Aishwarya Rai drops 'Bachchan' from her name while attending a Dubai event - watch video

Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Pic/AFP

Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai recently attended an event in Dubai that highlighted women empowerment. Videos of the same surfaced on social media that showed the former Miss World taking to the stage to address the crowd. However, what grabbed eyeballs was the backdrop that introduced her sans the heavyweight Bollywood surname "Bachchan".

Aishwarya drops ‘Bachchan' at Dubai event

Clad in a purple outfit, Aishwarya arrived on stage with her name visible on the LED backdrop behind her. It simply read "Aishwarya Rai" minus the Bachchan. This has once again added fuel to the divorce rumours between her and actor-husband Abhishek Bachchan. At the event, Ash said, "It is an honour, an absolute privilege to be here at the Global Women's Forum in Dubai 2024. A platform that since its inception has consistently championed the empowerment of women across all spheres of life." Watch the video below.

Abhishek Bachchan thanks Aishwarya for being at home

Aishwarya has only been a part of Mani Ratnam's ‘Ponniyin Selvan' in recent years. In an interview with The Hindu, Abhishek said, "In my household, I'm lucky I get to go out and make movies but I know that Aishwarya is at home with Aaradhya and I thank her immensely for that but I don't think the kids look at it that way. They don't look at you as a third person, they look at you as the first person."

Abhishek Bachchan-Aishwarya Rai divorce rumours

Reports of possible tension in Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan's marriage have been circulating for some time. The couple, who tied the knot in a high-profile wedding in 2007, has been making headlines due to divorce speculations. They share a daughter named Aaradhya.

Abhishek's alleged closeness to his ‘Dasvi' co-star, Nimrat Kaur, along with complex family dynamics involving Shweta and Jaya Bachchan, are said to be contributing factors to the rumoured troubles.

Additionally, during a recent episode of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati', Ash's father-in-law and Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan talked about the iconic song "Kajra Re", referencing Abhishek and Rani Mukerji but notably omitting Aishwarya, who also appeared in the music video as the lead dancer marking a special appearance.