Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Opens Up On Hollywood Roles, Equal Pay, & Life Beyond Films

Hello and welcome to Expresso Aishwarya. So good to have you here. Thank you Priyanka. It's been such a long time since we caught up and I know you've been busy juggling so many duties like mom duty and then of course your work in the movies and Kaan and what not. How do you do it so effortlessly? I mean obviously there's a lot of effort but it doesn't seem like it. The trick is it's seeming effortless. Of course there is a lot of, it's all hard work as it would be for every working woman but or every working mother more so but you know the choices are what we make. So we have to within that find the pleasure in the work area when it comes to the kid there's all pleasure and that's like you know it's there's just so much love in that space that the giving is natural and you receive a million fold so that's not an effort at all but it's a great discovery to have with every phase in life. True and yet how do you continue to look so beautiful? This is all a team that puts it together but beyond that I think well that's the external but I think what's important is to keep holding on to what's within and if that radiates through then you know I'm grateful for blessings. You know in your upcoming film Fanny Khan you play a singer and you have an admirer in Pihu who wants to be like you and people somehow don't believe in her because she's fat being one of the major reasons you know and the whole idea of body shaming that's kind of come to the fore but I know that you've been through it when you went to Khans at the red carpet event post your delivery and there was so much flack about you know should she be looking like this kind of thing and you took it like without a furrow on your brow or anything like that. Did it affect you in any way? No not in the least but to be very honest actually I don't even think the situations can remotely be compared. Various phases of life there has been the negativity which has been I guess a good balance to offset the immense amount of positivity I have received at various phases of my life and by that it's all encapsulating whether in your school life, student life, collegian life, entering showbiz, joining the movies. I have I think very early in life developed the ability to focus on the positive and when you do that and if you recognize that that's just so much more it's really easier to wash away the natural pain that every human being experiences even with the slightest negativity. So you know we're all human, we all go through the sting and but the truth is only we can develop the ability for ourselves to try and withstand that or negate it or brush it aside or take it on your chin or take it in your stride. It's really about your perspective and your outlook and I know that's simpler said for many and immensely tough for many and that's why I don't know I keep probably like mantra keep going on and on that we have to be our own best friend and by that I mean be brutally honest with yourself and in doing so we can self-help, we can self-heal and we can face and hold on to our own sense of self and the idea of doing a Fannay Khan is not just to bring to fore yes the very obvious topic of you know what a lot of impressionable youngsters, kids and we say impressionable because at that point you're still seeking guidance, you're still discovering life. Having said that even people at a much later stage of their life are possibly internally still battling you know your sense of self and hence as a subject that's topical across board but at the same time you also are showing that everyone's human you know even though Pihu's character named Lata looks up to Baby Singh and that should also bring a smile I mean the name is Baby Singh and then again you get an insight and a peek I mean mine is not a big role but I took it on for the larger story so even in that you get an insight into how human she really is and what her struggles are and what she goes through and within her dynamic you know there are things that she finds tough too and that's one of the main reasons I said it makes sense I can see why they'd want to cast someone like me and I'd love to come on board because then I'd be part of a larger story being said here and yeah I've been kind of always a little spontaneous with my choices. What's your struggle if any? I mean share any of your struggles. See it's nice when you throw in the if any because somehow people tend to I think because that's the way I've also been written about very often I myself sometimes see articles start with oh how fairytale like life and I'll be like nice. I can see why perceivably life seems easier and especially to those for whom life has been exceedingly challenging and difficult so it's all relative okay so within your own story you know that everything may not necessarily have always been hunky-dory. It's taken a lot of commitment, a lot of hard work, a lot of struggles within your own dynamic and you know it's hard work nothing comes easy. Nobody is free of you know perceptions attracting jibes so and jibes can hurt anyone irrespective of what they are. There is however a recognition of what are specific jibes and that kind of socially gets discussed and rightly