Aishwarya is India’s favourite firecracker cover girl

BOMBAY—Bollywood icon Aishwarya Rai has set the screen on fire for years - and now firecracker makers are endorsing that as well. Rai, former Miss World and Indian cinema’s most prominent face across the world, is the most prominent cover girl on firecracker boxes as India gears up for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights celebrating the victory of good over evil, which falls this year on Nov. 1.
“She is so popular that people reject the same product in another package even with a discount,” Minesh Mehta, joint secretary of the fireworks makers of Mumbai, formerly Bombay, and Thane cities in western India, was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times newspaper. Rai is a superstar in India. She has made more than 30 movies and has served on the Cannes Film Festival jury.
Millions of people, including children and adults, have started bursting firecrackers in the run-up to the festival, which is celebrated by Indians of most religions. Bollywood faces are a big draw on the product wrappings, but some current and former Hollywood heartthrobs - such as Marilyn Monroe and Kate Winslet - are also endorsing Indian firecrackers.
“Not just Bollywood stars, but also cartoon characters like Lion King, Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse can be seen on cracker packets,” Altaf Dawoodani, organizer of a fireworks sale in Mumbai, told the newspaper. All such endorsement are copyright violations, but the actors don’t seem to mind.—Agencies