Pretty woman Ash outshines Gere

<div class="section1"><div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="63.0%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><script language="javascript" src="Config?Configid=43376741"></script><br /><a href="javascript:popUp(&quot1;photopop?msid=93092&type=0&quot1;)"> <#img border=0 align=left src="/cms.dll/thumb?=254&width=254&photoID=93092" hspace=12"></a></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="">Click to enlarge</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">It was a regular British Airways flight from the USA to India in the wee hours of November 30.But what the Mumbai-bound carrier brought with it was a precious load - our very own gift of beauty to the world, <a href="/articleshow/286194.cms" target="_blank">Aishwarya Rai</a> (returning after her last stint of shooting for </span><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">Bride and Prejudice</span><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold=""> in and around L.A.) and Hollywood superstar Richard Gere (on his AIDS awareness mission and to raise funds).</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">But while Gere is an internationally renowned celebrity on any turf and gets the flashbulbs popping in any part of the world, the early morning arrival showed Ash too enjoys popular ''muscle'' power, albeit in </span><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="" font-style:="" italic="">desi </span><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">land. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">So what if Hollywood stars get the cream (we hope that''s fast changing, too), but in the home turf, it is ''bow to princess Rai''. (<a href="http://www.thetimesofindia.online/articleshow/330740.cms" target="_blank">Is it going to be Ash vs Bips?</a>)</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">And the arrival lounge told the story so. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">B.A. had put up a signboard in the arrivals section saying ''We welcome our celebrity guests Ms <a href="http://www.thetimesofindia.online/articleshow/333840.cms" target="_blank">Aishwarya Rai</a> and Mr Richard Gere''. But for the Indian staff and co-passengers, gear was all they did for that one brush with a fame called Ash. And there was the expected mad scramble for autographs, photos and the normal sidling-up-and-gaping act that zombie-like fans the world over have mastered. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">Also, within moments, customs officials whisked their gorgeous VIP guest to the front of the line and through the formalities, so that she was off to her car within moments of her arrival. </span><br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript" src="Config?Configid=43376741"></script><br />All the while, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">bechara</span> Richard, wearing a baseball cap, stood in line like a good citizen until a Sindhi gentleman came to the rescue. <br /></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="15.1%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <br /></td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="">Richard Gere</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">He informed senior officials on duty that the ruddy gentleman with the famous platinum locks was an internationally renowned superstar, coming here on a goodwill mission. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">It was then that the PR machinery swung into action once more and Gere was taken out at the speed of sound. But the light was already stolen by Ms Rai, remember?</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold=""> However, the discipline-conscious American didn''t mind one bit at being beaten in the limelight race by a pretty woman. He was probably used to it. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">As for Ash, when we called to confirm the incident, all she would say was, "Yes. I met Richard Gere. It was all good. Actually, everything''s been great. The film shooting, the trip, all my meetings there, the flight. God''s fab. Everything''s wonderful. Touch wood." </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">And why shouldn''t it be? For, on home turf, more than anywhere else in the world, Ash rules. That''s one point even Sir Richard would concede happily to. Right? </span></div> </div>