4 minutes of readingBombayJanuary 29, 2026 17:58 IST
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has had a remarkable journey in the film industry. What started when she won the Miss World pageant in 1994 eventually led to her becoming one of the most famous actresses in Bollywood.. He has proven his versatility by working with a wide range of filmmakers including Mani Ratnam, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Aditya Chopra and Rituparno Ghosh. Recently, producer Shailendra Singh, known for backing films like Firaaq, Phir Milenge and Page 3, spoke about how Aishwarya did her first ads with him for just Rs 5,000.
Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, he revealed, “I saw Aishwarya when I was 18 or 19 on Marine Drive, if I remember correctly. She came to meet Kunal Kapoor and me at 8:30 at night with her parents. She was just 18 or 19 and she did our first three ads for just Rs 5,000. I think she was the first extra, tied to a pole in Mukesh Mills for a commercial. Then, She did an ad. of Ghrit Kumari Hair Oil with Malvika Tiwari and then did another commercial with Arjun Rampal.”
Praising Aishwarya, he added: “She is a lovely human being. I have known her all my life, extremely dignified. These are the kind of people who should be the voice of our industry. I ask this question very often: Who is the brand ambassador of Bollywood? Who is the custodian?”
Salman Khan went to Aishwarya Rai’s house.
In the same conversation, Shailendra also spoke about Aishwarya’s much-publicized and controversial relationship with Salman Khan, as the producer was at one point close to both of them. Referring to the infamous incident in which an allegedly angry Salman Khan went to Aishwarya’s residence late at night, creating a ruckus, he said, “I know things. Aishwarya at one point was staying in the same building as Sachin Tendulkar, do you remember? And Salman went there and all that, do you remember everything? Aishwarya came to an award show with dark glasses and stuff like that. As they say in Romeo and Juliet, it’s a violent love He is a passionate guy and she is a very dignified and very respectful person, all of which I know about her.”
When asked if Aishwarya ever spoke about what happened between the two and why she wore sunglasses while attending the award ceremony, the producer immediately said, “No, no. We were not that close. I knew her since Rajeev Mulchandani (supermodel) days. I think that was her first relationship, and she hasn’t had many relationships in the industry. She is a very private person. I think we should respect that.”
Story continues below this ad.
Shailendra also opened up about the incident that led to the end of her friendship with Salman Khan. He had approached the actor for a film titled Captain, hoping to collaborate on a full-fledged commercial project. “Our friendship was very strong, so I approached him and told him: I want to make this film with you, a totally commercial project,” he recalled. The meeting, however, did not go as expected. “When I went to meet him, he had called several people to the meeting. That was my last meeting with Salman. I felt deeply insulted,” Shailendra said.