Aishwarya gives birth to a baby-girl

MUMBAI: Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has given birth to a baby-girl at the Seven Hills Hospital here, Geo News reported.

Aishwarya who is married to Abhishek Bachchan was expecting her first child and reported to have checked in Seven Hills Hospital Tuesday evening.

"IT'S A GIRL!," Abhishek, also a top actor, wrote on his Twitter account,
@juniorbachchan, without giving any further details.

Bachchan's father, Bollywood legend Amitabh, tweeted his joy at the new arrival: "A dada ji (a grandfather)...Ecstatic!", calling his new granddaughter "the cutest baby girl".

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Aishwarya Rai checks in for delivery

MUMBAI: Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has checked into Seven Hills Hospital according to Indian media reports.

Aishwarya who is married to Abhishek Bachchan is expecting her first child this week. According to reports, Aishwarya has been visiting the hospital for regular checkups and Abhishek told an Indian news paper that all he wants is a healthy child.

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Hospital labours for Ash

12-hour security shifts; mobile ban to be imposed to ensure complete privacy for her delivery

To ensure complete privacy to Bachchan bahu for her delivery, authorities at Seven Hills order security staff to work 12-hr shifts; mobile ban to be imposed

The entire country is waiting with bated breath for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's baby, and the staff at Seven Hills Hospital, where the Bachchan bahu is supposed to give birth is not far behind.

But for those who thought the doctors at the Marol hospital were on edge, they are wrong. In fact, it is the security and cleaning personnel, who are burning the midnight oil to ensure that the medical facility is ready and safe for her delivery.

The actress is ready to give birth anytime and while bets are on about the exact date of her delivery, sources say that the actress will have a planned delivery on November 11. In an attempt to maintain security till the Bachchan family leaves, the administration has ordered the security staff to work a 12-hour shift instead of the usual six-hour shift.

Also, a suite on the fifth floor of the hospital has been completely refurbished for the Bachchan bahu.

According to sources, the suite is one of the most expensive suites on the level, which houses a spa too.

And if all this was not enough to maintain privacy, sources told MiD DAY that once Aishwarya is admitted to the hospital, staff members will not be allowed to carry mobiles into her room. "The authorities are afraid that a staffer will click a picture of the family that would hurt their reputation. Hence, they have imposed a ban on phones," said a source.

Sources further explained that the reason why Aishwarya chose the Marol facility was because her sister-in-law Srima, reportedly gave birth to her son at the same facility. "The hospital is not crowded allowing the star family to maintain a certain level of privacy," said a hospital doctor.

Credit: Mid-Day.com

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11.11.11 the hot favorite amid bookies for baby B!!

MUMBAI: 11.11.11 seems to be bookies’ favorite bet on when Baby B would be born. Till recently, focus was on whether Ash will have a baby girl or a boy. But now, everyone’s focus has shifted to the date of the birth of the baby.

If rumors are to be gone by, then Rs150 crore is being bet on the date of the baby’s birth.

“There are a lot of bets being placed on dates between November 9 and 14, confirms a Mumbai-based bookie. The money riding on it is at least 150crores which may go up. November 11 is the hot favourite amongst bookies. The second most speculated date is November 14, which is Children’s Day.”

“If the kid is born on 11.11.11, then he/she will be governed by the moon and his birth number would be 2, says numerologist Sanjay Jumani.

Many superstars in Bollywood have their birth number as 2 including Amitabh Bachchan (Oct 11), Shahrukh Khan (Nov 2), Ajay Devgn (April 2), Sanjay Dutt (July 29), Dilip Kumar (Dec 11), Rajesh Khanna (Dec 29) and many more.

Also, with the moon being the planet with the maximum influence on the day, the kid’s creative abilities would be much sharper. Many musicians, actors and painters are ruled by the moon. On the flipside, the moon also has side effects, which can make the person very sensitive and moody.”

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Former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Celebrates 38th Birthday

MUMBAI: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan turns 38 today. The mom-to-be was recently seen at the Diwali party hosted by the Bachchans.

This birthday is all set to be a landmark one for the most beautiful woman in the world as she gets set to turn mother. For the woman who appears to have it all, there's probably not much else she can wish for as she gets set to take on the role of a lifetime. Some unconfirmed reports suggest though that several gifts will be showered on her today, including expensive jewellery, a car and even a home!

India's most awaited baby is expected on November 11.

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Aishwarya Rai Bachchan gets Madame Tussauds revamp

The wax figure of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been redesigned in preparation for a world tour of Madame Tussauds attractions.

