Two tiny diamond studs, which she usually wears with her trademark geeky glasses, dazzle in her ears. Besides this one piece of jewellery, Kiran Rao, Aamir Khan's wife, wears no shimmer. But then, Rao is not the typical Bollywood wife whose only claim to fame is her husband's superstar status.
Her directorial debut, Dhobi Ghat, has already won accolades at various international film festivals, including Toronto, for its sensitive exploration of the city of Mumbai. Importantly, the film marked the advent of Rao as one of the rare star wives who are women of substance on their own accord.
"All along, you have known me as Mrs Aamir Khan," said Rao, who earlier worked as assistant director in Lagaan, Monsoon Wedding and Swades, recently, appearing solo at a press conference to promote her film. "But I now wanted to introduce myself as the writer and director of Dhobi Ghat. That is why we decided that only I should be present at this conference."
Kiran Rao has indeed arrived.
Here tabloid! looks at other Bollywood star wives who script their own lives.
In the spotlight
Gauri Khan
She is the boss of Red Chillies, hubby Shah Rukh Khan's production company and is the toast of Mumbai's glamour world.
"She makes so much sense out of all the nonsense around me," says her superstar husband.
Quite right. From sprucing up his wardrobe to seeing to it that he has his health food and vitamins, Khan is the pivot of SRK's existence. She turned producer with films like Main Hoon Na, Paheli, Om Shanti Om and the upcoming Ra.one.
Khan, who recently confessed she is too old to try her luck in Bollywood, is happiest socialising with friends like Queenie Dhody or whizzing off to wherever King Khan shoots his romantic capers.
Kids (Aryan, 13, and Suhana, 10), parties, family... she handles multi-tasking with ease.
Sussanne Khan
Hrithik Roshan's childhood sweetheart followed in her mother, Zarine's, footsteps when she took up interior design, and today she's said to be one of the best in business.
Khan went to Brooks College in California to study interior design and started her House of Design store after marrying Roshan. "One day I went on the sets of Kaho Na Pyaar Hai for 10 minutes, but after that day I vowed I would never go on the sets again. Everybody is so busy out there and one cannot sit and watch. It's no fun. I would rather be busy with my own work and do something creative," Khan was quoted as saying.
She recently designed Shilpa Shetty and Priyanka Chopra's houses. She is also rumoured to be in talks with Discovery Travel & Living channel to host a show on homemaking.
Two sons, Hrithik, socialising and interior designing keep her busy.
Twinkle Khanna
After a brief stint in Bollywood, Khanna realised that it was going nowhere. She once said: "Acting in films is not something that came to me easily. I did not enjoy it from day one."
Now, she's one forthright entrepreneur who has her own candle-making business and is a successful interior designer (she did the interiors for Rani Mukherjee's house in 2006) while husband Akshay Kumar handles the Bollywood side of things.
Khanna's store, White Window, is a known spot in Mumbai and in 2005, she won the coveted Elle Décor International Design Award. Of her celebrity status affecting her business venture, she said, "Expectations are high when you are a known personality and I have to work extra hard to gain credibility."
Mrs Kumar is also pitched to exploit her eye for design and colour on a TV show, Makeover with Twinkle Khanna. Meanwhile, the mother of eight-year-old Aarav rules Bollywood with her chic style statements.
Mehr Jessia Rampal
Arjun Rampal's wife and a former Miss India, Jessia Rampal (left) was one of the highest paid models in India in the '80s and early '90s.
After retiring from modelling, she started a model management agency and produced the film I See You with her husband. Along with Arjun, she owns the nightclub LAP in New Delhi.
With daughters Myra and Mahikaa and a stunner husband, Jessia Rampal appears to complete the perfect family.
Tania Deol
Yamla Pagla Deewana star Bobby Deol's wife has her distinct identity as a furniture designer.
Deol started designing clothes for Bobby in his films, but very soon she realised that her penchant for designing extended to furniture as well.
After a course in interior designing, she launched her furniture and home accessory collection catering to clients from the corporate to the movie world.
Is the job any easier because she's a celebrity wife? "Obviously, I'm known because of my husband, which makes the job easier for me than it would be for a rank newcomer," said the mother of two boys, Aryamaan and Dharam.
Manyata Dutt
If there's one thing Dutt likes, it's making headlines. She is best known for her raunchy item number in Prakash Jha's Gangajal (2003), in which she was given the screen name Manyata by Jha himself.
The name switch, however, didn't do much for her career. Now after her marriage to Sanjay Dutt, she has taken over the reins of his career — she reads the scripts, suggests changes, quotes money and even designs his costumes.
Dutt has serious aspirations to see herself in the role of Bollywood's first woman, though her dream to see her husband as a politician remains unfulfilled.
Dutt, who gave birth to twins in October, took creative charge of her late father-in-law Sunil Dutt's production company, Ajanta Arts, and has lined up a host of directors.
Seema Khan
Wife of actor-director Sohail Khan, Khan is a fashion designer and runs her own boutique in Mumbai. Her clientele includes sister-in-law Malaika Arora Khan, Amrita Arora, Sonali Bendre among many others.
Sohail was once quoted saying that he cannot afford his wife as a designer for any of his productions because of the high price she charges. Perhaps that explains why Bollywood still eludes her.
Mother of two boys, Khan created the look of the hit Sony TV show Jassi Jaise Koi Nahi.
Malaika Arora Khan
Known for her sizzling body, Khan is a yummy mummy, an item number specialist (Chaiyaa Chaiyya and the recent Munni badnam hui) and a TV personality, currently riding high as one of the judges of Jhalak Dikhla Jaa.
As she revels in all the attention, she admits that she has been lucky: "Honestly, when I began my career, I never thought I would come this far. Today I feel proud to be referred to as an example for a successful VJ, dancer and a mum."
One thing we can say for sure, she's one star wife who's more famous than her actor-producer husband, Arbaaz Khan.
And the quiet ones
Sunita Kapoor
Anil Kapoor's wife, a former model who dabbled in the garment business, realised the importance of fitness during pregnancy.
That's when Ideas (Integrated Dance and Exercise Academy), her fitness centre, came up. "My husband knows that my family comes first, but my work is equally important," she says.
Kapoor's clients include Dimple Kapadia, Zeenat Aman, Tabu, Neelam, Twinkle Khanna and, of course, Anil.
Her gorgeous daughter Sonam Kapoor got help from her mother in losing those extra pounds when she decided to debut in Bollywood.
Shobha Kapoor
Veteran actor Jeetendra's wife, Kapoor is no mean businesswoman. She runs the highly lucrative Balaji Tele-films, working diligently to fulfil her daughter Ekta's dreams.
Always resplendent in pearls and diamonds, her creative juices flow as prolifically as her daughter's.
Neetu Kapoor
Wife of Bollywood's eternal loverboy Rishi Kapoor and mother of Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor, ravishing Kapoor was one of the top actresses of the '70s and '80s.
The 52-year-old actress, who retired from acting after her wedding, made a comeback last year in Do Dooni Chaar, winning critical acclaim over box-office rewards, with husband Rishi after a hiatus of more than 25 years. Watch out, Katrina and Deepika.
Adhuna Akhtar
The wife of actor-director-singer Farhan, Akhtar (left) has been silently working behind the scenes.
She owns the b:blunt salon in Mumbai. Considered one of the best hair stylists in India, she did the styling for the trendsetting Bollywood flick Dil Chahta Hai and the hugely successful Rang De Basanti. Akhtar is definitely a cut above the rest.
