Chapter 163: The Bollywood Actress

In the banquet hall of the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, servers were making the final preparations.

Laksh Roshan found his deputy, who was also his nephew, Nick Roshan, and asked, "Is everything ready?"

Nick Roshan, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a sharp expression, replied, "Everything is ready. Aishwarya Rai has accepted the invitation and will be here shortly. Additionally, I've found a contestant from this year's Miss India pageant with exceptional looks. She will be here in five minutes."

Laksh Roshan still felt a bit uneasy. "Are they reliable?"

"Aishwarya Rai's new film has our investment. Although we can't force her to do anything, she is willing to come to meet some American friends," Nick Roshan explained simply. "As for the other, with our connections among the Miss India judges, we can guarantee her a spot in the top ten. She is willing to do something in return for that."

Laksh Roshan was satisfied and nodded lightly.

Nick Roshan then asked, "Is Michael Davenport and Sands Entertainment worth all this effort? From what I know, it's just a small Hollywood company, not on the same scale as DreamWorks. Is it risky to cooperate with them?"

Laksh Roshan looked at his nephew appreciatively. Not blindly following and being cautious were good qualities.

"This is just an initial contact. We will observe before deciding whether to cooperate," Laksh Roshan said with appreciation. "Although Robert Lee has introduced the basic details of their project to us, can just that secure our tens of millions of dollars in investment?"

He whispered, "We've been planning to enter Hollywood for a year and a half but haven't found the right investment channel. Small productions aren't worth our time, and big productions don't need our investment. DreamWorks hasn't shown enough sincerity. Michael Davenport might be an opportunity. But whether this opportunity is suitable for us or not, we need to observe carefully."

Nick Roshan nodded. "I understand what to do."

As he was about to leave, Laksh Roshan held him back and said, "You studied in the United States and worked in Los Angeles. I will leave the main responsibilities of this task to you."

"Americans are unreliable, and Hollywood people even more so," Nick Roshan said, despite his work in the U.S. not being related to the film industry. "If they can't provide us with guaranteed investment opportunities, my suggestion is to give up rather than invest rashly."

Laksh Roshan said, "We'll see how things go."

At this moment, a woman around twenty-five years old walked in, and Nick Roshan went to greet her. Shortly after, another girl around seventeen or eighteen arrived.

Ten minutes later, Michael Davenport, George, Robert, Garcia, and Sterling arrived at the banquet hall.

This was a formal business meeting, and both sides were introduced to each other by Robert and Nick Roshan.

Michael's team consisted of five people, and so did the other side. Besides Laksh Roshan and Nick Roshan, there was another high-ranking executive from the Mountain Foundation.

As for the two women, they seemed to be there as ornaments.

"This is Miss Aishwarya Rai, one of Bollywood's most famous actresses," Nick Roshan introduced to Michael and his team. "And this is Priyanka Chopra, currently participating in the Miss India pageant."

Michael greeted the two women, shaking their hands and sizing them up. He glanced at Aishwarya Rai briefly before his eyes lingered on Priyanka Chopra.

Michael wasn't very familiar with Indian cinema. The Indian stars he'd heard of were limited, with the most famous being the "Indian Andy Lau." He had never heard of the Bollywood leading actresses of this era.

Priyanka Chopra's name rang a bell for him, so he took a longer look. With her ample chest, long legs, and pretty face leaning towards Western Caucasian features, she was easily recognizable as an Indian beauty.

The low status of women in India made Michael wonder what the presence of these two women at the banquet signified.

Although Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra spoke fluent English, allowing for easy communication, Michael only engaged in polite small talk with them, keeping his distance.

In his understanding, the male dominance in Indian society was extreme. A Bollywood actress and a beauty pageant contestant at such an event could only mean they were there to accompany the guests.

India's upper society was heavily Westernized. Though many dishes at the banquet were rich in Indian flavors, they were served in typical Western style.

The conversation flowed as they ate, occasionally raising glasses at Laksh Roshan's suggestion.

Michael couldn't shake the feeling that Priyanka Chopra was secretly observing him.

