This wasn't a posed picture for the paparazzi but a candid click of spontaneous warmth framed by a friend. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was on her way to a red carpet event and Jane Fonda was returning from one. They met in the hotel lobby and shared a jadoo ki jhappi. "Jane Fonda was so happy to see Ash. She hugged and kissed her," says the friend.

On Sunday at an event to honour her contributions to cinema, the 77-year-old ageless Fonda had groused about the gender-specific pay divide in Hollywood saying, "Of course it upsets me that women are still earning 30 cents per dollar less than a man earns doing exactly the same work. It's unacceptable and it must change and we must talk about it and we must be active in trying to create gender equity in terms of pay."

Ash the previous day had been in a closed door United Nations panel discussion on the role of women in media and gender equality with Oscar nominated actress Salma Hayek, Adele Exarchopoulos, the Palm d'Or winning star of Blue is the Warmest Color and producers of Carol, Christine Vachone and Elizabeth Kushel. Her Sabyasachi-designed outfit got her lots of compliments and Selma wanted one just like it and reacted to the teaser of her upcoming filmJazbaascreened at the event, saying, "Good I survived it.The scene was very emotional."