fbpx
Wikipedia

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

April 21, 2023

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (née Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil films. The winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant, she later has established herself as one of the most popular and influential celebrities in India.[1][2] Rai has received numerous accolades, including two Filmfare Awards, and was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2009 and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France in 2012. She has often been cited in the media as "the most beautiful woman in the world".[3][4]

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Rai Bachchan at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in 2023
Born
Aishwarya Rai

1 November 1973 (1973-11) (age 49)
Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Alma materUniversity of Mumbai
OccupationActress
Years active1991–present
WorksFull list
TitleMiss World 1994
Spouse
​
(m. 2007)​
Children1
FamilyBachchan family (by marriage)
AwardsFull list
Honours
Signature

While in college, Rai did a few modelling jobs. Following appearances in several television commercials, she entered the Miss India pageant, in which she placed second. She was then crowned Miss World 1994, after which she began receiving offers to act in film. She made her acting debut in Mani Ratnam's 1997 Tamil film Iruvar and had her first Hindi film release in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya that same year. Her first commercial success was the Tamil romantic drama Jeans (1998), which was the most expensive Indian film at the time. She achieved wider success and won two Filmfare Awards for Best Actress for her performances in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's romantic dramas Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) and Devdas (2002).

Rai garnered critical appreciation for portraying a passionate artist in the Tamil romance film Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), Tagore's heroine, Binodini, in the Bengali film Chokher Bali (2003), a depressed woman in the drama Raincoat (2004), Kiranjit Ahluwalia in the British drama film Provoked (2006), and a nurse in Bhansali's drama Guzaarish (2010). Rai's greatest commercial successes have been the romantic drama Mohabbatein (2000), the adventure film Dhoom 2 (2006), the drama Guru (2007), the period film Jodhaa Akbar (2008), the science fiction film Enthiran (2010), the romantic drama Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016), and the period film Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022).

Rai married actor Abhishek Bachchan in 2007; the couple have one daughter. Her off-screen roles include duties as a brand ambassador for several charity organisations and campaigns. She is a Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS). In 2003, she was the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival.[5]

Early life

Rai was born on 1 November 1973[6] into a Tulu-speaking Bunt family[7] in Mangalore, Karnataka.[8] Her father, Krishnaraj, who died on 18 March 2017,[9] was an Army biologist, while her mother, Vrinda, is a housewife.[10] She has one elder brother, Aditya Rai, who is an engineer in the merchant navy. Rai's movie Dil Ka Rishta (2003) was co-produced by her brother and co-written by her mother.[11][12] The family moved to Mumbai, where Rai attended the Arya Vidya Mandir High School.[10] Rai did her intermediate schooling at Jai Hind College for a year,[13] and then joined DG Ruparel College[14] in Matunga, securing 90 percent in the HSC exams.[10][15]

She trained in classical dance and music for five years during her teens.[15] Her favourite subject was zoology, and she initially considered a career in medicine.[15] Then, with plans to become an architect, she enrolled at Rachana Sansad Academy of Architecture,[15] but later gave up her education to pursue a career in modelling.[13]

Career

Modelling work and acting breakthrough (1991–1999)

In 1991, Rai won an international supermodel contest (organised by Ford) and was eventually featured in the American edition of Vogue.[14][16] In 1993, Rai gained huge public recognition for her appearance in a Pepsi commercial with actors Aamir Khan and Mahima Chaudhry. The single line – "Hi, I'm Sanjana," of her dialogue in the commercial made her instantly famous.[16][17] In the 1994 Miss India pageant, she won second place, behind Sushmita Sen, and was crowned Miss India World, also winning five other sub-titles, "Miss Catwalk", "Miss Miraculous", "Miss Photogenic", "Miss Perfect Ten" and "Miss Popular".[18] With Sen representing India at the Miss Universe pageant, Rai's duties as the first runner-up included representing India in the rival Miss World Pageant, held that year in Sun City, South Africa. She went on to win the crown[19] where she also won the "Miss Photogenic" award and Miss World Continental Queen of Beauty − Asia and Oceania.[20] After winning the pageant, Rai spoke of her dream for peace for this world, and her desire to be an ambassador of peace during her one-year reign in London.[18][21] Rai continued to pursue a career as a model until she became an actress.[18]

