Ash B-jewelled!

When Aishwarya Rai was cast in Chokher Bali by Rituparno Ghosh, she (and Abhishek, of course) had no idea that one day she would be the Bachchan bahu. Yet there's an interesting coincidence binding Aishwarya's presence in Chokher Bali, all the way back in October 2004, with the actress's marriage to Abhishek Bachchan later this month.

When Jaya Bachchan selected jewellery for Ash in 2004, for Chokher Bali, she had no idea that there would be an action replay, this time in real life, after three years. Back then, Jaya Bachchan had went jewellery shopping with Rituparno for his heroine Ash (not her bahu) in Kolkata. Little did she know that this would be like a dress rehearsal for the main event three years later. The measurements for the bahu's bangles were ready with Rituparno.

'Jewellery shopping', of course, is a relative term. Since Jaya couldn't visit the crowded shops of Kolkata, Rituparno's selected jeweller had brought all his designs to Rituparno's residence and Jaya had picked and chosen the ones she wanted Ash to wear in Chokher Bali.

Three years later, the same jeweller in Kolkata is doing the honours for Ash again, this time in real life, for her wedding.

"The same jeweller who designed Ash's bridal jewellery in Chokher Bali has done the designs for Ash's wedding jewellery too," says Rituparno. "And he already has her measurements. So this time it was almost like re-visiting my art through a situation where my heroine actually jumped out of the screen into a real-life situation."

Meanwhile, Rituparno Ghosh, who has the singular honour of having worked with the entire Bachchan parivaar across various projects, now wants to cast Shweta Bachchan in a film.

"I don't know if she'd agree. But I find Shweta's face and body language very interesting," says Rituparno. "I've seen her on television and I intend to approach her soon."