NO ASH AT BUSH LUNCHEON

Ash to miss luncheon in honour of Bush

Press Trust of India

Mumbai, March 1, 2006


Bollywood's leading lady Aishwarya Rai would not be seen at the luncheon being hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in honour of visiting US President George W Bush in Delhi on Thursday.

Rai's secretary Hari Singh told a news agency that she had already left for Brazil when a request that she attend the event came from the Ministry of External Affairs.

"We received a phone call from the protocol officer in MEA seeking her presence at the lunch, 40 minutes after she left for Brazil on Tuesday," Singh said.

"We have informed the Ministry via e-mail that she would not be able to attend the event, Singh said.

Rai is in Brazil to shoot for the sequel to popular film Dhoom, called Dhoom 2.