Rai made her acting debut in 1997 with Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Iruvar, a semi-biographical political drama, featuring Mohanlal, Prakash Raj, Tabu and Revathi. The film was a critical success and among other awards, won the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival.[22] Rai featured as Pushpavalli and Kalpana – dual roles; the latter was a fictionalised portrayal of politician and former actress Jayalalithaa.[23] Her dialogue in the film was dubbed by Tamil actress Rohini.[24] That same year, she was cast as Ashi, a naive teenager in her first Bollywood film – Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya, a romantic comedy opposite Bobby Deol. Both Iruvar and Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya were commercial failures and reviewers were critical of Rai's acting ability in both the films. However, for the latter, she won a Screen Award for Best Female Debut.[16][25]

In the 1998 big-budget Tamil romantic drama Jeans directed by S. Shankar, Rai appeared alongside Prashanth. She played Madhumita, a young woman who accompanies her ailing grandmother to the United States to seek medical attention. A commercial success, the film earned Rai praise for her acting and dancing skills. In this film, her dialogue was dubbed by Savitha Reddy.[26] Jeans was later submitted as India's official entry to the Academy Awards for 1998.[27]

Rai's first role in 1999 was in the melodrama Aa Ab Laut Chalen, directed by Rishi Kapoor. The film was a critical failure and had a below average performance at the box office.[28] Rai's portrayal of Pooja Walia, a traditional Indian woman living in the United States, met with negative reviews; Rediff.com published, "Rai sports a plastic smile and never gets a scene where she can portray any depth. All she does is cry and smile and look pretty".[29] Also in 1999, she starred in the romantic musical Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, which became a significant turning point in her career.[30] The film, an adaptation of Maitreyi Devi's Bengali novel Na Hanyate, was directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and co-starred Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan. She played Nandini, a Gujarati woman who is forced into wedlock (with Devgan's character) despite being in love with another man (played by Khan). Bhansali cast Rai after he met her at the screening of a film and was impressed with her eyes.[31] Khalid Mohamed of Bombay Talkies wrote that Rai "reveals an unquestionable felicity for acting" and has "that impossible combination of breathtaking beauty and brains".[32] Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam emerged as a commercial success and won Rai a Filmfare Award for Best Actress.[33]

Rai next took up the leading role of Mansi, an aspiring singer, in Subhash Ghai's musical romantic drama Taal; alongside Akshay Khanna and Anil Kapoor.[34] A reviewer for Rediff praised her acting and dancing prowess in the film and wrote that "Taal will again enhance her reputation as an actress while in no way detracting from her image as a traffic-stopper".[35] A domestic commercial success, Taal was notable for being the first Indian film to feature in the top 20 listing at the American box office.[36][37] Rai received a second Best Actress nomination that year at the Filmfare Awards ceremony.

Established actress (2000–2008)

In 2000, Rai starred in Kandukondain Kandukondain, a Tamil language adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility. Directed by Rajiv Menon, the film also starred Mammooty, Tabu and Ajith Kumar in prominent roles. Rai was cast as Meenakshi (based on the character of Marianne Dashwood), the younger sister of Tabu's character.[38] The film was a critical and commercial success and earned Rai positive comments from critics; a review carried by The Indian Express summarized, "Attacking her role with just the perfect dollop of innocence, Rai does full justice to her part, and matches up perfectly to Tabu."[39][40][41]

Rai next starred alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Chandrachur Singh in the action drama Josh. She portrayed Shirley Dias, the twin sister of Khan's character who falls in love with his arch enemy's brother (played by Singh).[42] The casting of Rai as Khan's sister was considered an unusual pairing at the time; director Mansoor Khan, however, described it as "perfect".[43] Despite earning mixed reviews from film critics, Josh emerged as a commercial success.[44][45] Satish Kaushik's social drama Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai was Rai's next release; she played a rape victim in the film. Co-starring Anil Kapoor and Sonali Bendre, the film was well received by critics and did well at the box office.[46] Film critic Sukanya Verma praised Rai's decision to star in the film and added that she "conveys the turmoil and pain of a rape victim well. But it is her transition from an emotional wreck trying to gather the broken pieces of her life back together that is amazing."[47] Rai's performance in the film eventually earned a third Best Actress nomination at Filmfare.[48]

Following a leading role in the box-office flop Dhai Akshar Prem Ke, Rai took on a supporting role in Aditya Chopra's musical romantic drama Mohabbatein. Rai played Megha Shankar, the daughter of Amitabh Bachchan's character who commits suicide after realizing that her father will not accept her romance with one of his students (played by Shah Rukh Khan). Receiving highly positive reviews from critics, Mohabbatein emerged as the highest-grossing film of the year and earned Rai a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.[45][48][49] The following year, she starred alongside Govinda and Jackie Shroff in the romantic comedy Albela. Upon release, both the film and her performance received mostly negative reviews; Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama criticized the film and mentioned Rai as "plastic in some scenes".[50]