The Devdas star will now be seen in an outfit which has been inspired by her Cannes appearance earlier this year.

"I think fans will be blown away by the beautiful Aishwarya Rai Bachchan," said Matthew Titherington, General Manager at Madame Tussauds Blackpool.

Rai Bachchan was seen in a white, embroidered, one-shouldered outfit from Lebanese designer Elie Saab.

The actor's original waxwork had earlier been dressed in a traditional red saree.

Rai Bachchan made her Cannes red carpet appearance as brand ambassador for L'Oreal Paris. Sonam Kapoor and Freida Pinto were also in attendance at the festival to promote the cosmetics firm.

The Madame Tussauds Bollywood collection includes Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Salman Khan.

Kareena Kapoor is expected to unveil her new statue at the attraction on October 27.

The global Bollywood tour will travel to London, Hong Kong, Bangkok and sites in Europe and the US.

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Aishwarya hits out at Heroine rumours

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has returned the token signing amount she had taken for Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine and has sent a legal notice to the producers not to use any material from the film shoot she had done for perpetuity on any platform. And she is upset that her name is still being dragged into every story on the film or otherwise for publicity.

To quote the actor’s spokesperson, “Certain section of the media have recently carried stories about Aishwarya being miffed because Kareena (Kapoor) has stepped into the film after Aishwarya backed out. When did this become backed out! We would like to put on record for the final time that the necessary dates were given by my client as per schedule. But the producers and the director put a halt to the shooting, leaving the situation “blurred” and “vague” for a while about whether the film had been “stalled”, “delayed until resumed” or “shut down”. This is far from the truth because as everyone is aware of what, she was removed due to a implied prejudice after they learnt about her pregnancy.”

The spokesperson insists that such rumours should be ignored and no one has the right to speak on behalf of Aishwarya on her reaction: “We have put an end to this chapter and would like to request the media not to drag my client’s name in this regard in future.” Credit Hindustan Times

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Pregnant Ash flaunts her baby bump with aplomb!

Aishwarya may have lost Madhur Bhandarkar's 'Heroine' due to her pregnancy but it is certainly not stopping her from doing other lucrative assignments.

The Bachchan bahu is in her sixth month of pregnancy and totally enjoying her pre motherhood phase along with wrapping up her previous professional commitments.

The actress was recently spotted in Bangkok for the shooting of her new Lux ad. Ash looked absolutely stunning in her off-shoulder peach-coloured gown designed by Manish Malhotra. She was glowing and full of energy and excitement.

The mommy-to-be reached the sets on time and was extremely professional. After seeing Ash on the sets everyone was stunned by her glowing face.

Soon after the shoot, she flew over to London with husband Abhishek Bachchan.

Credit: Mid-Day.com

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Aishwarya Rai will never ape Kate Middleton!

When it comes to matters related to wedding, Aishwarya Rai is very much like any other emotional Indian woman, Zee News reports. She might be a proud endorser of countless international brands but at the end of the day, Ash is typically Indian at heart.

So what if she walks the Cannes red carpet in designer western gowns, our very own Bachchan bahu will never do what Princess Catherine aka Kate Middleton did recently! The newly crowned Duchess of Cambridge had happily put her iconic wedding gown on display at an exhibition at the Buckingham Palace. But soon ‘mom-to-be’ Aishwarya will never exhibit her wedding attire in public. Talking to a daily, a source close to the actress said, “While most brides want designers to make their wedding outfits, Ash and her mom chose her wedding saree from a non-designer store. daily times monitor

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Aishwarya Rai Bachchan postpones French honour

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has requested that officials postpone an event held in her honour in the wake of the Mumbai bomb blasts.

Bachchan was to be awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, which recognises contribution to the arts.

According to IANS, Bachchan said: "We are very shocked and saddened by this incident. Our prayers are with the people affected.

"It is important for us Indians to stand strong and tell the perpetrators of terrorism that they cannot shake us. We believe that justice will be done.

"We pray for the victims and their families. And keeping in mind what's happened, we didn't deem it prudent to celebrate. My family and I felt it would be prudent to request that the ceremony be postponed, and we thank the French government for understanding our sentiments in the current situation."

French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont said: "The terrible series of blasts has shocked all of us. It seems the time is not right. I pay my condolence and want the Indian people to know that the government of France is with them."

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Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan 'hid pregnancy'?

Madhur Bhandarkar has accused Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan of holding back details of her pregnancy.

