Aishwarya Rai Bachchan recalls choosing Rituparno Ghosh's Chokher Bali instead of the 'next big film' after 'Devdas': 'What a beautiful story'

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has reflected on her career choices at the Red Sea Film Festival 2025 in Saudi Arabia, saying that insecurity has never dictated her path and that she chose 'Chokher Bali' after the blockbuster 'Devdas' simply because it was “a beautiful story.”

Aishwarya Rai on rejecting fear-based decisions

During a session at the festival in Saudi Arabia, Rai said, “I do not get insecure. That is a real aspect of who I am. Insecurity has never been the driving force which a lot of the voices around can try and get into your head and can sometimes propel choices. That is something that has never been me.” She added that, looking back, “That is clarity in all my career choices, unknowingly but now in retrospect, I display from the beginning.”




She entered films after winning an international beauty paegent and began acting with Mani Ratnam’s Tamil film 'Iruvar'. She recalled that Mani Ratnam reminded her the film was about the story rather than launching her, a perspective that matched how she wanted to work. Another entertainment news portal that covered the event highlighted how people around her expected her to follow hype, timing or industry pressure, but she insisted she picked projects that Felt right, even when they were not viewed as obvious star vehicles.

Why she picked 'Chokher Bali' after 'Devdas'

Speaking about the phase after the huge success of 'Devdas', Aishwarya remembered intense curiosity about her next move. Reportedly, she said, “I remember after 'Devdas', when you feel like a crescendo and people were like, ‘What is the next big film after that?’ because how much bigger can it be than 'Devdas' and I did 'Chokher Bali' with Rituparno Ghosh. I was like, ‘What a beautiful story and that is the film I want to do’.”

She emphasized that her choices were never about predictability or fitting a template, but about connecting with the script. She expressed gratitude for her long journey and said she hopes filmmakers continue to bring her strong material, while understanding if she declines a film that does not resonate.

Aishwarya has not signed a new project since 'Ponniyin Selvan 2' in 2023, but she remains a visible presence internationally, representing India at global film festivals and major fashion events while waiting for the next story that speaks to her.



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