 
Rai with her co-star Madhuri Dixit at the premiere of their film Devdas in 2002

After featuring in David Dhawan's slapstick comedy film Hum Kisise Kum Nahin, Rai appeared alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period romantic drama Devdas, an adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel of the same name.[51] She played the role of Paro (Parvati), the love interest of the protagonist (played by Khan). The film was screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and was featured by Time in their listing of the "10 Best Films of the Millennium".[52][53] Devdas emerged as a major international success with revenues of over ₹840 million (US$11 million).[54][55] Alan Morrison, writing for Empire, praised the performances of the three leads and wrote, "Rai proves she has the acting talent to back up her flawless looks".[56] Devdas was chosen as India's official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and received a nomination at the BAFTA Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.[57] In India, the film won 10 Filmfare Awards, including a second Best Actress award for Rai.[58] Also in 2002, she participated in the show From India With Love in the UK, along with Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta. It took place at two outdoor venues, Manchester's Old Trafford and London's Hyde Park, with over 100,000 spectators.[59]

In 2003, Rai featured in two romantic dramas — her brother's production début Dil Ka Rishta, alongside Arjun Rampal, and Rohan Sippy's Kuch Naa Kaho, alongside Abhishek Bachchan.[60] Neither of these films fared well critically or commercially.[60][61] She was later noted for her starring role in Rituparno Ghosh's independent Bengali film Chokher Bali, an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore's novel of the same name.[62] She portrayed the character of Binodini, an emotionally manipulative widow, struggling with her sexual desires in early-20th century Bengal.[63] The film was a major critical success and Rai earned positive notice for her performance; Derek Elley of Variety noted, "Rai dominates the film with her delicately sensual presence and physical grace".[64] Commercially, the film was a sleeper hit.[65][66]

After the success of Chokher Bali, Rai returned to mainstream Hindi film with Rajkumar Santoshi's Khakee (2004), an action thriller featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan and Tusshar Kapoor. The film tells the story of five constables embroiled in a mystery surrounding a terrorist attack; Rai's role was that of Mahalakshmi, a gun moll. While filming for Khakee, Rai was accidentally hit by a running car, which resulted in the fracture of her left foot.[67] Upon release, the film was a moderate critical and commercial success.[68] In her next release, the romantic comedy Kyun! Ho Gaya Na..., Rai played Diya Malhotra, a university student who develops a one-sided attraction toward her friend Arjun Khanna (played by Vivek Oberoi). The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, but was commercially unsuccessful.[69][70]

Rai garnered international recognition in 2004 for her starring role opposite Martin Henderson in Gurinder Chadha's British film Bride and Prejudice, a Bollywood-style adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice. International film critics expressed mixed views on Rai's performance as the Punjabi version of Elizabeth Bennet; a review carried by The New York Times mentioned her as "radiantly beautiful but inert",[71] while Rolling Stone noted that "she is a world-class hottie with talent to match, as she proves in her first English-speaking role."[72] With a worldwide gross of $24 million against a production budget of $7 million, Bride and Prejudice proved to be a commercial success.[73] Rai next collaborated with director Rituparno Ghosh for the second time on the 2004 relationship drama Raincoat, an adaptation of O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi, which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.[74] Critics praised the film and also noted the lack of glamour in Rai's role, which earned her a Best Actress nomination at Filmfare.[75] Derek Elley of Variety called the film a "chamber-sized gem" and mentioned Rai for "[s]hunning her usual immaculate makeup and duds, and looking more like a broken, malfunctioning doll."[76] On the contrary, Gautaman Bhaskaran of The Hindu thought that Rai "looks quite plain [and] seems to have made an earnest effort to emote, using less of her body and limbs and more of her face, and eyes in particular."[77]

