Ash [Aishwarya Rai] went to the same school I went to -- Arya Vidya Mandir, Santa Cruz (W), Mumbai -- though she was six batches junior to me. She was quite a prominent face even as a child.
I passed out in 1984 while she would have [passed out] in 1990. She was, I believe, the head girl then.
She first featured in the media in the Pepsi [television] ad with Aamir Khan. That's when it struck me, 'Could it be her?'
In September 1994, our school celebrated its silver jubilee, just after Ash won the Miss World crown. We rushed to the Juhu school, where the function was being held, in anticipation of seeing Ash.
Normally, most [celebrities] would have skipped such functions. But Ash didn't disappoint us. She turned up in a stunning black-n-silver star-spangled gown.
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She was called to the stage to pull out a chit for the lucky draw. The rest of us watched AVM's most famous face in awe.
That's a moment etched in my memory. I never tire of telling this story to all & sundry.
Radhakrishna Hemmad is Brand Manager, International, for Ranbaxy Global Consumer Healthcare.
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