When Aishwarya Rai spoke about getting legal notices for her kissing scene with Hrithik Roshan in 'Dhoom 2': 'I was being asked to explain...'

Aishwarya Rai won over audiences with her roles in films like Devdas and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. In a 2012 interview, she shared that she had turned down several film offers due to her discomfort with kissing scenes and recalled receiving legal notices after her on-screen kiss in Dhoom 2.
The Dhoom 2 Controversy
In a chat with Daily Mail, Aishwarya revealed that she had turned down several scripts from Western films because she was uncomfortable with intimate scenes, particularly kissing. Since she had never done such scenes on screen before, the idea simply didn’t feel right to her.

She further explained that if she were ever going to take on such a role, she wanted to do it first in Indian cinema. She recalled her experience in Dhoom 2, where her on-screen kiss sparked a lot of controversy. Surprisingly, she received a few legal notices from people in the country, expressing their discomfort with her doing such scenes, despite her being seen as a role model for young girls. They questioned why she chose to do it, given her iconic status and exemplary personal life.
Aishwarya’s Reaction to Legal Notices
Aishwarya was taken aback by receiving legal notices from fans, expressing disbelief that she, as an actor simply doing her job, was being asked to explain a few seconds of a scene in a film. She pointed out that while many actors in films have kissed on screen, public displays of affection are still uncommon in Indian culture. She added that even in Indian cinema, actors rarely appear comfortable kissing on screen, often making it look staged. In contrast, songs in Indian films convey emotions similar to how kisses are used in Western films.

Dhoom 2 and Its Reception
Aishwarya and Hrithik's chemistry in Dhoom 2 became a major topic of discussion. Directed by Sanjay Gadhvi and written by Vijay Krishna Acharya, the film was the second installment in the Dhoom franchise and also starred Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra, and Bipasha Basu in key roles. While the movie earned widespread acclaim, Aishwarya faced criticism for her kissing scene with Hrithik.
The actress was last seen in Ponniyin Selvan II, directed by Mani Ratnam. The Tamil historical action-drama also starred Vikram, Ravi Mohan, Karthi, Trisha Krishnan, and several others in key roles. The film was a success and earned Aishwarya widespread praise for her performance.