Rai next co-starred alongside Sanjay Dutt and Zayed Khan in the 2005 adult drama Shabd, which tells the story of an author who convinces his wife to pursue an illicit relationship with a younger man in research for his next book. The film received predominantly negative reviews and proved to be a commercial failure. The Times of India concluded, "For the umpteenth time, Ms. Rai looks drop-dead gorgeous. And that's about it. She is like that picture postcard you get when what you were actually waiting for is a letter. It's very beautiful to look at, but is of no use because it says nothing."[78] The same year, Rai took on the lead role of Tilo in Paul Mayeda Berges's romantic fantasy film The Mistress of Spices, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.[79] The film received negative reviews from film critics[80][81] and emerged as a commercial failure.[82][failed verification] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian termed Rai's performance as "annoying" and wrote that she "wafts and simpers" through the entire film.[83] Rai's only successful venture of 2005 was a special appearance in Shaad Ali's crime comedy Bunty Aur Babli, in which she featured in the widely popular item number "Kajra Re".[84][85]

Rai had two film releases in 2006, J. P. Dutta's Umrao Jaan and Yash Raj Films' Dhoom 2. The former, an adaptation of Mirza Hadi Ruswa's Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada (1905), tells the story of a doomed courtesan from 19th-century Lucknow. Rai played the titular role, a character famously played by Rekha in the first film adaptation of the novel. Reviewers, while comparing the film to its previous adaptation, were critical of the film as well as of Rai's performance. BBC noted, "While only Rai could emulate the grace and poise of Rekha, she doesn't quite capture the intensity of Umrao's abiding melancholy", adding that "Rai's incandescent beauty and artistry [..] does indeed keep the audience watching, though not necessarily emotionally engaged."[86] In the Sanjay Gadhvi-directed adventure film Dhoom 2, Rai portrayed Sunehri, a petty thief who helps the police catch an illusive criminal; the film had an ensemble cast including Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, and Uday Chopra.[87] Despite receiving mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, Dhoom 2 was Rai's first major commercial success since Devdas; the film was declared a blockbuster, and became the highest grossing Indian film of 2006 with gross revenues of over ₹1.11 billion (US$14 million).[88] Rediff.com commented, "[She] is all gloss and no depth. You seldom feel any tension in her behaviour and expressions. [..] Sunehri enters the film nearly 50 minutes after its opening in a disguise. In no time, she is wearing the flimsiest of clothes. Once she opens her mouth—and she does it two minutes after appearing in the film—she spoils the image."[89] Nonetheless, her performance earned her a sixth Filmfare Award nomination in the Best Actress category.

In 2007, Rai played the wife of Abhishek Bachchan's character in Mani Ratnam's social drama Guru. A fictionalized biography of businessman Dhirubhai Ambani, Guru tells the rag to riches story of an uneducated man who builds a multinational corporation. The film met with international critical acclaim and emerged as a box-office success.[90] Richard Corliss of Time labelled her character as an "ornament", but Raja Sen from Rediff described it as "arguably her finest performance, visible especially when she takes over the film's climax."[91][92] Rai received her seventh Best Actress nomination at Filmfare for her performance in the film. Rai next starred alongside Naveen Andrews and Miranda Richardson in Jag Mundhra's independent British drama Provoked, as the real-life character of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, a non-resident Indian who murders her husband after suffering years of domestic abuse.[93] Rai earned mostly positive comments for her performance.[94] Critic Indu Mirani from DNA wrote, "Aishwarya Rai plays the battered wife in what is undoubtedly one of her best performances to date. Rai convincingly goes through the various stages of shock, bewilderment, remorse and finally vindication".[95] Internationally well-received, the film emerged as a moderate commercial success in the United Kingdom.[96][97] That same year, Rai starred alongside Ben Kingsley, Colin Firth and Thomas Sangster as the Indian warrior Mira in Doug Lefler's epic film The Last Legion.[98]

After a series of films that under-performed either critically or commercially, Rai garnered both critical and box-office success with Ashutosh Gowariker's period romantic drama Jodhaa Akbar (2008). The film narrates a partly fictionalized account of a marriage of convenience between the Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar (played by Hrithik Roshan) and the Rajput princess Jodha Bai (played by Rai). Rajeev Masand noted, "Rai is wonderfully restrained and uses her eyes expertly to communicate so much, making this one of her finest outings on screen."[99] The film had gross earnings of ₹1.12 billion (US$14 million) and fetched Rai a Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare Awards ceremony.[100] She then co-starred with her husband, Abhishek Bachchan, and her father-in-law, Amitabh Bachchan, in Ram Gopal Verma's political drama Sarkar Raj, a sequel to the 2005 box-office hit Sarkar.[101] Rai was cast as Anita Rajan, the CEO of an international power firm who proposes to set up a plant in rural Maharashtra. The film was a critical and commercial success, with praise directed to the performances of the three leads.[102][103][failed verification]

