- Not on a film set, but in Switzerland
Contrary to popular belief, Bollywood couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai didn’t first meet on the sets of Dhai Akshar Prem Ke. Their actual first meeting dates back to 1995 — almost half a decade earlier — and took place not in India, but in Switzerland.
At the time, Abhishek wasn’t an actor yet. He was working as a production assistant for his father Amitabh Bachchan’s film Mrityudata. During a recce (location scouting trip) in the Swiss Alps with director Mehul Kumar, Abhishek had an unexpected run-in that would, years later, change his life.
- A Suprise encounter on Bobby’s Deol set
Abhishek, who had studied in a boarding school in Switzerland, was sent on the trip by his mother, as he was familiar with the local areas. During the recce, he and the crew dropped by the nearby set of Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya, where his friend Bobby Deol was shooting — and it was there that he saw Aishwarya Rai for the first time.
In a chat with Nayandeep Rakshit on his YouTube channel, Abhishek recalled, “We went to Bobby’s set to say hello, and he was filming with Aishwarya. That was the first time I saw her in person. Of course, everyone knew her from Miss World, but I hadn’t met her until then.”
- A Lost in-translation-dinner
Recounting the interaction, Abhishek shared a light-hearted moment from that meeting. “Later, she told me she couldn’t understand a word I said because of my accent,” he laughed. “Apparently, I had a really heavy accent at the time.”
While the interaction didn’t spark romance then, it was a memorable first meeting that laid the groundwork for what was to come.
- Love blossoms on the set of Guru
Years later, the two reconnected while working together on Mani Ratnam’s Guru. It was during this time that their relationship blossomed. In a touching gesture, Abhishek proposed to Aishwarya using the same ring she wore in the film.
The couple announced their engagement in January 2007, and just a few months later, in April, they were married in a private ceremony.