so and have to be addressed and have to be stopped because of the extreme damaging impact it can have on a lot of people out there where hurt feeling hurt is a it's a horrible experience. And that's why I feel sometimes when people in the name of humor are just basically jibing you know first ask yourself if you have the capacity to take it on your chin and do not do that so easily to the other because not everybody has the same hey take it easy you know keep it light grow a sense of humor and you're like do you have the same sense of humor? Do not hit at people where it can hurt a bit too hard. One of the other things about you that's famous is that you rarely exercise. Has that changed or can we continue to feel jealous of you? No, I exercise my right to not exercise. No, no, no I should, I should. So I have a very very healthy approach to life and which I hold on to and I constantly develop and redevelop which I think is important but I'd still like to embrace a healthier way of lifestyle. Honestly I'm grateful for metabolism so far but and I'm active I'm not lazy. Not sedentary. I'm very very active yeah so I mean that's that's there and I'm a worker I'm a worker so I think that's just probably like those ants from the morning constantly at it. Being in the profession that you're in would you ever consider cosmetic surgery or any sort of thing like that? See at this point and you can see everything's moving you guys would know very very honestly it's God's been kind so far and it's each to their own in the choices that they make. So I think when people have not explored it we always tend to say that maybe not yet, maybe not yet or maybe no but you know with time I mean I remember probably if you'd asked me 20 years ago would I ever color my hair at that point I was like no. I had brown hair and I had natural streaks and then you know I joined a brand and with that I started experimenting and it worked. I think people should make informed choices. Yes. That's extremely important and you know whatever choices you'll make in your life and be sure. I mean so far like I said I have been fortunate where I have never needed to embrace any diets. Some people possibly need to. Absolutely. So we can't sit on a high horse and give any kind of advice that you don't need to do this. So many people have the best of bodies. Right. But they're taking supplements so then there's a whole debate on supplements you know should they or shouldn't they. Just make informed choices. There are medical practitioners you know take the correct advice. I guess know that you know you need to really know the science of anything before you make any choices and take it from there. You know you've been amongst sort of I think the first actually to sort of demand an equal sort of pay in which was sort of proportionate to your international startup way before all these conversations started about wage parity etc. Do you think Bollywood has changed for the better ever since? Very honestly my approach has been slightly different in the sense that from the time I started I just and I'm grateful for all the producers I've worked with and obviously at this point I'll name only them not the ones I haven't. But right from the beginning when I have worked it's been I've worked on my own terms. I don't think I ever brought up pay parity. I never it was never compared to anybody. Right. Even from my modeling days. Yes. I mean very little bit work that I did but I still remember I did a very few shows on ramp and I'd bring that as a point of as an example because I remember that I was a student so I could hardly attend rehearsal but I had a natural sway to my work or whatever the work kind of worked and it just meant knowing a bit of a rhythm so I would sometimes come literally on the day and hardly attend rehearsal or maybe a few but not as extensive. And at one point I remember one of the very senior choreographers telling me that this was a bit of a debate because I was obviously getting the pay scale of the top model. Right. And you know if they said if you have to define height I'm 5'7. I'm not somebody who's hitting the gym. I'm not somebody's attending rehearsals and I was like but I have like literally come to my T-square and I said okay Saturday I can do a show so morning I've done a bit of a rehearsal and there I'm in the evening on ramp. And they were like yeah but you're doing your job and that's fine. Right. You know you're getting it for what you're delivering. Yes. And what you're commanding. Yes. And so I'm grateful that there were people who got that because I mean obviously I'm not like just shooting the breeze and you know negotiating there. I thought whatever little jobs I've ever done I do it professionally and now that I'm trying to fight on my terms I'm working on my terms literally. And because of that I mean I'm fortunate that I got to work with some great talent but yes I will say to you that I have I did lose out also I did walk away from a lot of work as well if it meant at times people were like you know it's tough to set up a project with you and these big male leads because then it's just you know it just throws up the budget of the entire film. Right. And I'm like all right so then you decide if it's that replaceable. Yeah. Then that's cool because