She?s in the city for a few action-packed days, and shooting for the Lux commercial, when we meet up with the actress. As always, there are dozens of hopefuls from the television and the print media waiting to meet Aishwarya Rai. Including a team from BBC TV waiting patiently for some hours now for their sound bytes. Everyone?s waiting to swoop down on Ash the moment the ad cameras switch off.

«Lovely!» says the director as he wraps up. And we buttonhole Ash. «The last few months have gone in such a whirl,» she says a little breathlessly. «I?ve been away so long that I missed Mumbai terribly. The worst was when I was shooting in Coorg. We were completely cut off from the world and I?ve never been so homesick. Then I was here for just a few days before I had to fly off to Kolkata for Raincoat.»

She pauses, then continues to list her itinerary. «Then I flew to Namibia to shoot for De Beers. I came back for a few days to rehearse for my world tour before I left for the US. In between my stage shows in the UK, Canada and America, I flew down to London to promote Gurinder Chadda?s Bride And Prejudice. Then I was in Italy for Longines, and next in France for L?Oreal. And I also had to make time to attend the opening and the closing ceremonies at Cannes. It all got so hectic I just decided to take it day by day. That was the only way I could cope. Also, I?ve never missed Mumbai as much as I have all these days. I?ve just been away from home far too long.»

So when do we get to see Bride And Prejudice? «The movie will release this fall,» she says. «We finished shooting last November. But they had decided to release it only around fall.»

Mention Raincoat and it brings a soft glow to her face. «It was a wonderful experience shooting for the film,» she smiles. «And it?s always great fun to work with Rituparno Ghosh. I enjoyed myself so much during Chokher Bali too.»

Tell her that she was ravishing with zero make-up in Chokher Bali and that she looks a million times better without the gloss and the glam and she smiles. «Sweet of you to say that,» she coos. «Then you must see Raincoat. I?m a hundred times more deglam in Raincoat than I was in Chokher Bali. When I came for my first shot of the schedule, Ritu told me, ?Go deglam yourself more. You still look too good.? Despite the dark circles below my eyes, he wasn?t satisfied with the way I looked and insisted that I downplay my looks further. That?s when Ajay Devgan told Ritu, «You?re talking as if ordinary people aren?t beautiful.» She laughs, «I told him, if I hadn?t become an actress, I would have been an architect somewhere, leading a perfectly ordinary life.»

Now, we don?t know about Rituparno Ghosh or Ajay Devgan, but we find it a little difficult to think of Ash leading a perfectly ordinary life.

<B>? I?ve never missed Mumbai as much as I have all these days. I?ve just been away from home far too long. ?</B>

Source : Filmfare India