Former Miss Universe and Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan landed in Auckland on Friday (February 4) and immediately flew to Wellington to join her husband Abhishek for his Birthday celebrations, which were held the following day.
Their fans would remember that the couple arrived in New Zealand on the first leg of their Honeymoon on April 30, 2007 soon after their marriage and left for Bora bora in French Polynesia.
Aishwarya said she would love to travel around New Zealand this time, making the best use of her husband’s busy shooting schedule.
I met her in Mumbai on January 29, 2011 at the 56th Filmfare Awards.
“Would you be flying to New Zealand to be with your husband on his birthday?” I asked her at our meeting.
“Yes I will be in that beautiful country,” she said.
If Aishwarya had planned to give her dear hubby a big surprise, she may have been surprised herself.
Abhishek said long before her departure from India that he had heard about her visit to New Zealand.
“I was planning to spend my birthday with sheep in New Zealand but it would be a working day as usual. I like to be informed of her movements on a day-to-day basis and if she was planning a trip, I would know about it even before she boards the flight,” he had said.
Abhishek has a 40-day schedule in New Zealand, shooting for Abbas Mustan’s Players, stated to be inspired by the 1969 Hollywood film Italian Job, starring Michael Caine. It was remade in 2003 with Mark Wahlberg.
Hemant Parikh is a broadcasting veteran with Radio Tarana and attends major international film and sports events and files exclusive reports for the radio station and Indian Newslink.
