2005 they starred in Bunty and Bubli, then appeared in a duet in Beauty Lucknow. However, a serious relationship between the on-screen partners began on the set of Bikers 2 in 2006. They came to the Toronto premiere of their next collaboration, Guru: The Path to Success, as an official couple.
The nuances of marriage in India
On The Oprah Winfrey Show, the acting couple, who had already tied the knot by that time, shared their engagement story. According to Abhishek, this joyous event happened immediately after they moved from Toronto to New York, continuing the promotional tour of their new film. When the lovers returned to the hotel, Bachchan invited Aishwarya to his room, took her to the balcony and asked to become his wife. True, the proposal turned out to be spontaneous, therefore, instead of a wedding ring, Abhishek presented the girl with an element of shooting props similar in shape, which he somehow miraculously managed to find in his things.
Rai was not at all offended by such an original manifestation of feelings, so she happily agreed. And upon returning to India, on January 14, 2007, the engagement took place according to all the rules. Abhishek re-proposed to Aishwarya at his father's residence, and his family were unaware of his intentions and were stunned no less than the Indian press, which published the great news the next day.
After the announcement of the engagement, the couple began to appear together in public more often, visit the cinema and nightclubs. In addition, Rai became a regular guest at the Bachchan family's home. But before marriage, the lovers faced some difficulties. The fact is that Aishwarya, according to the astrological horoscope, belonged to the category of "mangliks". In India, there is a very strong tradition of selecting candidates for family life by studying the combinations of planets at the time of their birth. The most unfavorable combination is "Mangal dosha", when the influence of Mars, the God of war and destruction, prevails in a person. It is believed that marriage with such a partner will be difficult, overshadowed by negative emotions, quarrels and a showdown.
For "mangliks" the solution to the problem is to choose a life partner with a similar horoscope. Otherwise, it is necessary to conduct a neutralizing ritual, according to which a person enters into a symbolic marriage with a banana tree or with the idol of God Vishnu (made of gold and silver). It is not known whether Aishwarya Rai passed through these traditional Indian rituals, but the fact of the presence of "Mangal dosha" in her horoscope was very actively discussed in the press.
Family life
Bachchan and Rai's wedding took place on April 20, 2007. The celebration was held in accordance with the Hindu rituals of the Riot community to which the bride belongs. Also, the ceremony included elements of Bengali traditions and traditions of the peoples of North India. The wedding venue was chosen at the residence of Amitabh Bachchan near the city of Mumbai. For her main day, the bride chose a burgundy sari. Among the guests were Bollywood stars, businessmen and politicians. A few days later, the newlyweds, accompanied by Father Abhishek, visited a Hindu temple to receive the blessing of the Almighty.
The couple told their love story two years later on the Oprah Winfrey show. They even suspended production of eight films for a visit to the United States. The American TV presenter noted that Aishwarya and Abhishek have about 5 billion fans around the world, so they are no less popular than Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. In addition, Rai then ironically commented on the constant rumors about her pregnancy.
The couple's only child, daughter Aaradhia, was born on November 16, 2011, after which her mother took a break in her career for 5 years. After giving birth, Aishwarya could not get in shape for a long time and fought in vain with excess weight. But in 2015, she finally returned to the cinema. In a recent interview, her husband admitted that his wife taught him not to react to speculation about their family life. Abhishek called Aishwarya a wonderful wife and mother, as well as his closest friend. The actress, in turn, calls her husband a personal source of inspiration. Admiring the happiness of the two movie stars, the fans of the couple are sure that the next Bollywood fairy tale on their example has become a reality.
