- Aishwarya Rai avoided discussing her breakup with Salman Khan publicly for family privacy
- She described the breakup as a past issue and said she has "exorcised her demons"
- Aishwarya emphasized her decision was to protect loved ones from public scrutiny
Aishwarya Rai, who appeared on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal in 2012 for a solo interview, explained why she did not want to speak publicly about her breakup with Salman Khan. While Simi Garewal tried to get a response from the former Miss World, the Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam actor evaded the question for the sake of her family and her “sanity” as a normal girl.
The Conversation
Simi Garewal asked Aishwarya Rai, “Can you look back at the Salman episode objectively?”
“I think I'd shut it out. I think I wouldn't want to get into looking at it in any way, especially on a public platform. I really wouldn't want to,” replied Aishwarya.
Simi sensitively asked her if she felt negative emotions while speaking about the episode.
“I've exorcised my demons. It's a thing of the past. It needs to be left right there,” Aishwarya said emphatically.
Taking a cue from Ms Rai's words, Simi said that if it was a thing of the past, then why did she avoid talking about it publicly?
“I chose not to talk about it because I am not a soloist. I am not a person who lives my life on an ‘I, me, myself' basis. With me comes my family, my loved ones, people I love and care for very dearly. So there's an obvious wall. I don't deny it,” Aishwarya defended her stance.
Aishwarya also shared that her decision was driven by the public scrutiny she would be subjected to.
“It's also the people I will end up talking about. When people label me diplomatic, guarded, or someone who doesn't think before she speaks, it's for them as well.
While I am a public person, I haven't lost touch with the fact that I am a normal girl. And the people I talk about are normal people—people with feelings, with normal relationships in their lives, with their parents, with their loved ones,” Aishwarya said.
Aishwarya And Salman Khan's Breakup
The couple grew close around 1999 while working on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
In 2002, the couple had an ugly breakup. Reports also suggested that Salman stormed the sets of Aishwarya's film Chalte Chalte (2003), following which she was replaced by Rani Mukerji as the lead opposite Shah Rukh Khan. Later, when Aishwarya was in a relationship with Vivek Oberoi, Salman Khan also had a public feud with him over Aishwarya.
Aishwarya Rai has been married to actor Abhishek Bachchan since April 2007. They share a daughter, Aaradhya.