Career fluctuations and sabbatical (2009–2016)

Rai's next role was in the 2009 Harald Zwart-directed spy comedy The Pink Panther 2. Starring alongside Steve Martin, Jean Reno and Emily Mortimer, Rai portrayed the role of Sonia Solandres, a seductive criminology expert. Like its predecessor, the sequel received negative reviews from critics,[104] but did a moderate business of $34 million at the American box office.[105] Roger Ebert wrote, "Rai is breathtaking in Bollywood films, where they devote a great deal of expertise to admiring beauty, but here she's underutilized and too much in the background";[106] USA Today mentioned her expressions as "wooden" and added, "She looks gorgeous, but her expression rarely changes".[107]

 
Rai performing at the 17th Annual Star Screen Awards (2011)

In 2010, Rai was cast by Mani Ratnam in his Tamil film, which is also a bilingual modern-day adaptation of the Indian epic Ramayana. Her role was that of Ragini (modeled on Sita, the heroine of Ramayana), a woman married to the superintendent of police, who is kidnapped by a bandit. The Tamil version (Raavanan) and the Hindi version (Raavan) of the film were shot simultaneously and Rai played the same role in both the film versions. She made a comeback to Tamil cinema after a gap of 10 years with Raavanan. The Tamil version Raavanan was a huge commercial success, whereas the Hindi version Raavan was a commercial failure.[108] The films received polarized reviews from film critics, as did Rai's performance. Kaveree Bamzai of India Today wrote, "Rai's Sita is one of the best things in the film ... her performance is heartfelt—this is a performer who is at ease playing women, rather than girls."[109] However, film critics Aniruddha Guha and Rajeev Masand criticized her character and noted, "She's left to scream and shriek and hiss."[110] Commercially, Raavanan emerged as a success, while Raavan flopped.[111] Rai's next role was opposite Rajinikanth in the science fiction Tamil film Enthiran (2010), directed by S. Shankar.[112] She was cast as Sana, a college student and the girlfriend of Rajinikanth's character. At the time of release, Enthiran was the most expensive Indian film production and eventually emerged as one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time.[113][114][115] She then appeared as Mala, an impetuous brat, in Vipul Shah's Action Replayy; a science fiction comedy co-starring Akshay Kumar, Aditya Roy Kapoor and Neha Dhupia.

Rai's final film of 2010 was the drama Guzaarish; her third collaboration with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Hrithik Roshan.[116] The film tells the story of Ethan Mascarenas, a former magician (played by Roshan) with quadriplegia, who after years of struggle, files an appeal for euthanasia. Rai's role was that of Sophia D'Souza, Mascarenas' nurse, who is abused by her alcoholic husband. Due to her and Bhansali's prior associations, Rai agreed to the project before reading its script.[117] Despite flopping at the box office, Guzaarish met with positive critical reviews. The Telegraph described it to be "one of Rai's best performances" and The Times of India summarized, "Rai is a stunning picture of fire and grace, walking away with certain scenes by her sheer vitality."[118][119] In 2011, Rai was cast as the protagonist of Madhur Bhandarkar's social drama Heroine; however, due to her pregnancy, Rai was replaced by actress Kareena Kapoor, the original choice for the role.[120][121]

After a five-year sabbatical from film acting, Rai made a comeback with Sanjay Gupta's drama-thriller Jazbaa, co-starring Shabana Azmi and Irrfan Khan.[122] A remake of the Korean thriller Seven Days (2007), the film saw Rai play the role of Anuradha Verma, a criminal lawyer who is forced to defend a rapist in exchange for her daughter's safety. Shubha Shetty-Saha of Mid-Day criticized the film's unnecessary and intrusive melodrama and thought that Rai "looks the part and even does a fairly decent job, barring certain emotional scenes where she clearly goes over the top".[123] The film underperformed at the box office.[124]