The director was forced to halt filming on Heroine after her pregnancy was announced on Twitter by her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan.

Writing on his blog, Bhandarkar said: "The truth was hidden from us. We learnt about the entire thing from news channels like the rest of the world that the said actress was four months pregnant and she was due in November.

"Film making in Mumbai film industry is not a mere business but one big fraternity who functions on total faith and trust."

Bhandarkar admitted that he is devastated about the scrapped project, which was reportedly inspired by the life stories of old Hollywood heroines.

Bhandarkar revealed that he felt he had no choice but to end the shoot, which was still in the early stages.

"Cinema is a visual medium and keeping in mind the physical state of the actress, the total interpretation of the character of a diva and the story would land up in major jeopardy post 65 days of her pregnancy," he wrote in his blog.

The pregnancy has led to rumours about producers wanting to put in "no pregnancy" clauses in contracts with their stars in order to avoid filming delays and cancellations.

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Aishwarya Rai pregnancy sparks clauses?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's pregnancy is reportedly making more filmmakers consider "no pregnancy" clauses in their contracts.The actress's announcement has meant that the shooting of Heroine is indefinitely on hold.

Murder 2 producer Mahesh Bhatt told Mumbai Mirror: "When the leading lady has to provide the glamour quotient and she [then becomes] another entity completely in the eyes of the consumer - from a desirable diva to a new mother - [it] serves as a body blow to producers."

However, Bhatt and fellow producers Ekta Kapoor and Vipul Shah argued that such a clause is not enforceable, saying that it should remain an "unspoken" agreement.

It was rumoured that the "dark" subject matter of the film may have made shooting it too stressful for the pregnant star, while speculation has also centred on whether she would be able to act out key scenes.The pregnancy was revealed last week by her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan, who tweeted fans with the news.

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Fans to miss Shahrukh, Ash performance in IIFA

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s fans are likely to get disappointed as buzz is in the air that he may not perform at the IIFA Awards, due to his knee problem.

Fans are eagerly waiting for the superstar who was supposed to perform at the stage of the prestigious IIFA Awards after 7 years.

Shah Rukh Khan has posted a tweet stating that he is in hospital getting his knee tapped up. He is feeling awful as he is not fully fit for performing at the IIFA.

But he also told his fans that he will try and give his best. He had attended the IIFA Weekend twice in the past—in Singapore in 2004 and in Amsterdam in 2005.

King Khan had performed last at the Singapore show. The superstar has been nominated as the best actor for his character of Rizwan in My Name Is Khan who suffers from Asperger’s syndrome.

On the other hand, news is that Aishwarya Rai Bachhan is also not performing in the upcoming awards due to her pregnancy. Ash and Abhishek will not attend the grand award ceremony that is scheduled to take place from 23rd to 25th June at Toronto.

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Raveena Tandon praises Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Raveena Tandon has revealed that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has wanted children for a long time.

News broke that the former Miss World and her husband Abhishek Bachchan are expecting a child when the couple were congratulated by his father Amitabh in a tweet.

Tandon tweeted from her own account: "I remember, she and me together on flights, going for concerts, chatting, long hrs (sic) away, then too she dreamed of a happy settled family life."

She added that Rai Bachchan is "a strong [Scorpio] lady" and has "moulded" her life as she wants.

Tandon recently returned to cinema, starring opposite Amitabh in Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap.

He recently complemented the 36-year old actress on her first Bollywood role in five years, describing her as having the same "gusto" as earlier in her career.

It was recently reported that Rai Bachchan will continue shooting on Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine throughout her pregnancy.

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Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan is pregnant

Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan is pregnant with her first child in her marriage to fellow actor Abhishek Bachchan, it has been revealed.Amitabh Bachchan, her father-in-law, delivered the news to followers on Twitter, dispelling months of rumours.

He tweeted: "T 410 -NEWS NEWS NEWS !! I AM GOING TO BECOME A GRANDFATHER .. AISHWARYA EXPECTING .. SO HAPPY AND THRILLED !!!"

The couple have been married for four years, but have persistently batted away rumours that they are planning to start a family.

The 37-year old actress described her husband as potentially a "good father" in 2009, because of his role playing the parent of his own dad Amitabh in their film Paa.

Amitabh last year criticised the media for its speculation that his daughter-in-law and son were unable to conceive despite reportedly stalling her career in preparation.

