Aishwarya Rai drops 'Bachchan' from her name at Global Women's Forum event, fans say 'she's free'
Aishwarya Rai at Global Women's Forum event in Dubai
The jury is still out on this one. Amid news of separation from husband Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan seemed to have gone back to her maiden name. The actress, who is a global icon, appeared at the Global Women's Forum Dubai 2024 on Wednesday night, where she addressed a room full of women on the platform's consistent efforts in using diversity to effect empowerment and equality.
While Aishwarya did deliver an impactful speech, how she was introduced to the world at the forum is grabbing more eyeballs.
As Aishwarya walked on stage, the screen behind her credited her as an 'international star' and just 'Aishwarya Rai'.
Aishwarya became a global phenomenon as Aishwarya Rai. From her Miss World days back in 1994 to her acting career to her association with various brands in the world, Aishwarya Rai has been a huge star for decades. She adopted the Bachchan surname once she got married in 2007 to Abhishek Bachchanand has used Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ever since. The exclusion of the famous surname and using her maiden name,that too on a global platform amid rumours of divorce, has obviously led to a lot of chatter on the internet.
As she moved back to her maiden name, fans hailed her new move and congratulated her.
"Queen is back to business" wrote one user. "She looks gorgeous. She looks free somehow," said a fan while another said, "She was and will always be THE Aishwarya Rai for the world."
SHE IS FINALLY FREE" remarked one user and "She kind of looks happy here and it's almost like so much weight has been removed from her heart and own self," said another.
Some comments also expressed how never has ‘Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’ been a bigger brand than 'Aishwarya Rai'. "to me she was always Aishwarya Rai and 'Bachchan' was something I had to mentally add on. Just like Kim K was always Kim K and Angelina was always Angelina Jolie. They built their identity as such and that is honestly how I remember them always".
Whether the re-debut of the maiden name is a permanent feature or just a single incident is something that remains to be seen. But Bachchan or not, Aishwarya Rai is a force to reckon with.
