It can’t be anything by destiny. Aishwarya Rai, who will be playing Mumtaz Mahal in Ben Kingsley’s film on the Taj Mahal, brought in her birthday 34th birthday in Agra with her real-life Shah Jehan.
“It sounds so dramatic and romantic,” said a giggly Ash. “It’s nothing like that. I’m bringing it in with Abhishek, Ma and Pa. Abhishek was shooting an ad in Agra on Wednesday. So I joined him with Ma (mom-in-law Jaya Bachchan) and now Pa (father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan) has also joined us. So you could say it’s a perfect birthday by the Taj Mahal, though not quite at the Taj Mahal. Have you seen the crowds over there? We can’t risk going to the Taj Mahal, but it’s just a stone’s throw away. It’s a pity my parents couldn’t join us here in Agra.”
It’s been a hectic time for Aishwarya. “I came back from the US from shooting Pink Panther in time for Karwa Chauth. God knows how the cameras got our shots, probably from neighbour’s premise. We’re just leading our lives normally.I don’t know why or how the press has this hunger to know about us.”