Bio: Born into a traditional south Indian family, Aishwarya started modeling at a young age. This green-blue-eyed beauty appeared in advertisements for many prestigious firms; the ones that brought her into the limelight were the garden sari and the Pepsi ad. Crowned Miss India 1994 runner-up, she was a hot favorite in the run for miss world title, which she won, her beauty and charm made her India's darling. Ash stormed into the Indian movie industry, where she has proven herself a brilliant & genuine actress. Her performance in Iruvar (1997) was critically acclaimed, and she won the Screen best female debutant award for her role in ...Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (1997). She was adored in movies like Taal (1999), Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Devdas (2002), her item number in 'Bunty & Bubbly' had sent waves of rhythm across the nation. With her successful Bollywood movies and prestigious Hollywood projects lined up for release it is impossible to ignore this Indian diva in international scenes.
Aishwarya was an architecture student before she entered modeling as her part-time job. She was best known for her Pepsi commercial with Mahima Chaudhry. With her green-gray eyes, she was already approached by big names in India's film industry, where they offered her starring roles. She rejected the film offers since she aimed to be an architect. However, fate had other things in store for her after she was crowned Miss World 1994. Soon after her winning, again she received offers to star in movies. In Southern India, she was best known for her role as Madhumita/Veishnavi in Jeans (1998) and as Meenakshi in Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000). She won the Filmfare Award for best actress for her performance in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) as Ajay Devgn's wife who is in love with another man. She also received rave reviews for her performance as a rape victim in Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai (2000).
Aishwarya Rai (Ash) is one of Bollywood's pre-eminent leading ladies. This Indian darling burst upon the world stage when her striking beauty, poise and commanding intelligence won her the Miss World crown in 1994. This former architecture major soon became one of India's most famous models, landing a prestigious Pepsi-Cola campaign and appearing in Vogue Magazine. India's top Bollywood directors were soon lining up to work with Ash. Her film debut in Mani Ratnam's Iruvar (1997) received critical acclaim and her performance in ...Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (1997), directed by Rahul Rawail, garnered her the Best Female Debutante Award. In 2000 she was awarded Best Actress by FilmFare and Zee Cine for her work in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) in that same year, nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her special appearance in Aditya Chopra's Mohabbatein (2000). In 2001 Ash was nominated for FilmFare's Best Actress Award for Satish Kaushik's Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai (2000).Ash's star continued to rise in 2002, working again with Sajay Leela Bhansali in Devdas (2002), the most ambitious and most successful film in Bollywood history. It became the first Bollywood picture to receive a special screening at that year's Cannes Film Festival and broke box-office records in India and the US.Ash had even more exciting opportunities in 2003. She became the first Indian actor to be a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival. She is also the latest member of the elite L'Oreal Dream Team, joining renowned international beauties Catherine Deneuve and Andie MacDowell as L'Oreal's international ambassador. She graced the covers of India Today and the prestigious TIME Magazine, which also listed her on their list of the "100 Most Influential People in the World Today". She has graced numerous covers worldwide including the US, UK, China, Russia, Israel, United Emerites, Italy, Spain and France. Ash was also listed on Rolling Stone Magazine's annual "Hot List", Hello Magazine's 'Most Attractive Women in the World", Stuff Magazine, FHM magazine, V-Life from Variety Magazine, GQ Magazine, New York Times Magazine, Harper's & Queen and countless others. In 2004 Aishwarya took on the leading role in her first English-language film: Gurinder Chadha's Bride & Prejudice (2004). She also became the first Indian female to be immortalized in wax at the world-famous Madame Tussaud's wax museum in London.She began 2005 with appearances on 60 Minutes (1968), Late Show with David Letterman (1993) and the most watched television program in the world: "Oprah" (1972). Her career continued to grow with roles in The Mistress of Spices (2005) for director Paul Mayeda Berges, Jag Mundhra's Provoked (2006), Sanjay Gadhvi's Dhoom 2 (2006) and legendary producer Dino De Laurentiis' The Last Legion (2007) opposite Colin Firth and Sir Ben Kingsley and a comic turn as the villainess in Steve Martin's The Pink Panther 2 (2009).
