Top Bollywood star once shut down David Letterman’s ignorant question about Indian culture: "We don’t..."
Indian actress Aishwarya Rai gained instant global recognition after winning the Miss World title in 1994, she soon conquered Hollywood with not just her gorgeous features but also her acting prowess. In 2005 Rai represented India for the first time on 'The Late Night with David Letterman', her charisma and quick wit won over many fans during the awkward conversation that flowed with the renowned television host. As per The Things, Letterman soon realized that his stereotypical knowledge of India was causing him embarrassment on live TV. After cracking subtle jokes about the Indian culture Letterman promptly asked Rai, "By the way do you live with your parents? Is that true? Is that common in India for older children to live with their parents?"
Without being offended by the sudden jab, Rai cheekily replied, “It’s fine to live with your parents, because It’s also common in India, we don’t have to take appointments with the parents to meet for dinner." The veteran host was ignorant of Rai's stardom from the start, he inquired about her background, where she lived, and what she did for a living. "Explain a little bit about who you are. where you're from. And what you do. Why don't you help us out here," he said. The 'Bride & Prejudice' actress then went on to describe her upbringing and stated that she was from Mumbai, a city in India. At this stage, Letterman showed ignorance by confusing it with Bombay, the British given name. Rai then politely corrected him.
The topic turned to her professional life and Letterman remained clueless about her achievements, "What was your biggest film? Your biggest worldwide film success," he asked. Rai recalled Indian director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's masterpiece 'Devdas' being screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002 and referred to it as her "big break" on the global scene, as per Koimoi. The TV host was next taken aback by the number of languages 'The Mistress of Spices' actress could speak. "Wow! it's just crazy because here in the United States we speak English uh yeah so and you speak nearly a half a dozen languages," he gushed.
Aishwarya Rai | Devdas Premiere
— ThingsBrownPeopleDo (@BrownPeopleDo) December 25, 2019
Cannes 2002 pic.twitter.com/9JuHw3oe9V
Letterman then grew curious about the Indian movies having song and dance sequences, "In India a lot of them are musicals and why is that?" Rai patiently explained that song and dance were a part of Indian culture and people loved to show their joy during different celebrations. "We've grown up on and people absolutely love it. I think it's also reflective of our culture which is a celebration. So we have songs for every festival occasion, weddings and it's kind of I think this whole thing of art imitates life." The late-night host finally inquired if Rai was willing to move to Hollywood. 'The Pink Panther 2' actress courteously responded that she preferred to maintain India as her base but was happy to travel for work.
Fans fawned over Miss World for her wise replies, "Why did she live with her parents? Because obviously, she is her child. They don’t dump children right after their 18th birthday. She is smart. She gave the right answer," a viewer praised. "Listed 4 languages she could talk and didn't once list English that she beautifully speaks! That shows how proudly she represents India," a fan gushed. "She melted Dave's brain. He's awestruck," an online user chimed.