During a brief interview with Instep, Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan spoke about her respect for punctuality, following instinct when it comes to endorsements, and the importance of staying true to yourself in the modern age.
An international writer once said: “There are women. There are beautiful women. And then there’s Aishwariya Rai.”
The statement, meant to be a testament to Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan’s striking looks, in some ways takes away from the fact that she is just as celebrated as an artist.
From being crowned Miss World to receiving the Padma Shri, India’s highest civilian honor to being immortalized at the Museum of Madame Tassauds, Rai-Bachchan’s life is filled with (deserving) accolades. But somehow it’s her beauty that is praised and discussed in a manner akin to religious fervor. Her image is therefore perched between what’s real and what’s fantastical. Of course there is much more to the person and it became palpable during our recent meeting in Dubai.
The artist and the super-star, visiting the metropolis to launch the latest Longines collection, had exactly six minutes to spare during which we spoke about her respect for punctuality, following instinct when it comes to endorsements, and the importance of staying true to yourself in the modern age.
Her arrival was marked by significant activity. Expected to appear at 4pm, it was remarkable to see Rai-Bachchan appear on the designated time. The security head notified the bouncers and the guards on the speaker phone that “she had arrived” before adding: “take your positions.”
Her graceful entrance was welcomed not just by the umpteen photographers, who were looking for that perfect shot, but a sizable crowd that had gathered outside the venue. As they called out her name, she greeted everyone with a flying kiss and a namaste, by joining two hands in humility.
Coincidently I was also invited to meet another super-star of the current times - who was also in the city to promote his clothing brand and I was notified that the event got delayed because the star was not happy with his hotel room. The incident moved me to ask Rai-Bachchan if she believed in the mantra of being fashionably late.
“No, I don’t think being late is considered fashionable anywhere,” she began. “Believe me, if I am ever late, it is never planned or never intentional. Punctuality is always respected world over. I have observed that over the years punctuality has become much more of a challenge as we race against time. Every human, on a day to day basis is over committed or is being consumed by what is happening around him, and then the traffic has now become the reality of the planet we are living on. We must factor in all these realities to ensure that we are on time everywhere we are expected. I do that at least.”
Given that the event that brought the Bollywood actress to the city was about the launch of a latest watch collection, I asked Rai-Bachchan what time has taught her in all these years.
“Time is extremely precious,” she said, reflectively. “Treasure every second of this blessed life. Enjoy it as it is a gift. Give to it your full potential. As they say it is a great healer too so as time goes by, also reflect if you are doing your best in that given moment.”
Speaking about endorsements that have a tendency to reflect her lifestyle and what she looks for in brands and whether there is a checklist she follows and could share, the actor explained that the decision is much more instinctual than anything else.
“I am a huge follower of my instinct. It has to resonate with who I am and it must bring forward the values I believe in. You must feel the connection and there should be truth in your voice when you associate your identity with it. It has got to be real and that is primary. And then if you check my history, considering the brands I have been associated with or I have spoken for, it says it all.”
A question I have asked almost every star I have interviewed (including SRK) is about the things they don’t leave the home without. Most had one item in common which was a mobile phone. When posed with the same question, Rai-Bachchan said without hesitation: “The first thing is my integrity, second is my commitment.”After a slight pause, she added, “truth.”
It may sound like a pageant-esque answer on the surface but Rai-Bachchan’s strong ethical compass is not for show but guides her come rain or shine.
Having finished two decades in the movie business, the actress who has several Filmfare awards to her credit feels that the key to longevity is to enjoy doing what you do while bringing a sense of commitment, passion and honesty to the job.
“It all boils down to the same thing. When you wake up and step out of your house, there has to be sincerity and honesty and a sense of commitment that you take with you. This modern age of media is an age of opinions and that could shape up your very next approach to life and to what you commit to. So stay connected to yourself and what satisfies you as a person. Keep having fear of mediocrity so that it only gets the best out of you and you enjoy doing what you do. You have to be your best friend and you should be brutally honest to yourself. And when the day ends if you feel you are not passionate about what you are doing, it’s your time to move on.”
– Sadiq Saleem is a Dubai based entertainment journalist. He is also an Instep & Something Haute correspondent and can be contacted on his page
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