 
Rai in 2016

In 2016, Rai starred in Omung Kumar's biographical drama Sarbjit. The film is based on the life of Indian farmer Sarabjit Singh, who was convicted of terrorism by a Pakistani court, and how his sister Dalbir Kaur fought relentlessly for his release. Rai played the role of the sister of Sarabjit Singh (played by Randeep Hooda).[125] The film premiered at the 69th Cannes Film Festival,[126] and received mixed reactions from critics.[127] Few reviewers expressed that Rai was "miscast" as she neither looked nor sounded like a Sikh woman.[128] Her Punjabi accent and her over-the-top performance in few scenes was largely criticized, though several critics took note of how much she stood out in the film's quieter scenes.[129][130][131] Rajeev Masand summarized that "she's required to scream and shout and weep copiously to express her anguish; the shrillness does her no favors. In quieter moments – like one in which Dalbir can't bear to part with her stillborn baby – the actress shines."[132] Nonetheless, her role earned her tenth Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination.[133] The film earned over ₹440 million (US$5.5 million) worldwide against a production budget of ₹150 million (US$1.9 million).[134][135][136]

Success with intermittent work (2016–present)

Rai's final release of 2016 was Karan Johar's musical romantic drama Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, alongside Anushka Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor, in which she played the role of a poet named Saba. Rai received positive reviews for her performance, despite having limited screen time.[137][138] Joe Leydon of Variety considered her to be the film's prime asset and wrote that she "seems to have wandered in from another movie, one where emotions are conveyed in subtler and more affecting fashion. When she takes her leave from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, you may wish you could go with her."[139] The film emerged as one of her biggest commercial successes with revenues of over ₹2 billion (US$25 million).[140][141][142] Two years later, Rai played the part of a singer who is kidnapped by a troubled father in the unremarkable comedy-drama Fanney Khan (2018). An adaptation of the Belgian film Everybody's Famous! (2000), the film co-starred Anil Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao.[143] Uday Bhatia of Mint disliked the film and found Rai "too unruffled a screen presence to convincingly sell the kind of silliness this film requires".[144]

In 2022, Rai reunited with Mani Ratnam for Ponniyin Selvan: I, a Tamil ensemble period film based on Kalki Krishnamurthy's epic novel of the same name.[145] She played Nandini, a scheming Chola queen. Haricharan Pudipeddi of Hindustan Times found Rai's to be the best performance among the ensemble cast,[146] while Sonil Dedhia of News 18 added that she is "wonderfully restrained and uses her eyes expertly to communicate so much".[147] The film earned over ₹5 billion (US$63 million) worldwide to emerge as one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of all time.[148] Rai will reprise her role in the sequel Ponniyin Selvan: II.[149]

Off-screen work

In 1999 Rai participated in a world tour called the Magnificent Five, along with Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Akshaye Khanna and Twinkle Khanna.[150] In the same year, she was appointed as Longines Ambassador of Elegance.[151] In 2001, Rai appeared in her first world tour, which was Craze 2001, a series of concerts that was performed across the US alongside Anil Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Preity Zinta and Gracy Singh. The show faced early cancellation due to the 11 September 2001 attacks, and the team prepared to return to India as soon as possible. However, the shows continued successfully in Canada.[152] In 2003, she became the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival.[153] In the same year she became a global brand ambassador of L'Oréal, alongside Andie MacDowell, Eva Longoria and Penélope Cruz.[154][155] Rai is the brand ambassador for The Eye Bank Association of India's nationwide campaign to promote eye donation in India.[156] In 2005, she became a brand ambassador for Pulse Polio, a campaign established by the Government of India in 1994 to eradicate polio in India.[157] In the same year, Rai was appointed spokesperson for the International Year of Microcredit, raising awareness of the main goals and priorities of the United Nations' poverty alleviation efforts.[158]

 
Rai Bachchan receives Outlook Business Outstanding Woman Award

In February 2005 Rai performed with other Bollywood stars at the HELP! Telethon Concert, an event to raise money for the victims of the 2004 tsunami earthquake.[159] Along with other members of the Bachchan family, she laid the foundation of a special school for underprivileged girls in Daulatpur village in Uttar Pradesh in 2008. Construction is being funded by the Bachchan family and the school will be named after Rai.[160] Between July to August 2008, Rai, her husband Abhishek Bachchan, her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan, and actors Preity Zinta, Ritesh Deshmukh and Madhuri Dixit starred in the "Unforgettable World Tour" stage production. The first leg covered the US, Canada, Trinidad, and London, England. Rai is also involved in the functional and administrative operations of her father-in-law's company, originally known as ABCL, and rechristened as AB Corp. Ltd. That company, along with Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., developed the Unforgettable production.[161][failed verification][162] She appeared along with various other Bollywood actors at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. The performance showcased Indian culture as a lead-up to India hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games.[163]

