The stars were out for the opening festival at the Cannes film festival, and they sure were gorgeous. The first film to open the 12 day film festival on the Riveria is Blindness. The film by Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles is based on a 1955 novel in which an entire city goes blind after an epidemic. Julianne Moore plays one of the few people who is unaffected and retains her sight. She tries to hide it from the rest of the city as society breaks down from the effects of the change. Blindness also stars Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover, and Gael García Bernal.

The 9 person jury at Cannes includes Natalie Portman and is headed by Sean Penn. Penn didn’t miss a chance to rip on US President George Bush while talking to the press at the event. It’s likely that he was asked directly about it, and he is quoted by Reuters as saying “When somebody operates without a brain and without a heart, they kill hundreds of thousands of people around the world.” I dislike Bush as much as the next person, but there are much better ways of phrasing that. It’s lame to personally attack someone in such a blunt way when you can state more compelling reasons for disliking the guy. Bush definitely has a heart and a brain, he just choses when to use them. When it involves money, they’re easily switched off and immune to suffering, death and general havok-wrecking. Reuters notes that Penn then smoked a cigarette “in defiance of French anti-smoking laws.” You would think he would be afraid of setting that ridiculous hair on fire.

Shown at the opening ceremony at Cannes are Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Eva Longoria (who’s still looking pregnant to me), Rachida Brakni, Aishwarya Rai, Gillian Anderson, Sean Penn (the hair!), Julianne Moore, Gael García Bernal, Mischa Barton, Danny Glover, and Bar Rafaeli.

Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan says his wife, 1994 Miss Universe Aishwarya Rai, comes first. When I read this headline I actually thought it was referring to their sex life, and given how much trouble Richard Gere is in for kissing Shilpa Shetty, wondered if India was getting very relaxed very quickly. Turns out he meant in a much more supportive, less spicy manner.

“You always give things first to the wife, and then you have,” the actor, son of Amitabh Bachchan, said, adding that this was how marriages worked among Indians.

He also added that Aishwarya isn’t pregnant.

“That’s incorrect … there’s no such good news. When there is, I will tell you,” he said, on the sidelines of an endorsement event late on Thursday.

New Zealand Herald

This very attractive couple are being called India’s Brangelina, except I’m kinda tired of Brad and Ange. Maybe because they’re a Bollywood power couple (they don’t like the derogatory term Bollywood), but neither Abhishek or Aishwarya have divorces, knives, adoptions, lesbian affairs or any of that juicy gear in their history. Actually, maybe Bollywood’s power couple have nothing in common with Brangelina at all?

Note by Celebitchy: Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan announced their “Unforgettable” tour in a press conference in Toronto on July 7th. The Unforgettable tour will feature Bollywood films and will tour 18 different countries. It is expected to premiere in Toronto next summer. Bachchan said “If all goes well, and God willing, we will premiere the Unforgettable Tour in the city of Toronto because we feel that it is the best city to premiere the tour in.” Thanks to Right Celebrity for the news, and WENN for the header picture.

This may fall under the “who cares” news of the day, but it’s causing a sensation amongst the Bollywood scene in India.

Even though Aishawarya Rai has been denying for months that she’s in a relationship with her Umrao Jaan co-star Abhishek Bachchan, it does not explain why Aish recently snuck away with the Bachchan family to a prominent Hindu temple. Some reports are saying the family reportedly went to see an astrologer about Aishwarya’s horoscope (it’s not good) because it’s preventing them from finding an auspicious wedding date.

Family astrologer Chandramouli Upadhyaya, who met the Bachchans last night, said while there was no discussion on the marriage, they came to Varanasi to offer prayers to overcome a problem relating to Aishwarya’s horoscope.

There have been reports that the wedding plans of the two actors were getting delayed due to a problem in Aishwarya’s horoscope.

Tripathi, however, said he was not aware why the Bachchans had performed the prayers and that there was no specific ritual undertaken to reduce the influence of Mars on them.

Making sure the horoscopes of a prospective bride and groom are compatible is very important to Hindu marriage cermonies. If the stars aren’t aligned properly for the bride and groom, it could spell disasterous for the couple. The Bachchans are saying it was just a normal religous ceremony and had nothing to do with an upcoming wedding. Either way, what we do know is that she participated in all the religous rituals as a member of the family would, leading many people to believe, perhaps they are already married.

What I’m wondering is, if Aishwarya’s horoscope was really that messed up, why didn’t she go and do this religious thing with her own family? Unless, the Bachchans ARE a part of her family, or soon to be? Clearly Aishwarya is hiding something.

In the past, Aishwarya has been quoted as saying:

“Marriage is an institution I believe in. I think it is a beautiful institution, and definitely one I’ll happily be entering whenever God defines or decides, and an announcement will be made. It is not something I’d want to keep hidden or not let be known. I’ll definitely announce it.”

The question really is WHEN will she announce it. Below are some paparazzi photos taken at the temple showing Aishwarya with Abhishek Bachchan and his family, who are the most powerful celebrity family in Bollywood. Aishwarya is wearing no makeup in these pictures, which is humbling, because I was beginning to think she looked like a made-up diva all the time. Underneath it all, she’s got under-eye circles just like the rest of us.

all photos via aishwarya-forever.com