Aishwarya Rajinikanth Dhanush launches her book on growing up in the shadow of a giant in the film industry and shares some of her experiences with another star kid, Shweta Bachchan-Nanda. Ankita Jain takes notes
How is it growing up as the daughters of India’s two superstars, Rajinikanth and Amitabh BachchanIJ Aishwarya Rajinikanth Dhanush, who launched her first book Standing On An Apple Box, explained, “My book says it all. It is a semi-fictional memoir of the good, bad and ugly of being the daughter of one of the most celebrated actors of the Indian film industry. When I was enjoying my childhood, my father was hardly around. I hardly used to see him as he was busy shooting seven films a year.” So, she never had father-daughter conversations while being privileged on the face of it. Even her first disco experience was all of 15 minutes with her father around.
Of course Aishwarya, who grew up at her maternal grandmother’s home in the first few years of her life, was able to experience what normal kids her age go through. Shweta Bachchan-Nanda, who was present as a special guest during the launch, agreed that the faraway sendoff anchored her to reality. “When I was 11, my parents decided to send me abroad to keep me away from the limelight. I am thankful to them till date as they were successful in giving me a normal life that I deserved.”
Aishwarya has dedicated the book to the star kids who have managed to retain their sensibility and sanity despite being in the spotlight. “People should understand that this comes with its own pros and cons. We are under constant scrutiny. Most of the time, there is a huge responsibility that we carry. People expect perfection out of you round the corner and during this time, our mothers come into the picture and have balanced everything. They are our biggest supporters,” said Aishwariya.
Aishwarya, who always wanted to be behind the camera having observed the set as a spectator, said it was an early experience from a film set that inspired the unique title of her book. “Apple box is a film industry term. I stood on the apple box to reach the camera lens. I guess that was one incident that changed the way I used to see the industry. It is a magical experience when you see a frame through the lens. It had such a powerful impact that the title of my book had to be this.”
The foreword has been penned by Shweta where she talks about those rare moments when the entire family gathered to watch a football match. “When I was young, my father was busy earning a living. For us, it was very difficult to go for dinners and outings as normal people did. Once I went to watch my dad shooting and accidentally I suffered an electric shock on the sets. Since that day, I have never been to his shoots.”
Aishwarya could be normal only when not around the Tamil film industry’s first family. “I hardly went out with my family. We were usually accompanied by a family friend, distant aunts or uncles so that we could have a regular childhood,” added Aishwarya. And if they did travel as a family, it was always abroad because of the anonymity it afforded. “It’s unfortunate that I missed out discovering India.”
It is because of her grounded upbringing that Aishwarya chose to marry young actor Dhanush, who didn’t have a halo like her superhero dad. Talking about the bond that both men share, she said, “There’s a mutual admiration between the two, both on personal and professional terms. Dhanush has been a fan of my father since his childhood. They share mutual respect for each other. My father appreciates Dhanush because he didn’t use his name for consideration in the industry and made it big on his own.”
A mother of two, she said she has made sure to keep her children away from the spotlight in order to let them lead a normal childhood. “They are only allowed to watch their father’s or grand-father’s films besides animated movies. In fact, they hardly know about any star other than their father and grand-father. This is deliberate. I don’t want them to give all their attention to films. I would be more than happy if they choose to be someone apart from actors.”
For Shweta, it has been the other way round. Pictures of her daughter and Amitabh Bachchan’s grand daughter Navya Naveli Nanda have been featured as news items by leading portals and media houses. “My daughter is getting attention which she neither deserves nor has earned. And as a protective mother, I want her to be away from the spotlight. People usually think for us fame is served in a silver platter but it isn’t so. To become an actor, one has to be immensely talented. I have seen my brother facing the negative side. He has been criticised for the wrong reasons. People expect him to be someone that he is not.”
About the Rajinikanth jokes trending on social media, Aishwarya said, “He enjoys and laughs at them. They are beautiful, cute and quirky in their own way. It is like people thinking of you in every dramatic situation, which I like to call affectionate humour.”
Aishwariya also shared that she feels her father’s films are sometimes over-the-top. “I am one of his biggest critics. I feel that some of his movies are a bit over-the-top. I make sure I convey this to him without sounding harsh.” In fact, she is now enjoying lost time with him and has many conversations, travelling with him on shoots.
Asked whether Rajnikanth, who is seen larger than life, will be seen joining politics, particularly given the void in the politicalscape of Tamil Nadu, Aishwariya smiled, “I knew this question would come to me. As a protective daughter, I want him to dedicate the rest of his life to himself; doing the types of film he loves to and spend time with his family. But then again, I am no one to comment anything about his political career.”
On the other hand, Shweta said, “My father is more of a creative person and I believe he cannot do politics. This is not for him and he didn’t have a great experience. In the context of my mother, she is a multi-tasker, she can balance anything and everything.”