Rai is a UN Microcredit Spokesperson.[164] She supports PETA India.[165] She pledged to donate her eyes to the Eye Bank Association of India and appeared in a public awareness film on eye donation.[166] In November 2004, Rai created the Aishwarya Rai Foundation to help needy people in India.[167] In 2009 Rai was appointed as the first Goodwill Ambassador of Smile Train, an international charity that provides free Cleft lip and palate surgery to children in need. Her work with Smile Train will focus not only on India, but on 76 different developing countries around the world.[168][169] In September 2012, Rai had joined United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and renowned Hollywood actor Michael Douglas at a ceremony to commemorate the International Day of Peace in New York.[170] Later that week, she was appointed as the new international Goodwill Ambassador for UNAIDS, the joint United Nations programme on AIDS and HIV. She will raise global awareness on protecting children from HIV infection and increasing access to antiretroviral treatment.[171]

Personal life

In 1999, Rai began dating Bollywood actor Salman Khan; their relationship was often reported in the media until the couple separated in 2002. Rai cited "abuse (verbal, physical and emotional), infidelity and indignity" on the part of Khan as reasons for ending the relationship.[172][173] She then had a romantic relationship with actor Vivek Oberoi before they broke-up in 2005.[174]

 
Rai with her husband Abhishek Bachchan in 2010

Though they both appeared in Dhai Akshar Prem Ke (in which her then longtime boyfriend, Salman Khan, had a brief cameo) and Kuch Naa Kaho, Abhishek Bachchan fell in love with Rai whilst filming Dhoom 2.[175] Their engagement was announced on 14 January 2007 and later confirmed by his father, Amitabh Bachchan.[176] The couple married on 20 April 2007 according to traditional Hindu rites of the Bunt community, to which she belongs.[177] North Indian and Bengali ceremonies were also performed. The wedding took place in a private ceremony at the Bachchan residence, "Prateeksha", in Juhu, Mumbai.[177] They have been described in the Indian media as a supercouple.[178][179] Rai is very close to her family, and lived with them in Bandra, Mumbai, until her marriage.[180][181][182]

Rai is Hindu and deeply religious.[3] Her international presence shot up when Abhishek Bachchan accompanied her to the Cannes Film festival shortly after their marriage, and later to The Oprah Winfrey Show, appearing on 28 September 2009.[183] They were described as being more famous as a couple than Brangelina.[184][185][179]

Rai gave birth to a girl, on 16 November 2011.[186][187] Rai is commonly referred to by fans and the media by the nicknames "Ash" and "Aish", but has stated that she dislikes being called as such. She has discouraged people from referring to her by names other than "Aishwarya" as she does not want to "spoil [her] good name".[188]

On 12 July 2020, Rai and her daughter were reported to have tested positive for COVID-19.[189] On 17 July, they were reported to have been hospitalized.[190] Rai and her daughter recovered and were discharged from the hospital on 27 July 2020.[191]

In the media

Impact and reception

 
Rai in 2014; her blue/green eyes have been identified as a trademark by the Indian media.

Rai Bachchan is one of the most popular Indian celebrities.[39][192][193][194][195] Despite constant media speculation, she keeps her personal life well-guarded.[citation needed] Her physical appearance and performances have made her a style icon for young women.[196] In 2011, India Today noted that there were over 17,000 websites dedicated to her.[197] She was selected by Verve magazine in its list of the country's most powerful women.[198] In 2001, Forbes named Rai among the top five Indian movie stars.[2] In a reader poll conducted by UK's Hello! magazine, she was voted "the most attractive woman of 2003".[199] In the same year, Rai appeared in Rolling Stone magazine's annual "Hot List".[200] In 2004, she was chosen by Time as one of the world's most influential people, and appeared on the cover of its 2003 Asia edition.[201][202][203]

Rai is the first Indian actress to be on the jury of the Cannes International Film Festival.[204] In October 2004 a wax figure of Rai was put on display in London's Madame Tussaud's wax museum.[205] She was the sixth Indian and the second Bollywood personality—after her father-in-law, Amitabh Bachchan—to get this honour. In 2007, the same figure was displayed at Madame Tussaud's Museum in Times Square in New York.[206] As her most distinctive physical features, Rai's green-blue eyes, luscious lips, curves and feminine mannerisms have been cited by the media as her trademark.[207]

In 2005, she was the subject of a 60 Minutes profile on 2 January, which said that "at least according to thousands of Web sites, Internet polls and even Julia Roberts", she was "the world's most beautiful woman".[3] The same year, a tulip in the Netherlands was named "Aishwarya Rai" after her.[citation needed] Also in 2005, Mattel released a limited edition of Barbie dolls of Rai in the United Kingdom.[208] The British magazine Maxim ranked Rai first on their list of "Hottest Women of India".

