Ash is the Great Doll of China

<div class="section1"><div align="center" style="position:relative; left: 0"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="center" border="0" width="71.0%"> <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"><img src="/photo/1071335.cms" alt="/photo/1071335.cms" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br /><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br />NEW DELHI: A few years back, at the height of Indo-Pak cold war, a joke did the rounds, which said Pakistan was willing to give Kashmir to India, but only if India gave Madhuri Dixit in return.<br /><br />More recently, Max Hastings, former editor of <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">The Daily Telegraph</span> wrote that Julia Roberts had a good chance of winning the American war over Iraq than the marines.<br /><br />What he meant was film actors and the culture industry have more chances of winning hearts and people than guns and tanks.<br /><br />One could say the same thing for Aishwarya Rai.<br /><br />She now appears on the cover of the current issue of <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Beijing Review</span>, released on the eve of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao''s visit to India, alongside Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi, the second lead of Hollywood hit <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon</span>.<br /><br />It reads, "China and India are writing an unprecedented chapter in world history" and in bold it says, "Looking Good".<br /><br />Ash first appeared on the cover of <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Time </span>in its October 20, 2003 issue titled, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">The New Face of Film </span>which claimed that she was on the verge of becoming a global superstar.<br /><br />While Ash may be on the threshold of becoming a Hollywood star, Zhang Ziyi has already bolstered her position in Hollywood. <br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><br /><br /><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /><br />Zhang Ziyi, along with nine other top actresses from around the world including Uma Thurman, Cate Blanchett and Kate Winslet has also featured in March 2005 <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Vanity Fair</span>''s annual Hollywood issue. <br /></div> <div align="right" style="position:relative; left: 0"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="right" border="0" width="20.1%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" white=""> <div class="Normal"><img src="/photo/1071336.cms" alt="/photo/1071336.cms" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br />Incidentally, during the Academy Awards there were reports that Ash would present an award. While thousands of Indians were disappointed when Ash did not walk up to the stage on the Oscar night, millions of Chinese cheered as Zhang Zhiyi presented the Best Oscar for Visual Effects with Jake Gyllenhall at the last Academy Awards.<br /><br />Zhan Zhiyi shot into limelight after Ang Lee cast her in <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon </span>when she was still in school.<br /><br />Indian actors have a penchant for making it to the covers of top international magazines. <br /><br />It was Parveen Babi who first made it to the cover of <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Time</span>. <br /><br />Hollywood director, Manoj Night Shyamalan featured in the cover of <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Newsweek</span>. <br /><br />And then it was Shah Rukh Khan who recently featured in the cover of <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">National Geographic</span>. <br /><br />In the long run, Aishwarya Rai, Shah Rukh and Zhang Ziyi could achieve an overwhelming dominance over countries and minds of people that still elude politicians and the bureaucrats across the world.</div> </div>