Who would turn down a role opposite Brad Pitt in a big budget Hollywood movie? It seems Aishwarya Rai Bachchan would, and did. An unconfirmed report claims that Ash was offered the part of Briseis, the love interest of Achilles, played by Brad Pitt, in Homeric saga Troy. The role eventually went to Bridesmaids actress Rose Byrne but Ash was the first choice of director Wolfgang Pietersen.

Did Ash turn down what would have been a dream debut in Hollywood because of the explicit lovemaking scenes the script required? We're never likely to know. Ash has starred opposite many of Hollywood's great and good, most notably Steve Martin in The Pink Panther 2, but she's never landed a leading man of the stature of Brad.