Aishwarya Rai used this as defence mechanism after breaking up with Salman Khan

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Salman Khan had a bitter breakup during the shooting of Devdas. It is a known fact that Salman used to come on the sets of Devdas and disrupt the shooting traumatizing Aishwarya Rai. She was very much disturbed by his behaviour and even lost a good amount of projects due to that.

One of the interviews of those times shows an insider very close to Ash dropping some indicative hints about how this affair with Salman Khan was affecting Aishwarya Rai Bachchan . The source said that it was during the making of Devdas that the man in her life (Salman) used to come on her sets unannounced upsetting her schedules. He was in a way trying to make his presence felt in a very sadistic and embarrassing way.

My breath was being choked-Aishwarya Rai

In an unguarded moment, Ash confessed to this person, “It was like my breath was being choked out my body all the time.” Although traumatised, Aishwarya Rai would never show it publicly. It never appeared on her face. During the shooting of Dola Re Dola, while Madhuri Dixit sat in the corner after the shot was over, Ash would hover around the monitor, dance, and squeal with the director.

Many people at that time called her insensitive and showed sympathy towards Salman Khan. However, in her mellowest moments, the beauty queen revealed, “They must understand that my pain is not for anyone to sympathise or share. What I went through was my own. Will remain my own. If my infamous giggle offended people they have to understand that it is my defense mechanism. I cannot and will not express my pain in public.”

Decades later, Salman Khan is still single after having multiple breakups with several actresses and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been married to Abhishek Bachchan for close to 17 years now.