Bollywood’s golden couple, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her husband Abhishek, became proud parents for the first time on Wednesday with the birth of a baby girl who joins a celebrated acting dynasty. India’s normally breathless television news channels only made passing reference to the birth, however, keeping to an agreement among broadcasters to restrain their reporting of the family’s private life.
Former Miss World Rai Bachchan, 38, gave birth at the private Seven Hills Hospital in Mumbai, hospital staff told AFP. “IT’S A GIRL!,” Abhishek, 35, wrote on his Twitter account, prompting a wave of congratulations on the micro-blogging site. Abhishek later thanked well-wishers, adding: “Both Aishwarya and the baby are doing great and taking some much needed rest… and I’m trying my level best to get rid of this caffeine high and get some sleep too.”
Bachchan’s father, Bollywood legend Amitabh, also tweeted his joy at the new arrival. “A dada ji (a grandfather)…Ecstatic!”, he said, calling his new granddaughter “the cutest baby girl”. Amitabh is already a grandfather as his daughter, Shweta Nanda, has two children.Media coverage of the event was muted even though Ash and her husband are top stars and, along with Amitabh and his actress wife Jaya, are considered to be Bollywood’s “royal family”. Bachchan senior – a compulsive blogger and tweeter – has had a prickly relationship with the media in the past and has criticised outlets that misrepresent him or intrude on his family’s privacy.
Last week broadcasters reportedly agreed on an unprecedented series of measures, including not to trail the event in advance or even run the announcement on “breaking news” captions. News channels, which are normally highly competitive, all appeared to be toeing the line by avoiding rolling coverage of the birth, although it was mentioned in brief. Instead, it was left to the Internet for fans to wish the Bachchans well.
‘It’s a girl’
