Hollywood no big deal for Aishwarya, says Abhishek

By Shilpa Jamkhandikar

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Hollywood may be knocking at her doors but for actress Aishwarya Rai, working abroad is just another job, in a different language. Or so feels husband Abhishek Bachchan.

"For her, I am sure it's just as big a deal to do a Bengali film as a film with, say Will Smith," Bachchan told Reuters in an interview with Rai by his side.

"It's not about Hollywood or India. Yes, we have immense respect for their industry, but we have equal amount of respect for our cinema or the regional cinema that exists in India," he said.

The couple, along with Abhishek's father, Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, will soon travel across North America and Europe on the first leg of Bollywood's 'Unforgettable Tour', which kicks off in the Canadian city of Toronto on July 18.

Going on the global concert tour together fulfills a promise the young Bachchan made to Rai before they were married in April 2007, at a time when they were just friends.

While shooting for the film "Kuch Na Kaho" some years ago, Bachchan couldn't accompany Rai on a tour because he was busy working.

"I promised her that one day we would go on a world tour together. We didn't know we'd be husband and wife then," the 32-year-old actor said.

The 40-day 'Unforgettable Tour' will see the Bachchans and other celebrities from Bollywood performing in eleven cities across America and Europe.