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Mumbai, Jan 11: Rumours of Abhishek Bachchan - Aishwarya Rai marriage are fast gathering momentum.

The gossip mills have now spun another tale: The actress has decided to quit movies once she marries Bachchan Jr., although both Abhishek and Ash haven't issued any official statement yet. If the news is indeed true, what happens to the projects Ash had signed sometime back?

If readers would recall, Ash had been confirmed for Happy Birthday, with John Abraham as her co-star. Produced by Gaurang Doshi [Aankhen, Deewaar] and directed by Sriram Raghavan [currently directing Johnny Gaddaar and an untitled venture for Rohan Sippy with Akshay Kumar heading the cast], the film was supposed to start in early 2007.

"Happy Birthday is starting in March. Definitely with Aishwarya Rai. No, she hasn't backed out of the project. Nor has she refunded the signing amount. There's no truth to this rumor," Gaurang clears the air. Wasn't he supposed to start the film in January? "Besides John, Ash and Paresh Rawal, there are as many as 41 characters in the film, which we haven't finalized yet. But Happy Birthday will take off by March-end and we plan to wrap up its shooting by 10th July," Gaurang divulges.

Aishwarya Rai's Charisma: A Hype?

Courtesy: Arya Aiyappan / XML

Mumbai:  Former Miss World, one of the leading actresses of Bollywood, embodiment of flawless beauty; that is Aishwarya Rai for you. Her name resounds in every movie buff's voice and is a revered figure amidst the controversies in which she has landed centering on her love life, the tie-ups and break-ups. Hardly does one name Bollywood without her name.

It needs to be unearthed with the question lurking in the backdrop as to whether she deserves the much praise and attention showered on her or it is a mere media gimmick. That she is a wonderful actress with a flair for acting is beyond doubt, with the ease and elegance she puts into every movie. But beyond that it is more of a hype, which sustains her image as one of the topmost actresses of today in the India to shine in the international scenario.

Ash as she is lovingly known on her 33rd birthday was the first bollywood actress to be acknowledged internationally with her interviews on the "Oprah Winfrey show" as well as the Emmy winning prestigious American Talk Show, "Late night With David Letterman". Commended as the most popular face by American actress Julia Roberts, she is undoubtedly 'the most beautiful woman in the world' and compared to Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly, Hollywood's mesmerizing ladies. It is beyond doubt that her beauty and grace is nearly unrivalled in the Indian context, but what is disquieting is whether that holds well as regards her acting talent.

The hype generated regarding her acting proficiency and the well connected personal relations that she maintains has definitely a major hand in her success. The stupendous beauty coupled with the controversies surrounding her love affairs has conferred upon the classic celebrity status. Hitting the headlines with her affair with Salman Khan, the consequent break up raising much hullabaloo, her relationship with Vivek Oberoi, and at present with Abhishek Bachchan, her stint at Cannes, the hot smooch with Hrithik Roshan in Dhoom 2 or for the matter her statement at the "Oprah Winfrey Show" that India is the land of Kamasutra. The grapevine goes that Aishwarya and Abhishek did exchange garlands in secret.

Beauty is her hallmark though in acting one should acknowledge that actresses like Madhuri Dixit far outweigh, as she is perfection with dignity personified, though she has never been able to achieve the international recognition that Aishwarya Rai gained. Actresses like Rani Mukherjee and Kajol the epitomes of versatility are unfortunately not much acclaimed internationally. What keeps probing is whether beauty overshadows the flair for acting and the innate ability to vibe well with the audience' psyche.

Toronto Mayor invites Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan

Agency report

Toronto mayor David Miller has personally invited Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan and the star cast of Guru for the world premiere of the film.

The Mani Ratnam-directed flick is India’s first mainstream international premiere in Canada.

Says Mayor David Miller in a press release, "It's a pleasure to host the world premiere of ‘Guru’ in Toronto. This presentation represents a landmark event for the city of Toronto and all of Canada. It is an unprecedented occasion for the city to have film artists of the stature of Mani Ratnam, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, along with the producer Bobby Bedi . That they would select our city is an indication of the high regard Indian filmmakers have for Toronto. This is an opportunity to bring Indian Cinema to a larger appreciative audience and, at the same time, to further develop economic, creative and personal ties between our two countries."

Abhishek, who plays the main protagonist in the film seemed pretty excited about ‘Guru’ being the first film to be premiered in Canada.

Says Abhishek, "Hello, I'm Abhishek Bachchan. You have always come to see my movies and now its time to come and see you. Join me for the world premiere of my film ‘Guru’ in Toronto, Jan 11, 2007. See you there!”

‘Guru’ will achieve another first- it will be the first Indian film to be distributed by a Canadian Distributor, Roger Nair Productions, the company behind the world premiere of ‘Guru’.

Padamm Kumar, COO, Roger Nair production said "It is indeed an honour to have the world premiere of ‘Guru’ in Toronto, since it will be the first Indian mainstream film to do so. This has been path breaking and a landmark deal between Canada and India, in the process making Canada an official territory for Bollywood films. We chose Mani Ratnam's film because his films has a certain sensibilities attached, visually international and in content.”

Roger Nair productions will hold a world premiere in Toronto with most of the cast and crew attending on January 11th 2007 including Ash, Abhishek, Madhavan , A R Rahman and Mani Ratnam at the prestigious Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre Centre, where most of Hollywood films are premiered.

The organizers are expecting around 10,000 people to line up the street for a glimpse of Abhishek and Ash for the red carpet premiere in true Hollywood style.

‘Guru’ opens in theaters Canadawide Cineplex, AMC and Empire January 12th, 2007.