either you see and you feel okay this makes for a good casting. Yes. And you're investing in that or you're saying no casting your name with this big name throws up the budget a lot. And then again if it means let's all discuss bringing the budget down together let's all discuss bringing the budget down together. Yeah. And that's the way I've always spoken. So for me when I read it currently or hear of it currently I'm like all right great if it's all being discussed aloud now. Yes. But this has kind of been happening in my career for the longest and if this is what has narrowed down my choices then within this cesspool I'll make the choices that genuinely make me enjoy my work. And I'm very grateful that a lot many of you you know members of the media noticed those choices brought attention to it and my audience out there as well have viewed my work. And today on hindsight in the long run it has actually helped me carve my own story which is which feels good to be original. Absolutely. In fact you were also among one of the I think first actresses who sort of made it into Hollywood in the mainstream movies you know outside the sort of Indo-Brit projects sort of thing you know you had Pink Panther and then you also didn't do a few films. Yeah. Right? Why didn't you do them? Mr. and Mrs. Smith? You know at that time when suddenly things were changing here too for me in my career because while at one point I was suddenly doing a whole load of these movies with a certain colleague or a couple of colleagues suddenly that got cleaned out. And at the same phase coincidentally there was already interest because of Devdas and Can which was very very on high octave in the sense interest from the West. So I kind of said all right I guess it's meant to be because suddenly even schedule wise this is seemingly open and you go and explore it. And then at the same time interestingly work was opening up here again while you're going then having those meets. And somewhere deep down you know I've always I've loved our cinema. I've been a part of it. So I did then take on in that two were already committed. So I had those dates, those schedules. So there I'm very I've always been righteous about the films I'm committed to. Right. And that can't move around. And the films in the West and here work a little differently in a sense that when they meet you I mean these films were then new to me. Right. At that point. And they say green lit and ready to roll like in two months. And then they lock you off for that period of time. Right. Because of the insurances. The way the entire film schedule is you're locked off. Right. Which was very new for us who are working full throttle here where there is schedule and schedule all a bit kind of interlaced you know. Right. So to lock off like even when Troy was spoken about forget on the script level and they were saying at least six to nine months to lock off because it's a huge film. First schedule in Malta and this that and the other. And you're like wow. But obviously we have a way of looking like but this is your part. Right. Lock off that kind of time. Yeah. Of course you understand the impact of the largeness of that piece of cinema. But to lock off that kind of time when you have those albeit very small films here which I was committed to. Right. I couldn't get myself to just kick that to the curb. It's exciting because it's a huge these are huge offers. It's it's difficult because you know you're walking away from possibly you know I'd heard interviews of a lot of my seniors say on a lot of television interviews of oh there is a glass ceiling to go to break and it can't be done. You know many seniors were kind of and they believed it cannot happen here. Right. And you're like I know it can it's happening it can happen and I could be the one making the difference and kind of you want to. And then again you're like but there are so many things I'm not sure I'd be comfortable doing and in the long run that's what I'd be living with because this is forever. It could be a point proven. Yeah. I might not be comfortable with it. And so I walked away from a lot of projects and that's how and I knew it would be like and I and you can see how it's going to roll ahead. So she's doing just a couple of these Indo-British ones. Oh right it was meant to happen. See it couldn't happen or oh and you know some movies like say Bride and Prejudice. Huge beyond our boundaries. Yes. And you know one of I mean it's for the longest time got an even bigger response interestingly than Pink Panther for me wherever I went and in the West by the Westerners. But here because of the dubbed version there's an impression set but I'd gone through that with Jeans. So I knew with Jeans too and people said she's done Jeans. Yeah. But for the Tamil film industry till date it is huge and they love it. So I had already so early in my career learned to see through that. Right. That what's great for where you've done it focus on that because it might not be the same elsewhere. It might be a totally different noise especially in the film in the Hindi film industry. So take that just take that reaction and don't buy into it completely. Allow for it but don't buy into it. And that's how I've held on to my positivity in all these very different