From Reel to Real: Aishwarya and Abhishek- A True Bollywood Love Story

From Reel to Real: The Beginning of the Abhishek-Aishwarya Love Story

Model and winner of Miss World turned Actress, Aishwarya Rai has been 'THE' face of Bollywood the World over. She has represented India on numerous occasions and has lit the screen on fire with her outstanding performances.

Even though she tries her best, her private life has never managed to be very private...with her relationships being splashed across every newspaper and magazine in the country. The most noticeable of these being her relationship with Bollywood Bad Boy Salmaan Khan and then newcomer chocolate boy Vivek Oberoi. The first ended on a bad note with Salmaan's possessiveness and crude attitude causing disruptions on sets and affecting other cast and crew members. On the other hand no one really knew the reason behind the Vivek-Aishwarya split except that she was unhappy with Vivek acknowledging their relationship in a public TV interview and also admitting that marriage was a possibility between them. Vivek and Ash split in 2005.

Abhishek from the film dynasty The Bachchan family and was no stranger to the film industry when he began his acting career. It was no big surprise when Abhishek was engaged to Karisma Kapoor, daughter of actress from one of the most well known film family's in India 'The Kapoors'. But a clash between the two families caused distress in the relationship and Abhishek’s engagement to Karisma Kapoor was broken off and she married a Delhi-based businessman in 2003. Abhi accepted the break-up and sank himself into work.


Abhishek and Aishwarya had worked together in two films -Dhai Akshar Prem Ke and Kuch Naa Kaho. They were friends but there was nothing more to their relationship.

It is hard to tell when exactly the first sparks of romance began between Ash and Abhishek. Some people say it was during the shooting of the song ‘Kajra Re’ for the movie Bunty Aur Babli. Anyway, seeds of love were sown between them, and Abhi fondly began calling Ash ‘Number Nine’ because she was named the ninth most beautiful woman in the world by a magazine.

By the beginning of 2006, Ash and Abhi romance was already fodder for gossip mills. However, the two never acknowledged their relationship in public.

The Abhi-Ash Engagement

In 2006 Amitabh's brother Ajitabh started speculation that marriage was on the cards for the couple when he made a visit to the Bangalore-based astrologer Chandrashekhar Swamy with the horoscopes of Ash and Abhi.

In the meantime, Aishwarya and Abhishek signed and starred in a string of movies together. They signed Umrao Jaan, Dhoom 2 and Mani Ratnam’s Guru. So while these two weren't shy on sharing the screen it was during the making of ‘Guru’ in June 2006 that Ash and Abhi became less cautious about being seen together at public places.

Ash fit into the Bachchan family quite seamlessly attending dinners and visiting temples with them. That same year Abhishek proposed to Aishwarya after the premiere of ‘Guru’ in Toronto and the actress accepted his proposal without a second thought. After flying back to Mumbai, the couple got engaged on Sunday, Jan 14, at the Bachchans’ residence. Only close friends and relatives from both the families were present at the engagement ceremony.

From then the guessing game began with everyone waiting for the Big Day and speculation of when and where the impending wedding would take place.

The Rai-Bachchan Wedding

After much speculation the wedding took place on 20th April, 2007. The Baarat left from the Bachchan Residence 'Jalsa' in Mumbai to another Residence of the family 'Prateeksha'. It was a traditional Hindu wedding in which the groom rode a white horse before the pair took their vows around a sacred fire.

The ceremonies concluded three days of celebrations at the actors' homes in India's entertainment capital of Mumbai, creating, what industry pundits said is, Bollywood's ultimate power couple. The wedding was preceded by a traditional Sangeet (music) celebration and a Mehendi(henna) ceremony.

Happily Ever After...??

While there have been rumours about a few tiff's and alleged cracks in their marriage (Read: All the Scoop on the Off Stage Gossip at the IIFA Awards), Abhishek and Aishwarya have been going strong. Their most recent venture is The Unforgettable Tour of the Bachchans...which is on full swing.

The only thing that could make this couple most exciting than they already is the pitter patter of tiny Baby Bachchan feet of which there are no signs as yet. But who knows with the baby boom in Hollywood...maybe Abhi-Ash will kick of a celebrity baby watch in Bollywood as well!

Related Articles:

All the Scoop on the Off Stage Gossip at the IIFA Awards
'The Unforgettable Tour' of the Bachchans
Made for Each other - Bollywood Couples
Bollywood Celebrity Baby Pictures and More...Can You Recognise Them?