amitabh-bachchan-ap-670
Bollywood Star Amitabh Bachchan. — Photo AP

NEW DELHI: Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan has revealed the name of his baby granddaughter on Twitter, putting an end to months of speculation.

“Her name is Aaradhya,” Bachchan tweeted to a curious fan late Saturday, breaking months of silence after his daughter-in-law, Bollywood actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, gave birth in Mumbai in November 2011.

Aaradhya's birth was shrouded in secrecy, with media organisations reportedly agreeing to avoid rolling coverage of the event or show pictures of the infant, despite her belonging to one of Bollywood's most famous families.

Aaradhya (whose name means “one worthy of devotion” in Sanskrit) was quickly christened “Beti (daughter) B” by reporters in the weeks following her birth.

Bachchan — a compulsive blogger and tweeter — has had a prickly relationship with the media in the past and has criticised outlets that misrepresent him or intrude on his family's privacy.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan took the Miss World crown in 1994 and made her debut in Bollywood in the late 1990s. She has since gone on to star in more than 40 Indian films.

Rai Bachchan, who married fellow actor Abhishek Bachchan in 2007, is expected appear on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival this week.

Opinion

Editorial

Kurram ‘roadmap’
Updated 25 Dec, 2024

Kurram ‘roadmap’

The state must provide ironclad guarantees that the local population will be protected from all forms of terrorism.
Snooping state
25 Dec, 2024

Snooping state

THE state’s attempts to pry into citizens’ internet activities continue apace. The latest in this regard is a...
A welcome first step
25 Dec, 2024

A welcome first step

THE commencement of a dialogue between the PTI and the coalition parties occupying the treasury benches in ...
High troop losses
Updated 24 Dec, 2024

High troop losses

Continuing terror attacks show that our counterterrorism measures need a revamp. Localised IBOs appear to be a sound and available option.
Energy conundrum
24 Dec, 2024

Energy conundrum

THE onset of cold weather in the country has brought with it a familiar woe: a severe shortage of piped gas for...
Positive cricket change
24 Dec, 2024

Positive cricket change

HEADING into their Champions Trophy title defence, Pakistan are hitting the right notes. Mohammad Rizwan’s charges...