Bollywood glamour comes to Sydney with the visit of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – but perhaps her notes on elegance are more important
I have never seen anything like it before.
There was a definite buzz in the air as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan arrived at the Longines Boutique in Sydney.
She walked down the blue carpet, pretty as a picture.
And then that picture turned somewhat ugly.
Phones and cameras were shoved in her face; people elbowed aside her PR representatives to force selfies; there was jostling, pushing and shoving, and her security were left scrambling. It was almost as if a riot was taking place.
Everyone wanted a piece of her.
Outside people gathered to see what the fuss was all about. Many office workers taking photos not even knowing who she is.
This despite being given instructions that Aish would not answer any questions and would especially not like to take any selfies. I am not even sure why people would want to take a selfie or photo with someone widely regarded as one of the most beautiful women in the world.
Why were we told not to ask questions? Is it because the Bachchan family is feeling the heat since their names were released in the ‘Panama Papers’? In any case, she needn’t have feared because the gathered media seemed more interested in selfies than questions.
Rai Bachchan is making her first visit to Sydney as part of her duties as a Longines Ambassador of Elegance. An ambassador for the Swiss luxury watch brand for the past 17 years, the Bollywood actress certainly embodies their slogan “Elegance is an attitude.” Perhaps the gathered media could follow her example.
In the past the brand has seen interest from the Chinese market and now it looks like they are ramping up efforts to engage with the Indians. The event was an exclusive photo opportunity for members of the Indian Australian media. Representatives said she wanted to reach out and give back to people who she shares identity and heritage with.
But we were kept waiting for almost two hours. That’s quite ironic given she’s here to promote a watch collection.
Why the wait? An airport delay? I asked one of the PR people. Maybe she needed more time to do her hair and make-up, he suggested.
As she finally entered the room, though, she did not disappoint. She looked simply stunning. Her silver dress by local Aussie designer Toni Maticevski looked gorgeous from the front, but her face, even at 42, was flawless. It’s hard to believe she was crowned Miss World more than 22 years ago.
Her expression, though, did take on a somewhat more steely appearance after she was ambushed by the assembled media. Several overzealous members of the press pack pushed and elbowed their way into getting their snap with the star. One lady was told on at least three occasions to step back behind the roped off cordon. A man beseeched her with the words, “Please, Aishwarya, one Mumbaikar to another, a selfie?!’ Though she did not turn down their requests, one got the feeling she was a little taken aback and had not been expecting such a ruckus at a media-only event.
The photos appeared on social media less than 20 minutes later and it’s clear from many of them that Aishwarya was less than impressed. The Longines press team too seemed exasperated by the behaviour of the assembled media.
Looking every bit Bollywood glamour, Aishwarya signed a poster in store for the launch of the new DolceVita collection. Sporting a version of the watch featuring a rectangular face, framed by 46 Wesselton VVS diamonds, and a red alligator strap, priced at $4850, the time piece will be a luxury item for most.
Within 10 minutes, she was gone.
Later in the evening, she attended the launch of the new collection, celebrating the sweet life with media and guests at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
