Rah Rah Ash-war-ee-ah

These days it appears, not a day goes by without seeing Aishwarya Rai's namein some online news magazine, TV interview or magazine cover. And to think this is actually happening everywhere between L.A and London and not just Bombay. Even moreamazing is the effort that Americans seem to be taking to say her name right (Ash-WAHR-ee-ah Rye) and the standard "Bollywood 101" that now precedes or succeeds each news item on her.

This post has been a long time coming, not because I'm a huge fan of Aishwarya Rai but because the achievement of crossing global borders and being the first real Indian, let alone Asian, actress to have a real chance at Mainstream western cinema is interesting by itself ! (For those snobs who don't consider pop-culture as blog material, I'd like to know why sports centric, Tendulkar-adoring posts are acceptable on blogsphere.)

First CBS's 60 minutes was achievement in itself, given that it's a show that only showcases personalities that it deems important enough. Next it was followed upby Letterman's show - given that it caters to Mainstream american staple of entertainment and showbiz, I wouldn't call it a big deal for a true-blue american actor, butis so very cool for an Indian actor's entry to Hollywood. That's about when I thought, I'd consider it she's really arrived if she features on Oprah. Guess who's featuringAishwarya on their show next ?

On the print media, CBS , USA Today and Salon have accorded her a fantastic welcome. It makes one really proud to see an Indian actress, who at the very least comes across as sincere in her ambitions to be an ambassador for India and it's movies. There are those that suggest other names who are more deserving actors of such adulation.

That may well be the case, but the fact that Aishwarya has it made is no fluke and infact is but natural given that she doesn't seem to have any obvious handicap when trying to break the glass ceiling. To go much beyond where South Asian Men and Women have already gone in Western Movies - which so far has involved playing racial stereotypes, side-kicks and supporting roles, it doesn't hurt to be an officially acknowledged world reknowned beauty, and the most sought after name on Google and MSN and to have a fan base that's nearly 40% of the world's population.

Besides this, I'm really glad that although she's known as quite the stunner, oddly enough she comes across like any other average Indian girl. Her prudishness, which is a rarity among actresses anywhere, intelligence and her middle-class values towards family have been as much in the news as her movies.

Surely there's the Urmila, Rekha, Madhuri or even Raveena, who've come across as commendable actresses, but it's been proven that it takes more than *just* acting skills (Seema Biswas) or *just* stunning looks (Lisa Ray) or just sophistication (Simi Garewal) or just intelligence (Nandita Das) to have a global audience. Apparently one needs a lot, not a dash, of everything. Interestingly enough, as an aside, I'm clueless where the normally sycophantic and perenially crabby Indian press that publishes every little Bachhan moment and Amrish Puri's Hollywood daliances, disappeared to with regards to this story.

(If there's one crib, that would definitely have to be her "official" website which looks so Ghetto and Ameteurishly done that I didn't want to link it.)

Technically, there's nothing Hollywood can do for Aishwarya that Indian films have not already done for her, except of course the Oscar. And quite frankly, in a society where the likes of Paris Hiltons and the Kate Hudsons are considered stars, Aishwarya is rather over-qualified. So what remains is the journey itself, and hope that is a memorable one and not just another classic case of also-rans.