amritaspeaks

I have never been overtly fond of Aishwarya Rai, neither did I think too much about her acting capabilities till Provoked and Jodhaa Akbar happened. As a Bollywood writer I have criticized her fairly often but right now all I can say is I really appreciate Aishwarya Rai Bachchan not only for her new rotund frame but also the way she has proved a point with her post-baby fat. I like the fact that she has refused to bow down to showbiz perceptions of the perfect body. While critics continue to talk about her double chin I think she is the one who is having the last laugh. I give five reasons why…

Reason 1: Despite piling on the pounds she still takes home a fat paycheck

Post-childbirth I haven’t seen a single article or interview of Aishwarya Rai where her bloated frame has not been criticized, questioned or discussed. But she couldn’t care less. She continues to be the L’Oreal ambassador, walks the red carpet at Cannes, gets invited to high profile events like the Dubai World Cup and the Bulgari Hotel inauguration in London and takes a fat paycheck home.

Reason 2: She has proved fat is still beautiful (no matter what Kareena says)

Critisizing, yes, but ignoring her, no way – that’s the media mantra at the moment. So here is Ash gracing the front pages of every newspaper and plenty of magazines showing off her new-found wardrobe.

Reason 3: She has her priorities in place

While most Hollywood and now even Bollywood stars beat their body back to shape following a strict regime in the gym just after childbirth, not once even bothering if that’s the healthy way of doing things, Aishwarya Rai has made her point very clear. Being healthy for herself and her daughter is her priority. That sends a great message to all those mothers out there who are often depressed about their weight gain.

Reason 4: She is a better cultural ambassador for India than ever before

She is more often in Indian clothes these days than in western. So that’s a great opportunity for Indian designers to showcase yet again that it’s possible to hide the bulges and accentuate beauty in Indian clothes. I would any day vote for the Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla attire that she wore at Cannes than the Elie Saab gown.

Reason 5: She’s been there and done that

Aishwarya Rai has achieved all that (and actually more than) a woman can achieve in a lifetime. Now that she has been blessed with motherhood she is mature enough to realise that the joys of motherhood are far more than worrying over weight gain. Remember the continuous media speculation about a possible pregnancy for five long years? Now that she is finally a mother the new issue is her weight. If you are Ash Rai, the issues continue perpetually. The diva probably revels in that.