Trailer for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s new film Sarbjit released

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan stars in the true-life drama Sarbjit.
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With the much-awaited trailer of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's new film Sarbjit out today, April 14, fans are panting with impatience. #SarbjitTrailer has been trending on social media, with some ardent supporters saying they are "close to a heart attack" from all the suspense.

Sarabjit, due to be released on May 19 in the UAE, is based on the true story of Sarbjit Singh (portrayed by Bollywood hunk Randeep Hooda), an Indian farmer who inadvertently crossed the border into Pakistan. Accused of being a spy, he was arrested, jailed and put on death row. Aishwarya portrays his sister, Daljit Kaur, a woman fighting for his freedom. Singh, who languished in prison for 23 years, died in 2013 after being savagely assaulted in jail by a group of Pakistani prisoners.

Film critic Taran Adarsh's tweet about excellent performances in the film – "Sarbjit should make people notice Aishwarya's stunning performance. Ditto for Randeep Hooda, Richa Chadha and Darshan Kumar" – has been retweeted several thousand times, adding to the anticipation.

But fans had better prepare themselves for Aishwarya’s “un-glam” look in the drama. In fact, while shooting in the northern Indian state of Punjab, the 42-year-old actress went unrecognised by many in the crowd that had gathered around the set.

“Yeh actress kaun hai [(who is this actress]?” was the most common question, as bystanders gaped at her in make-up and costume – her role called for her to sport unkempt hair, glasses and dowdy clothes.

Speaking to the Daily Mail a few days ago, Aishwarya said: "The film focuses on the struggle of Sarbjit's sister, a sibling virtually dedicating her whole life or such a large aspect of her life to looking after her brother's wife and children, and really leaving no stone unturned to try to have her brother released and brought back to India."

She added that the film was a “wonderful and intense piece of cinema to work on”.

The actress is also filming Karan Johar's romantic drama Ae Dil Hai Mushkil with Anushka Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor, which is scheduled for release around October. The actress is in dire need of a hit – her last film, Jazbaa, which was released in 2015 after a five-year break from acting, received mixed reviews.

artslife@thenational.ae