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  • 5/12/2025
In this rare throwback video, revisit a 1998 interview with actress Aishwarya Rai during her early days in the entertainment industry. Just beginning her journey in films, Aishwarya speaks about her experience working on the Tamil film Jeans, directed by S. Shankar and featuring music by A.R. Rahman. The interview captures her thoughts as a newcomer and offers a glimpse into her humble beginnings before she became a global icon. #aishwaryarai #aishwaryaraibachchan #abhishekbachchan #amitabhbachchan #lehrenpodcast #podcast #flashback

Category

People
Transcript
00:00I wasn't made to feel alien. I wasn't made to feel like a Bombay girl having come here.
00:04It's synonymous with being pampered where I did not feel like an outsider at all.
00:11Jeans. Jeans. Jeans. Jeans. Jeans. Jeans. Jeans. Jeans. Jeans. Jeans. Jeans. Jeans.
00:26Aishwarya, how's your experience working in jeans?
00:30Where do I start? It's so much.
00:34Tell in a nutshell.
00:36In a nutshell, it will be too small because it's really, really vast going by the canvas itself of the film.
00:44Extremely fulfilling for me, personally speaking.
00:48And I think this was the best unit I could progress to.
00:52Having come from Irvara's unit, having come from there into Jeans,
00:56this was definitely a growing experience and extremely satisfying as an artist for me.
01:02I have Shankar and the entire unit of Jeans to thank immensely.
01:07For one, make me feel so much, so comfortable in Tamil.
01:12And having helped me gain so much of confidence, which I wasn't all there as yet, having done only one film before.
01:22So for this, I have them to thank.
01:25And of course, even the entire cast of Jeans.
01:28And the role given to me, again I have to thank them for that because it is well-rounded, it is complete, it has got both facets of the girl who I probably am.
01:43So it helped me interpret the character beautifully and I couldn't have asked for a better role in the very second film of mine in Tamil.
01:53It helped me grow as an artist and for that I have the entire unit and the director to thank immensely.
01:59Then again, let's come to the music.
02:01I think Rehman has given incredible music.
02:07Varimuthu Sir has written so beautifully and Javed Akhtar Sir has even translated in Hindi so beautifully that it's very flattering actually for me.
02:16And at the risk of sounding conceited, I must say it has, it makes me feel, it definitely does a lot of good for my ego.
02:24The songs, the lyrics are really, really touching.
02:27Were you very pampered by the unit?
02:29You can see it, I've been quite pampered, I was quite the baby because obviously, but what was beautiful is I wasn't made to feel alien, I wasn't made to feel like a Bombay girl having come here at no point in time.
02:42And I think the fact that they made me so comfortable about the language and being part of the family that in itself, I think speaks, it's synonymous with being pampered.
02:54Where I did not feel like, like an outsider at all.
02:59At no point in time, I did not feel like a newcomer at any point in time.
03:02And I was constantly pepped up and given so much of confidence to even give like long shots at one go.
03:09You know, rendering that kind of dialogue.
03:12How was it working with your co-star Prashant?
03:14It was very, very nice.
03:16You had asked me this question at the very onset also, I remember, like, are you looking forward to it?
03:20And I must say that he has been a very good co-star.
03:24He has, he's had so much of experience as compared to me.
03:28And at no point in time did he make me feel that I was, I was a certain number of steps behind him in any which way.
03:38Even considering it was a new language, if it meant rehearsals, we'd rehearse.
03:41Very, very reassuring and very supportive.
03:43And that was very nice.
03:45What was the most difficult part of the movie for you?
03:48I'm smiling.
03:49I don't think I had hiccups or something really, really difficult.
03:52I think what was difficult, if at all, the only difficult part of it would have been realizing all the dreams that, all the visuals, all the visions that Shankar had at the very onset.
04:06I remember him talking about the kind of songs, the kind of scenes he was visualizing.
04:11And having overcome that hurdle, at the end of it, everybody is beaming.
04:15And if they've realized that into reality, into the making of the film today, as is, as you all will see it, that in itself was any obstacle at all.
04:25And by the looks of it, I don't think anything is an obstacle or a hurdle for Shankar.
04:29What part would you like to cherish the most while shooting for Jeans?
04:34The whole thing in a capsule, the entire experience of making a film in a capsule in itself is something I shall cherish for a very, very long time to come.
04:42And more than anything else, the feeling today I have that I belong.
04:49I belong.
04:49And they made me so comfortable and welcome.
04:52The unit, in terms of the directorial department, as well as the production part of it, Shankar and his entire unit, as well as Ashok Amrit Raj and Dr. Murali and his family.
05:05I feel so close to both of them that I couldn't thank them more.
05:10What do you think about people's opinion on Jeans?
05:14I don't think it could be, they would be remotely disappointed because everything about it is positive, cent per cent as the logo goes.
05:24So watch out for Jeans and I hope you love it as much as we loved making it.
05:29What would be your most incredible moment from Jeans?
05:32The thing in its entirety, when you see the film you will know, in its entirety it is such a joy.
05:38There are so many beautiful moments in the film that to pinpoint one in itself would be very difficult.
05:45But I think the Wonder Song beats everything.
05:50It's the first time such a number has been made, I think, in the history of our movies.
05:54And we actually travelled all over the globe to capture the visuals that you will see in the song.
06:01I mean, it wasn't like where we, Shankar did not cheat and just used the computer for it, you know, computer graphics for it.
06:07So that's something I think one will always be proud of.
06:11It was very flattering, thank you.
06:12But in not so many words, let me just say that I think everybody's efforts has been incredible.
06:19And I thank them for it because this is something I'll always cherish.
06:23Can you please say Jeans in a few different ways and expressions?
06:29You do that.
06:31Oh, Jeans.

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