During a break when Laksh Roshan was discussing Hollywood film distribution with Garcia, Robert leaned in to Michael and whispered, "The Indians are trying to use beauty to ensnare you."

Michael didn't respond. They hadn't even reached the initial stage of a partnership, so it was too early to worry about such distractions.

But he glanced at Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra, thinking the Indians were indeed intent on swaying him.

Robert's insight made sense; these women might be the proverbial honey trap.

How to deal with such a trap?

Michael recalled what had happened in London and knew the hunter mustn't become the prey.

This was a formal business dinner. Despite the low status of Indian women and the chaotic state of Bollywood being even worse than Hollywood, nothing overly dramatic was expected.

Michael focused on dealing with Laksh Roshan and Nick Roshan.

"So, Nick, you graduated from USC as well?" Michael raised his glass to Nick Roshan. "We're alumni. I studied at USC's School of Cinematic Arts."

Nick Roshan was surprised. Alumni were a peculiar social connection. He quickly clinked glasses with Michael, saying, "I graduated from the School of Public Policy."

Michael searched his memories and asked, "Do you know Professor Al Yang?"

Nick Roshan immediately replied, "He was my advisor for a year."

Michael smiled, "I took an elective course with Professor Al Yang. He and my advisor, Professor Johnson, are longtime friends."

"You were a student of Professor Johnson?" Nick Roshan was pleasantly surprised. "I've read several of Professor Johnson's papers on Hollywood films. They've been very helpful in my current work."

Michael said, "Professor Johnson's research on film theory is top-notch in the entire American film industry."

The two began chatting about various anecdotes and rumors at USC, finding common ground and occasionally toasting each other.

However, Michael knew this was just a superficial connection.

For the moment, neither side discussed business. Everyone at the table spoke fluent English, most having studied in the U.K. or the U.S., making the banquet atmosphere lively.

Aishwarya Rai also chatted briefly with Michael, mainly asking about the prospects for minority actresses in Hollywood.

In contrast, Priyanka Chopra, possibly due to her youth and limited experience, was more reserved.

During a bathroom break, Michael noted that the banquet hall, likely due to the hotel's age, lacked a private restroom.

Entering the public restroom, Michael recalled an Indian film he'd seen in a previous life. It revolved around a family's struggle over something as basic as a toilet, a symbol of civilization, where the female lead almost sought divorce to have one installed at home.

Such situations were hard to imagine without being in the country.

It reminded him of how, in his hometown, wealthier areas didn't care much about dowries, while poorer areas demanded exorbitant amounts.

After washing his hands, Michael saw Priyanka Chopra coming out of the women's restroom.

"Mr. Davenport," Priyanka Chopra greeted him.

Michael nodded and smiled, "Hello, Miss Chopra."

He waited politely for her to finish washing her hands, and they walked back to the banquet hall together. Priyanka Chopra, though young, had a fantastic figure. It seemed that attractive Indian actresses were particularly alluring.

Was this a trait of high-caste Indian women?

Michael asked softly, "I heard you've been to the U.S.?"

"I attended part of my high school in the U.S.," Priyanka Chopra replied. "At Newton North High School in Massachusetts and North Scott High School in Iowa. I returned to India earlier this year."

Michael asked curiously, "To participate in the beauty pageant?"

Priyanka Chopra didn't respond immediately, so Michael added, "I apologize if that was too forward."

"It's okay," Priyanka Chopra smiled. "I... I want to be an actress. I tried my luck in Hollywood during the summer but didn't find any opportunities. When I heard about this pageant, I decided to enter."

She explained, "In India, performing well in beauty pageants quickly leads to acting roles. Aishwarya Rai took the same path."

Michael nodded. They reached the banquet hall entrance. Being a gentleman, Michael opened the door for her, letting Priyanka Chopra go in first, and followed her inside.

The banquet continued with a great atmosphere. Toward the end, both parties tentatively discussed cooperation. Both sides showed sincerity—Michael needed funds to complete 'The Bourne Identity,' and the Mountain Foundation wanted to make a significant entry into Hollywood.

The banquet ended on a warm and harmonious note, with both sides agreeing to discuss cooperation formally the next morning.