Aishwarya Rai, the latest foreign Hollywood find
By Sumita Sheth

Like many other HOT foreign names in Hollywood in the past, Aishwarya Rai seems to be everywhere. From appearances at Cannes “declaring the festival open”, having the latest “Asian” Barbie dolls modeled after her, shooting in foreign locales, being put on the cover of a Russian magazine, having a tulip named after her, appearing on David Letterman, Jay Leno and Oprah Winfrey or being named The Next Step World Diversity Champion by the UK government.

This week itself, Ms. Rai is to start shooting for her first Hollywood movie. Last Legion, starring Sir Ben Kingsley (who can be South Asian and not know that he played Gandhi in the movie Gandhi?) and Colen Firth (the ladies know him as the dishy Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice and the Bridget Jones movies) is slated to start shooting in Tunisia.

Ms. Rai seems to be on a roll in the West right now. Just take into account some of her Western movies in hand –
Last Legion, touted as an “action adventure”, with Ben Kingsley and Colen Firth, starts shooting in Europe this August.
Racing the Monsoon with Michael Douglas
Chaos with Meryl Streep
Singularity with Brendan Fraser and Vivek Oberoi
Provoked, based on a true-life drama, with Naveen Andrews and Nandita Das
Mistress of Spices, based on Chitra Divakauni’s novel, with Dylan McDermott
Bride & Prejudice, based on Jane Austen’s “Pride & Prejudice”, with Martin Henderson, Naveen Andrews

The list seems stupendous, especially when you consider the plethora of Hollywood stars that she will be acting with. Even more amazing is realizing that besides doing her usual brand ambadress work for various products, Aish continues to do Bollywood movies and says that she still puts them first. Although of course it already looks like she is losing her Indian movies to other eager-beaver starlets ready to step into her shoes – but that is another story.

We just hope that she won’t follow Sophia Haque and Penelope Cruz, in just as easily disappearing from the big banner Hollywood movies. It will be particularly difficult, what with having to juggle Bollywood and Hollywood; especially as we are told that she let Switch, with Will Smith, slip by due to date conflicts.

But for now Aishwarya Rai truly is everywhere - I go to a Chinese deli in Queens and her picture is stuck up next to the register, I go see my non-desi lawyer and he demands to know whether I know Ms. Rai and how he can get to meet her, people at a wedding in Martha’s Vineyard tell me they think she is the most beautiful woman in the world when they hear I am Indian. Despite the peeves we may have against her, from her sometimes silly giggle, to her non-desi outfits at Cannes, we have to thank Ms. Rai for one thing- she has forced the world to accept what we have always known – that the desi woman is just as lovely and charming as any other.