Suhasini Maniratnam says people know Aishwarya Rai only as a ‘beauty’, but she knows her as a ‘real person’: ‘She has got so many qualities…’

“When I see Aishwarya, I feel really happy. I know her as a person, you might all see her as a beauty or whatever, but I see her as a real person. She has got so many qualities that are not seen by the public. For example, if you will fall ill, she will be the first person who will come and look after you. She will give you advice on what to eat and she has that… Florence Nightingale is Aishwarya Rai,” Suhasini told ABP News.

Calling Arvind Swamy, with whom Mani Ratnam worked in films like Roja and Bombay, “brilliant”, Suhasini said, “He can remember a hundred things in first look.” She revealed that actor R Madhavan once played basketball for the country, which is why she is not surprised when she sees his son Vedant as a swimming champion. “It’s there in the genes,” said Suhasini.

She continued, “I feel happy to see him as the chief of Pune Film Institute. When he was newly married and was living in Chennai, I used to be his GPS. He used to call me and ask, ‘Mam, I am stuck on the road outside Park Sheraton, which way do I go?’ So, it’s lovely to see them do so well. Abhishek Bachchan too.”

Madhavan was recently appointed as the president of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Society and chairperson of the governing council.