Tivia: In 2004 she became the first Bollywood and Indian actress to have her own statue at London's Madame Tussaud's museum.She was the first choice for the role of Jane Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), but she turned it down due to filming conflicts.Miss World 1994.In April 2003 she suffered an accident on the sets of Khakee (2004) when a car driven by a stuntman got out of control, hit her, took her down a crevice and slammed her into a cactus plant. She broke a bone in one foot and suffered severe cuts, and she was rushed to a hospital. The incident rekindled the discussion about poor safety standards on Bollywood film sets.Gained 20 pounds for Bride & Prejudice (2004) because she didn't want her character to look like a supermodel and also felt that it would add a sense of realism to the character.The first movie star she ever met was Rekha. She was still in high school at the time and was a model. While at a grocery store with her mother, Aishwarya was tapped on the shoulder by none other than Rekha herself. Rekha recognized her from her modeling ads. She complimented the young girl on her good looks and wished her all the best.When Oprah Winfrey saw her interview on 60 Minutes (1968), she was so fascinated by her that she invited her to be a guest on her show. On 4/25/05 she became the first Indian and South Asian actress to be featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986).Has refused to work with Salman Khan after their break-up, in spite of several offers.Ran the Olympic-torch relay in June 2004.Is the most photographed woman in India.Gave birth to her first child at age 38, a daughter Aaradhya Bachchan on 11/16/11. Child's father is her husband, Abhishek Bachchan.In a poll conducted by "Hello" magazine, she was voted the #1 attractive woman of 2003, beating out Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Gwyneth Paltrow.Loves collecting watches.Is a trained classical dancer, a skill she learned from taking classical dance lessons for five years while a teenager.The first actress from India to be signed with the American Library Association and also have a poster made of her for schools and libraries all across America.About 15 kilos of henna was special-ordered from Sojat in Rajasthan for the henna ceremony before her wedding.Roger Ebert has said he considers her the most beautiful actress in the world.Has made over 50 music videos in only seven years.The first Bollywood star to appear in "Rolling Stone" magazine. (Issue 932, 10/2/03).Aamir Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan are the only stars to advertise for both Coca Cola and Pepsi.The first Indian actress to be on the jury of the Cannes International Film Festival.Her wedding ceremony lasted a total of three days. It was the most anticipated and talked-about wedding in years and the press followed it like Princess Diana wedding.A tulip produced in 2005 was named for her.On 9/5/06 she caused a day-long traffic jam in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, while filming a soap commercial. People would stop for hours just to catch a glimpse of her.Wanted to study medicine, but circumstances prevented her.Her wedding invitations were embossed with two entwined A's and delivered along with a box of chocolate meringues. Within the invitation was also a poem about new beginnings written by Amitabh Bachchan father and renowned poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan.Has over 17,000 Web sites dedicated to her.After she won the title of Miss World in 1994, the host of the event, Richard Steinmetz, actually asked her out. However, she thought it unprofessional and turned down his request.While shooting the music video for the song "Dola Re Dol"' from Devdas (2002), her ears started to bleed due to the weight of the heavy earrings she had to wear, but she finished the performance.Was considered for the part of Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale (2006).Despite the fact that she is adorned with jewelry in her music videos and movies, she is apparently not too fond of it.Has a puppy named Sunshine, given to her as a gift by Vivek Oberoi.The youngest actress to receive the Padmi Shri award, the fourth highest civilian honor, from the government of India for her contribution to cinema.On 1/2/05 she became the first Indian actress to be interviewed on 60 Minutes (1968).Is an ethnic Bunt, like Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Suniel Shetty. The Bunts are a South Indian community from Mangalore who mainly speak Tulu, which is her mother tongue.When President George W. Bush visited India in March 2006, he invited her, along with Aamir Khan, to a luncheon. Aishwarya could not attend because she was in Brazil at the time filming Dhoom 2 (2006).Se is the first goodwill ambassador for Smile Train, a charity that works worldwide for children with cleft lip.Turned down a small role as Briseis in Troy (2004).Is featured in the 2004 edition of the" Guinness Book of World Records".In 2005 Hugh Hefner attempted to create an Indian version of "Playboy" for India, which would feature South Asian women and Indian pop culture articles, but no nudity. He wanted to have Aishwarya on the cover of the first issue. The magazine was rejected.For her 34th birthday, she went to see Beyonc�� in a concert in Mumbai.Has been in seven movies with now husband Abhishek Bachchan, more than with any other actor.Has gained a cult following in Pakistan.In March 2006 she performed to an audience of 85,000 in Melbourne, Australia, at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games with 800 backup dancers.Was the face of Coca-Cola South Asia as well as the Middle East.Before she was famous, she auditioned to do voice-dubbing for a television serial and was rejected.Was voted #12 on VH1's 50 Sexiest Actresses of the Last 20 Years in December 2005.Is fluent in English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Urdu.Sued the magazine "Star and Style" for a sum of Rs 20 million (2 crore) for printing an article claiming that Raveena Tandon had caught her and Akshay Kumar in a "compromising position" at the poolside of a five- star hotel.Was listed in "Time" magazine as among the 100 most influential people in the world (The 2004 TIME 100).