The suspense is over! Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan arrived at the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival last Wednesday decked in a smart black dress where she wowed the crowds and mingled with fellow attendees including Desperate Housewife actress Eva Longria Parker. The giggling duo walked arm in arm up the red carpet. Ash quashed any pregnancy rumours: “It will happen when it has to happen but no speculation right now please!”

Ash was on the red carpet again for the premiere of Woody Allen’s latest Vicky Christina Barcelona. This time, Rai chose a pink flowing gown and she was accompanied by her husband Abhishek and her in-laws, Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan.

Green was her colour of choice on Sunday when she attended the ‘Indiana Jones’ premiere with Abhishek in a sober black suit.

Ash’s next Bollywood release, ‘Sarkar Raj’ reunites her with Abhishek and Amitabh. The Godfather remake will now enjoy a premiere, not at Cannes as was expected but at next month’s IFFAs or Bollywood Oscars in Bangkok. Her next Hollywood release will be ‘The Pink Panther 2’, opposite Steve Martin.

Other Bollywood players who have attended this year’s festival so far include Anil Kapoor, his producer brother Boney and daughter actress Sonam, veteran actor Dev Anand, and filmmakers Ketan Mehta and Jag Mundra.

Preity unsatisfied

Preity Zinta is fast becoming a Cannes regular. Last year, I met her at the India Party held at Majestic Beach and on the Ashok Amritraj boat bash. This year, the bubbly Zinta made a special appearance at the Chopard Beach Party in her capacity as their brand ambassador in India. Zinta is excited about her first English language release, ‘The Last Lear’, opposite Amitabh Bachchan. Why the move to serious cinema? “I couldn’t stand to see myself doing another foreign shoot and singing in the Alps. I need creative satisfaction!”

Bollywood snub

The most controversial news from Cannes has been the announcement that Reliance Industries, India’s biggest private company, has struck a deal to invest not in Bollywood but in Hollywood films. Anil Ambani’s Reliance Big Entertainment (RBE) will co-finance films with major Hollywood studious co-owned by George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt and Jim Carrey. Rajesh Sawhney, President of RBE states: “We are confident that the respective studious will welcome our development.” Bollywood producers are miffed at this reverse trend especially as Ambani’s wife Tina is a former Bollywood actress!

Blog War: the sequel

Aamir Khan explained in his blog last week that Shah Rukh Khan was the name of his pet dog. The ‘King Khan’ responded: “I don’t have copyright over this name if it is used non-commercially.” Shah Rukh has no time to blog as he is busy shooting for his latest Yash Chopra production ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’. How does Shah Rukh feel to be working again with the Chopras? “Yash Raj Films is, and will always be home for me and who doesn’t like coming home?” Let’s hope that his favourite director, best buddy Karan Johar does not get jealous.

The Hottie and the Tottie

The cricket Indian Premier League may be gripping India at the moment but hunky John Abraham is more interested in football. The ‘Goal’ star has been signed up as the brand ambassador for next month’s UEFA European Football Championships which will be screened on ESPN in India. I asked John to name his favourite English football team: “Manchester United is exciting but my team is Tottenham Hotspur!”

Salman goes to Hollywood

Salman Rushdie has a new career: he acts in Helen Hunt’s directorial debut ‘And Then She Found Me’. Rushdie, last seen on the silver screen playing himself in ‘Bridget Jones Diary’, has no plans to make a Bollywood debut. It looks like he may have learnt from ex-wife Padma Lakshmi’s disastrous attempt to crack Bollywood. Laskshmi’s debut, the doomed ‘Boom’ opposite Amitabh Bachchan, went bust at the box-office.

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