By:
Upala
KBR,
Mid-Day
Tuesday,
April
25,
2006
Bollywood's
latest
'it'
couple,
Abhishek
Bachchan
and
Aishwarya
Rai,
have
split.
According
to
close
family
sources,
the
Bachchans
decided
against
their
marriage
after
it
was
discovered
that
Ash
was
manglik
(with
a
strong
influence
of
the
planet
Mangal,
or
Mars,
in
her
astrological
chart)
and
would
cast
a
dark
shadow
on
her
husband's
career.
Superstitious
family
According
to
an
insider,
the
Bachchans
are
a
very
superstitious
family,
and
didn't
want
to
take
any
chances
with
their
bachcha's
career.
The
Bachchan
beta
had
just
tasted
success,
and
they
didn't
want
anything
to
mar
that.
The
negative
vibes
Abhishek
attracted
from
his
fans
after
his
Ash
chapter
was
another
factor
in
the
end
of
this
prem
kahaani.
Amitabh
against
it
Says
a
source
close
to
the
family,
"Amitabh
Bachchan
was
always
against
the
marriage.
Jaya
had
accepted
it
with
resignation,
because
of
Abishek.
But
momma
Bachchan
told
people
that
if
Ash
and
Abhishek
did
get
married,
they
would
stay
separately;
and
not
at
Jalsa,
with
the
family.
If
that
happened,
it
wouldn't
have
taken
them
much
time
to
split
up.
Because
Abhishek
is
a
very
strong-willed
person,
and
doesn't
listen
to
anyone
except
his
parents."
Continues
the
source,
"Till
more
than
two
weeks
ago,
everything
was
fine
between
Ash
and
Abhishek.
Ash
had
been
talking
to
her
close
friends
about
marrying
him.
She
had
even
mentioned
how
actresses
were
calling
Ashutosh
Gowariker
and
telling
him
to
give
her
role
to
them,
as
she
was
getting
married.
Ash
had
laughed
and
said,
'They
are
talking
as
if
I
will
give
up
my
work
after
marriage'.
Abhishek,
too,
had
told
some
of
his
director
friends
that
he
would
do
their
films
if
they
signed
Ash
opposite
him."
Havan
back
out
Then
came
the
crunch,
when
the
Bachchans
discovered
Ash
was
manglik.
Of
course,
there
are
some
who
insist
that
it
was
Abhishek's
roving
eye
that
led
to
the
break-up.
But
Abhishek's
friend
denies
this.
"Anybody
with
a
strong
Mangal
in
their
chart
casts
a
negative
impact
on
their
spouse's
career.
But
the
Bachchans
had
accepted
that.
All
they
wanted
was
a
havan
to
be
conducted
by
Ash's
family,
which
the
Rais
initially
agreed
to.
But
they
backed
out
at
the
last
moment.
In
fact
Aditya,
Ash's
brother,
doesn't
believe
in
astrology,
and
asked
her
not
to
follow
it.
Not
doing
the
havan
upset
Jaya;
she
categorically
told
the
Rais
that
it
would
either
be
their
way,
or
no
way."
What
happened
in
Turkey?
Ash's
accident
that
took
place
on
April
22.
Says
a
source
close
to
Aishwarya
Rai,
"The
accident
wasn't
exactly
as
it
was
made
out
to
be.
They
were
filming
in
Badami,
for
Guru,
and
it
happened
after
pack-up.
Ash
was
still
in
her
ghaghra-choli
and
riding
an
old,
wobbly
bicycle
on
the
hotel
grounds,
which
is
uneven.
One
bump
was
quite
nasty
and
she
braked
hard.
As
she
was
getting
off
the
bike,
it
tipped
to
the
right
and
slipped.
Purely
as
a
reflex,
Ash
reached
out
for
a
sharp,
metal
post,
and
her
fingers
were
gashed
in
three
places.
There
was
a
lot
of
bleeding.
It
was
an
accident
waiting
to
happen
and
Ash
made
the
hotel
remove
the
post
forever.
Ash
was
in
pain
for
some
time
and
had
to
take
tetanus
shots.
The
doctors
dressed
it
up
and
put
her
hand
in
a
splint,
which
came
off
a
day
later.
She
resumed
work
the
next
day."