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Hot Bollywood celebs hit T.O. to launch new project
Updated Fri. Aug. 17 2007 3:41 PM ET

Constance Droganes, entertainment writer, CTV.ca

TORONTO -- Bollywood's superstar couple, Abhishek and Aishwarya
Bachchan, were swarmed by fans on Friday as they arrived for a press
conference at Toronto's Royal York Hotel.

With Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty to greet them, India's biggest
film stars were on hand to announce, "The Unforgettable Tour," a
2008 musical extravaganza that will span 18 countries and carry a
message about battling global warming as it travels the world.

Launching in Toronto and Vancouver, "The Unforgettable Tour" will
also visit Sydney, Cairo, London, New York, Los Angeles, Singapore
and Hong Kong.

"We just don't know enough about global warming and there's so much
we can do -- even the little things -- to help fight the effects
were are seeing on the planet because of it, particularly in India
where there have been such terrible floods," says actor Abhishek,
the son of legendary Indian actor and "Unforgettable" mastermind,
Amitabh Bachchan.

"We as entertainers can help make people aware," he says. As for
this Bollywood blockbuster' s impact on the environment, "We are
doing everything we can to make this tour as environmentally
friendly as possible."

Beyond entertaining a vast audience and promoting India's film
industry, "We wanted to work with friends," says the actor who has
been instrumental in revitalizing Bollywood to a new generation of
fans. Organizers will pinpoint local talent in every city the tour
visits and, as Bachchan says, "Give them the opportunity to
incorporate their talent into the show."

As for choosing Toronto as one of the two Canadian cities to launch
this massive musical undertaking, the city holds a special place for
Bachchan and his wife, the woman who "dove in" to the pageant queen
biz, as she says, and became Miss World in 1994.

The couple fell in love during a pitstop in Toronto in January of
2007. They later married, three month later, in April of 2007.

During that visit they were both touched that hundreds of fans
withstood freezing temperatures just to the pair as they walked into
a downtown theatre.

"We were overwhelmed, " says the actress who first garnered
international attention in 2002 when she appeared at the Cannes
International Film Festival for "Devdas." That turning point landed
the superstar a contract with L'Oreal, a leading role in the 2004
English production, "Bride & Prejudice" and recognition from TIME
Magazine as one of the "100 Most Influential People" in the world.

Her new movie, "The Last Legion," an ancient Roman epic starring Ben
Kingsley and Colin Firth, opens in theatres Friday.

As for married life, "I'm not just saying this because my husband is
with me," she jokes, "But marriage for me was a very conscious
decision. It has been a very worthwhile experience. I have an
incredible family and that, rather than my career, has always come
first."

kishore