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

Short-changed?
Updated 24 Nov, 2024

Short-changed?

As nations continue to argue, the international community must recognise that climate finance is not merely about numbers.
Overblown ‘threat’
24 Nov, 2024

Overblown ‘threat’

ON the eve of the PTI’s ‘do or die’ protest in the federal capital, there seemed to be little evidence of the...
Exclusive politics
24 Nov, 2024

Exclusive politics

THERE has been a gradual erasure of the voices of most marginalised groups from Pakistan’s mainstream political...
Counterterrorism plan
Updated 23 Nov, 2024

Counterterrorism plan

Lacunae in our counterterrorism efforts need to be plugged quickly.
Bullish stock market
23 Nov, 2024

Bullish stock market

NORMALLY, stock markets rise gradually. In recent months, however, Pakistan’s stock market has soared to one ...
Political misstep
Updated 23 Nov, 2024

Political misstep

To drag a critical ally like Saudi Arabia into unfounded conspiracies is detrimental to Pakistan’s foreign policy.