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Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at France's Prix De Diane: Picture

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has made an appearance at the 162nd edition of the Prix De Diane in Chantilly.
The actor arrived on the French horse racing course in a carriage wearing a peach dress from the Elie Saab Spring 2011 collection.Priya Tanna, who is editor of Vogue India, said of the actor's appearance: "Aishwarya has a classic, elegant style that never overwhelms her personality. She wears clothes, not the other way around. Her sartorial choices are rarely off the mark.

"Her Elie Saab dress at the Prix De Diane perfectly compliments that famed porcelain skin and exemplifies her feminine aesthetic."Rai Bachchan was seen at Cannes wearing an outfit from the same designer. 2011 marked her tenth appearance at the French film festival.She has reportedly reduced her fee for her next project Heroine and will instead take a share of the profits from the movie.

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Salman, Ash top online search poll

Ex-couple Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan were the most searched celebrities online in the month of May, according to a recent survey.

Salman’s latest film, Ready, was named the most popular movie of the month. He’s also been in the news for his charity work.. He is followed by Shahid Kapoor at number two, Shah Rukh Khan at three, Akshay Kumar at four and Aamir Khan at five. The survey pegged Rai as number one after the announcement of her film Heroine at the Cannes Film Festival. Next in line is Katrina Kaif, followed by Kareena Kapoor. Rounding off the list are Sonam Kapoor at number four, and Zarine Khan at five.

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Who will be Ash's hero?

MUMBAI: While the former beauty queen and B-town actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been confirmed as the female lead for Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Heroine’, the hunt for a younger lead actor is still on.

The buzz has it that the movie requires two male actors, and while Arjun Rampal has been signed for the main male lead, Bhandarkar is still confused over whom to cast as the other man in Ash’s life.

Running among the top contenders for the role of the man who uses the leading lady as a ladder to establish himself are: Ranbir Kapoor, Imran Khan, and Prateik Babbar.

The Times of India quoted a close source as saying, “Ash has a very interesting track with a young actor who falls in love with her. There are also a few romantic scenes between the actor and Ash. It's a role that's being battled for between the three actors.”

"The decision is yet to be made but it will be one of these three guys. Madhur is still in the process of casting and will be making his decision in the coming weeks,” the source told the daily.

She may have been hogging limelight for her red carpet appearances abroad, but in reality Aishwarya would be facing the cameras after a gap of eight months as she starts shooting for ‘Heroine’ from June 7.

She had faced the arc lights during the shooting of ‘Guzaarish’ in September last year and after that she has been on a break from films.

Reports claim that she has been spending a lot of quality time with her husband Abhishek Bachchan and visits to the international film festivals.

Scuttlebutt has it that Bhandarkar’s ‘Heroine’ is Aishwarya’s story as certain instances in the film have been inspired by her own journey to fame.

While talking about the movie during the Cannes film festival, the ace filmmaker said, “The film is not about Elizabeth Taylor or Marilyn Monroe, but it is a film based on an actresses’ journey to fame, along with the experiences she gathers and the people she meets.”

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Aishwarya Rai 'reduces asking fee'

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has cut her fee for new Hindi film project Heroine.

The actress, who launched the Madhur Bhandarkar venture at the Cannes Film Festival, will instead take a share of the profits, Mumbai Mirror reports.

A source revealed to the tabloid: "Every actor including Aishwarya Rai, Arjun Rampal and even Madhur Bhandarkar himself have slashed their fee."

Bhandarkar's earlier films Page 3 and Fashion received critical acclaim for the work of female lead actors Kangna Ranaut, Priyanka Chopra and Konkona Sen Sharma.

"It's a sensible business decision. Ash and Arjun will be sharing the profits of the film. They are confident of Heroine's prospects at the box office," added the source.

Rai Bachchan recently made her tenth appearance at Cannes.

The actor accepted the controversial role after Kareena Kapoor unexpectedly withdrew from the production.

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Aishwarya Rai 'replaces Kareena Kapoor'

Aishwarya Rai is reported to have accepted the title role in Heroine, which Kareena Kapoor had earlier turned down.

The Guzaarish star is expected to officially confirm her collaboration with Madhur Bhandarkar at the Cannes Film Festival, reports PTI.

A source for the news agency revealed: "Aishwarya has agreed to be part of the project. Madhur and Aishwarya both will make the final announcement of this project at the Cannes Film Festival on May 13."

Kareena Kapoor had earlier been linked to the film from director Bhandarkar, but later turned down the part.

Speaking of the casting change, the source added: "The main story of Heroine by and large remains the same, though little changes have been made in the script."

2011 marks Rai's tenth appearance at the annual film festival.

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