Aishwarya Rai on a roll

New Delhi, Nov 5 (IANS) Bollywood diva Aishwarya Rai is on a roll with a series of films ready for back-to-back release.

The former Miss World, who is known for her picture perfect chiselled features, will rule the marquees in movies that are vastly different from one another, as she desperately tries to impress with her acting prowess.

"Umrao Jaan", the first of the lot and perhaps the most challenging, released Friday to mixed reviews. The J.P. Dutta film is a remake of a Bollywood classic about a courtesan named Ameeran or Umrao Jaan Ada, kidnapped from her home and sold to a brothel.

Even the most ardent of Aishwarya's critics could not help but be softened by the zealous efforts put in by the actress in the film. Most critics found the story slow-paced and laborious, but were not too stingy in giving points to Aishwarya and her co-star Abhishek Bachchan.

In a country where women-centric films get barely noticed, the film has generated much buzz owing to media interest surrounding Aishwarya. Though the film may not be as commercially successful as the reigning Shah Rukh Khan-starrer "Don", but would certainly do better than any other woman-oriented film in recent times.

For Ashwairya, the ballgame has just begun. She will next be seen in Yashraj Films' "Dhoom 2" in an avatar that is an antithesis of her role in "Umrao Jaan". The big-ticket film - a sequel to blockbuster "Dhoom" - is will be released Nov 24.

Promos and posters depicting a toned-up, slimmed-down Aishwarya in sport clothing are already doing the rounds and have made the film's rights hot property. To fit the role, the actress underwent a strict fitness regime, results of which are for all to see.

Before the year-end, Aishwarya will be seen in Mani Ratnam 's much-anticipated film titled "Guru". This again is a period film but minus the grandeur of "Umrao Jaan" and stars Abhishek Bachchan in a pivotal role.

And then there is the much-publicised $67 million Hollywood period action adventure - "The Last Legion" - featuring Aishwarya. Distributed by MGM, the film that stars leading Hollywood actors is scheduled to hit the theatres in early January 2007.

Director Jagmohan Mundhra's Aishwarya-starrer "Provoked", which is based on a true story, has received rave reviews during its screening in film festival circuits.

Apart from critical acclaim from the international media, the film's producer J. Murli Manohar got a record number of queries from buyers and sold the film to more than 12 countries in four days following the screening at the Cannes Film Festival.

But as far as Hollywood projects are concerned, Aishwarya is adopting a wait and watch policy. About her future projects in Hollywood, the actress was quoted as saying: "I really want time to decide. I don't know what will come my way. I will go through the scripts; I will look at the dates and only then will sign new movies. When I am not convinced about something, I simply say no."

All the films belong to different genres and her roles in them are diverse, making her one of the few Bollywood stars who are hard to be stereotyped. Perhaps she needs to try extra hard because her beauty is too distracting and overshadows her skills as an actor. In the past, she has even undertaken small-budget so-called art-house films to prove herself as an actor.

Aishwarya, who turned 33 Nov 1, can also be credited for defying the invisible age ceiling in Bollywood. Till some years ago, heroines beyond 30 were either relegated to playing second fiddle in films or would simply retire. She is doing far better than most actresses her age.

Next year, Aishwarya will return to the marquees in "Jodha-Akbar" by Ashutosh Gowarikar and "Sarkar-2" by Ram Gopal Varma and perhaps a clutch of other films.

With all these in stock, end 2006 and 2007 seem to be earmarked for Aishwarya.

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Bollywood is banking heavily on Aishwarya Rai to help it end 2006 - its most successful year ever - on a high. Revenue of over Rs.7 billion is expected from six big-budget movies being released in the next five weeks, three of which star Aishwarya.

Over Rs.1.5 billion have been invested in Aishwarya's "Umrao Jaan", "Dhoom-2" and "Guru". The other three are "Vivah", "Baabul" and "Kabul Express", business daily Financial Express reports. Click the Movie button below for more info:
Umrao Jaan