Ashok Anchan / Business of Cinema
Mumbai, Apr 19: Cashing in on the Abhishek Bachchan - Aishwarya Rai matrimonial alliance are lesser-known film producers Aadesh Mishra and Subhash Prajapati, who have launched a film titled Aishwarya Rai.
The film was launched on 18 April, 2007 at Nagi Villa, a few blocks away from Bachchan's bungalow in Juhu in suburban Mumbai.
The film will be written and directed by Shakeel S Saifee, who has worked on the TV serial Fauji, which starred Shah Rukh Khan, as also some feature films.
Says producer Aadesh Mishra, "The film is inspired by Aishwarya's life but will have a fabricated storyline. The film is budgeted around Rs 150 to Rs 200 million (Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 crores). We will complete the film in a maximum of three schedules."
Adds Saifee, "The film has an almost new cast. Akshar will potray Abhishek Bachchan's character, while Sanjay will play Salman Khan.
Sameer Sarkit will play Viveik Oberoi. Ashwini Kale will play the role of Aishwarya.
It is basically a love story between these three characters. The twist in the tale will be the reel Aishwarya opting for Salman when it comes to the marriage stakes and Viveik Oberoi helping them to get united."
AbAshed? Certainly not this Khan
- Spare a thought for the broken hearts before the party rolls
Pratim D Gupta / Telegraph
Mumbai: What do you do when your ex ties the knot with someone else?
Salman Khan — or at least someone who resembled him — congratulated the groom, Rani Mukerji stayed away, Karisma Kapoor was ignored and Viveik Oberoi bore the brunt.
As the celebrations for the Abhishek-Aishwarya wedding got under way today with the sangeet ceremony at Amitabh Bachchan’s old Juhu bungalow, Prateeksha, the couple’s former sweethearts danced to their own different beats.
Salman handled it coolly. When all eyes and cameras were focused on Prateeksha this afternoon, the other Bachchan bungalow, Jalsa, saw an unexpected guest get off a blue Scorpio.
Some speculated he might be a “duplicate” planted to mislead the media. After all, an Abhishek look-alike had caused a security breach at Ash’s home earlier in the day. But no, the man in the white shirt seemed Salman all right.
A source close to the actor said he had been invited to Friday’s wedding but wouldn’t be turning up. So, he wanted to congratulate close friend Abhishek in private.
“He was one of the first people to congratulate Abhishek when the engagement was officially announced in January,” the source said.
But Rani, once tipped to become the Bachchan bahu, has put off moving into her new bungalow in Juhu.
She told The Telegraph she had been slated to move in this month, but “the interior decoration is taking some time, so it will only be in May, I guess”.
But sources said the bungalow’s proximity to Prateeksha and Jalsa had prompted Rani to postpone her housewarming at a time wedding bells are ringing in the neighbourhood.
As the industry buzzed with excitement over the big Bollywood marriage, Rani was away from it all, shooting for a special television promotional of her new film Ta Ra Rum Pum in Andheri’s Yash Raj Studios.
After the shoot, when she was requested to congratulate Abhishek and Aishwarya on camera, Bunty’s Babli refused.
Karisma Kapoor, who used to be formally engaged to Abhishek, has not been invited to the wedding. While the rest of the Kapoor family has supposedly been sent the cards, Karisma and sister Kareena have been left out.
Handed the snub in a different way has been Viveik Oberoi. The actor, who was seeing Aishwarya before she became Abhishek’s girlfriend, has been described as a “man on a mission” by the groom’s mother, Jaya Bachchan, on Karan Johar’s TV chat show Koffee With Karan.
The music release of Viveik’s forthcoming film, "Shootout at Lokhandwala", which has guest cameos by Amitabh and Abhishek, was given the miss by the Bachchans last weekend.