situations. Obviously we would love to watch it many more films. What is coming up now? I mean we see you like once every couple of years in smaller parts. When do we get to see another full sort of a film with you in the lead like sort of the way we saw you in Sarabji? Thank you. It's kind of sweet when you feel a bit missed. But you know I like I said I thought in Irruvar itself I made my statement where I said I'd love to work with filmmakers in parts. And I'm so glad I did that in my first film so that people don't think it's transition phase at any point in time. You kind of do it. You work in a regional film. It's not because you don't have work in Hindi films. You are showing the world that look I'm open to do parts and it's got nothing to do with what time in your what phase of your career. The kind of roles I have I've always mixed it up. There's Indian. There's traditional. There's mature. There is contemporary. There's light hearted. And you know and now also I think with Air Dil I started showing that look I'm okay even with this so-called I'm not going to slot it and announce it as a guest appearance or you know and I'm not going to ask for that title either. Because there was that discussion you know from your professional friends who were like you know if you want even Karan towards the end said do you think you want that and I'm like in the beginning we decided let's hold on to that. No. Because I'm part of the cast and I'm going to own it. Even this what we're doing now there was a thought about should you be doing publicity when you know you're a chapter as I as I politely put it in a film and I'm like I am a team player. Yes. I think I would give that to my producers, my director, my team. I did this movie because I believed in us as a team. Yeah. And I'm happy to give my presence all the way. Yeah. You know so it's not about but I will I am clearly sharing with my audience so that you don't go out there and say because that did happen during Air Dil. Correct. Which was sweet because in a way at that point it was like God we missed you. We were like that's it. We're like why aren't you coming back and I was like that's really sweet and thank you. Yes. But that's the way it's nice. It's nice to have that too. Absolutely. You know at least you missed. The audience wanting more. You know I think that's nice and it's okay because I think if some of us come together and sometimes like when you see this movie. Right. It's important when it's cast right you know Priyanka. So many times I mean Anil is perfect for Fanne. Yes. It had to be him so and he was on board and when we were reading when they came to me I said look I can see why you'd want me to do this part and I do it and they were like yeah really I was like yeah because and of course then we worked we tweaked. Yeah. It's become more than what probably initially on the paper we brought in a lot more layers. Yeah. That even there was. There's it's still a little but detailed compared to what was written and that's something what we do then. When you come on board you kind of do that and then you read I like Radh was like on it was my wish list I just said you know someone like him would be great and glad he agreed and came on board because then like Anil put it yesterday he said you know we end up just picking all the boxes right. Yeah. You know Pihu was already on and Divya was there and then you see this this is kind of it's come together then it becomes it just flows. Yeah. You know everyone and then it feels right because you're telling a story correctly. We feel special about funny and we hope that Berkeley is down to the audience but at the end of the day we know it was special for us and it felt right. No it looks very interesting for sure. And how is it with another going up like you know how is that coming along. She looks adorable. I saw some photos of her like flouncing her dress like you know actually she's just having fun. It's going to be her life and I guess perception is going to be a part of it as well. She's our daughter. But you know she's a lovely I keep saying supercalifragilisticexpialidocious she's my daughter so I'm obviously going to be gushing and be besotted. But it's beautiful. I just keep saying life is beautiful with her. She is my love. She's the reason I breathe and you know it's it's you know everybody in an interview will bring up is it hard work and you kind of say I have to I have to say that because it's true. Yes. You know parenting is parenting is a responsibility but something just clicks it just it becomes a part of you where there isn't a you don't ever feel the onus of it at any point in time. It's not it's not pressure. It isn't this there is no rule book. Every day is new and I believe even though there may be some kind of commonality to parenting. Right. It's individual. Each one's experience will be and you have to enjoy it because it is. It is so enjoyable. It's meditation. You know it's it's peace in all that the hard work it's peace and it's love and it's superlative. So thank you. I mean it's so great to know that you're doing all these things seamlessly as always and always a source of inspiration and someone that we look forward to watching in the movies. Thank you so much Priyanka. Pleasure is always talking to you. Thank you.