Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on Sunday visited Kochi for the inauguration of a Kalyan Jewellers showroom, where thousands of onlookers lined-up outside on the streets to catch a glimpse of the former Miss World.
Already tipped about the actress' arrival, fans gathered in thousands outside Kochi airport with cellphones and cameras just to get pictures of the "Most Beautiful Woman in the World". The actress was accompanied by her mother Vrinda and nine-month-old daughter Aaradhya.
The inaugural ceremony of the Kalyan Jewellers showroom was scheduled to begin at 11 am, but the event was delayed for around two hours as both Malayalam superstar Dileep and new Kalyan Jewellers brand ambassador Aishwarya arrived late on account of heavy road traffic.
When Dileep arrived at the venue cheering fans rushed towards the showroom to greet him. However, it was clear that they were waiting for Aishwarya, the main attraction of the event.
Television reports showed the 38-year-old actress wearing an ivory and gold coloured Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla lehenga and kurta ensemble, and a diamond necklace with matching earrings and gold bangles. Her hair was tied back and adorned with jasmine flowers.
A special stage was set up for the actress to address the huge crowd at the venue. Aishwarya and Dileep inaugurated the store after which she addressed a select list of audience comprising ministers, mayors, guests and the media. She thanked the crowd for their support and also spoke about her connection with Kerala.
She told the crowd that this is her second visit to the state, but for Aardhya this is her first visit. "My last visit to Kerala was for the shoot of Iruvar. This is the second time I am visiting, though, it is Aaradhya's first," the actress said.
Since she had to fly back to Mumbai on the same day, she made a quick exit after the function ended.
Meanwhile, the Kalyanaraman family later told their guests that the TV advertisement featuring Aishwarya broke records online garnering over 200,000 hits within 4 days.
Watch the video of the inaugural function here:
