Modern Bandit Queens Inspired by Aishwarya Rai

A filmi story took on a real life turn when 4 women, inspired by an Aishwarya Rai character, took to stealing and became bandit queens. They would spend their days as perfect wives and mothers – cooking cleaning and playing with their children - but when the sun had set, they would come out to play by themselves. The leader was Geeta and they were a gang of women thieves, inspired, they say, by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's role as Sunehri in Dhoom 2.

The women who included Geeta (30), Kela (32), Sheela (20) and Ompati (40) raided warehouses and in particular stole batteries which they could pass on easily for cash. "They had a bias for battery cells," says Inspector Raj Kumar of the Delhi police, "They would pick up boxes that contained at least 50 batteries each and sell them to a junk dealer. On an average, the gang made Rs 1 lakh a day - that is, Rs 20,000 each. We are yet to find out how many robberies they have committed."

But the story is not as straightforward as it looks at first sight. Coming from the Sansi tribe, on the fringe of society with little opportunity for jobs or access to social care, the women were trapped inside miserable lives with husbands who were alcoholics or drug addicts. Faced with the choice of steadily decaying lives or giving themselves a chance for escape, they understandably chose the latter. "To survive and feed their families, they first worked as ragpickers and also committed some petty thefts," explains DCP Aggarwal, "Then Geeta met a woman who motivated them to commit bigger crimes and gave them the example of Dhoom-2 in which a woman thief takes advantage of her gender."

Ash wrapping up work quickly for motherhood

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s pregnancy hits the headlines very frequently but off late she is busy in assignments, endorsements and other affairs. 2008 had been a busy year for Ash and so is the running year. She has loads of projects in the discussion stage, production and post-production stage. But the actress has kept her projects very limited so that by the end of 2010, she might become free from any professional commitments and move towards motherhood. Ash-Abhi is planning parenthood by next year.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wants to keep her schedule diary totally empty next year so that she could devote her full time to the new born which is on the way. Helping her to wrap up work quickly and supporting her in this period of heavy work load is her loving and caring husband Abhishek Bachchan. He has been a great pillar of support for Ash.

According to source, "This no doubt is the busiest phase of Aishwarya's career. Such a flurry of assignments has never been seen before in any married actress' life and she'd be foolish to let such opportunities slip by. Luckily, Abhishek is thoroughly supportive of her career. She wants to complete as many of these assignments as she can to before she becomes a mother. Because once she gets into that role she wouldn't want any other distractions. That, Aishwarya is sure of."

Ash-Bebo dance ends family war!

One can’t say the camaraderie between Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor-almost-Khan that became openly dicernible for all to see that evening, came as a complete surprise.


However to see them laughing, giggling, whispering and behaving like two long-lost sahelis was something that did bring a smile to all the invitees’ faces and added that extra zing to Karan’s glamour-gorged party.

Easily the highlight of the evening was the two girls Aishwarya and Kareena taking to the dance floor and dancing together thereby bringing down to the dust the long-standing cold war between the Bachchans and Kapoors that started when Abhishek’s relationship with Karisma’s sister had come to an end.

In retaliation the Bachchans decided to sever all relations with the Kapoors, leaving the baffled Kareena high and dry.

Kareena had cried before a mutual friend wondering how was it her fault if her sister and Abhishek broke up.

Mischief-making journalists had tried to instigate Kareena by telling her Abhishek was refusing films with her, prompting the emotional girl to react angrily and defiantly.

Tempers between the two families have cooled down considerably. Very recently, through the subtle efforts of Aishwarya and Karan Johar from both ends, the two families had begun to dissolve their differences.

During the release of Abhishek’s Drona last year the director Goldie Behl even tried to invite Kareena and her sister to the premier.

But perhaps the wounds hadn’t healed completely.

Karan’s party on Monday evening did the trick. The two lovely ladies made a portrait of warmth and bonhomie.

In fact very recently Kareena had indicated to me her partiality towards Aishwarya when she said she loved the way Aishwarya conducted her career after marriage and would love to conduct her career the same way.

Now after the dance of rapprochement between the two captivating screen queens at Karan’s birthday it’s only a matter of time before Abhishek and Kareena finally come together again for a film after Refugee and Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon.

And chances are Karan Johar would design the project.