Rai appeared on such shows as Late Show with David Letterman, and was the first Bollywood personality to appear on Oprah's "Women Across the Globe" segment. In 2005 Harpers and Queen's list of "Most Beautiful Women in The World" ranked her ninth.[209] In May 2006, Rai was featured in People Magazine as one of the "World's Most Beautiful People".[210] The UK magazine Eastern Eye ranked her third in the list of "Asia's Sexiest Women" in 2006,[211] and she was ranked eighth in 2009.[212] In 2008, American television channel E!: Entertainment listed Rai's eyes as the sexiest on their Sexiest Body Parts list.[213] In 2009, she made appearances on Martha Stewart's show Martha and on The Tyra Banks Show.[214] In the same year Forbes listed Rai at 387th out of 1,411 actors on their list of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. She is the highest-ranked Indian actor on the list.[215][216]

In a poll conducted by the newspaper Daily News and Analysis in 2009, she was voted as one of India's most popular icons.[217] She attended the 83rd Academy Awards, along with her husband, Abhishek.[218] Rai with her husband Abhishek Bachchan appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on 28 September 2009. She is the first Indian celebrity who appeared in The Oprah Winfrey Show twice.[183] They have been described as a supercouple in the Indian media.[219]

She ranked 2nd in The Times of India's 50 most desirable women of 2010,[220] and ranked 9th for 2011.[221] In 2011, she has received a lot of negative publicity for failing to lose her post-pregnancy weight as is apparently "required" of a public figure. However, she silenced her critics by walking the red carpet at the "AmfAR Cinema Against Aids" gala in 2012 Cannes Film Festival for the 11th time.[222] Later that year, Rai has made it to the issue of New York Magazine's list of "Forty Women That Women Find Beautiful", where she grabbed the 21st position in the list, with New York Magazine saying "She may be the "world's most beautiful woman," but what we really love is that she never feels fragile onscreen".[223] The market research firm YouGov named Rai the world's eleventh most admired person of 2018.[224]

Endorsements

Rai made her first commercial for Camlin exam pencils when she was in the 9th grade. Rai became popular after appearing in a Pepsi commercial with actor Aamir Khan.[15] She is the only actress who endorsed both Pepsi and Coca-Cola.[225] She is one of the top brand ambassadors in the country and is one of the top paid Bollywood actresses in this respect.[226] She modelled for Titan Watches,[227] Longines watches, L'Oréal, Coca-Cola,[228] Lakmé Cosmetics, Casio pager, Philips, Palmolive,[citation needed] Lux, Fuji films,[229] Nakshatra Diamond Jewellery,[230] and Kalyan Jewellers.[231] She was named the official brand ambassador for De Beers diamonds in India.[229] Rai has been ranked the 2nd most popular watch brand ambassador worldwide in a survey, conducted by World Watch Report.[232] In 2013 Rai and her husband Abhishek Bachchan have been roped in as the brand ambassadors by the TTK Group.[citation needed]

Filmography

Main article: Aishwarya Rai filmography

Awards and recognition

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Aishwarya Rai
 
The 12th President of India, Pratibha Patil presenting the Padma Shri Award to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, at the Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on March 31, 2009

Rai received a Padma Shri in 2009 for her contribution to Indian cinema. As of April 2023, she remains one of very few India actresses to have been awarded this alongside Tabu, Kajol and Priyanka Chopra. Rai has also received two Filmfare Awards awards for Best Actress, for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) and Devdas (2002) out of 11 nominations and numerous times at Screen Awards, and IIFA Awards ceremonies and others for her on-screen performances.

Rai was appointed the member of the jury of the 2003 Cannes Film Festival; she was the first Indian actress to represent her country as a jury member in the festival.[233][234]

In 2012, she finally accepted the second-highest Order of France, Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.[235][236] Earlier, she refused it because her father was suffering from a serious illness, and she wanted her whole family to attend the award ceremony.[236][237]

References

  1. ^ Simon Robinson (15 August 2007). "India's Most Influential". Time. from the original on 2 November 2016.
  2. ^ a b Jatras, Todd (9 March 2001). "India's Celebrity Film Stars". Forbes. from the original on 20 February 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2001.
  3. ^ a b c Tricia, McDermott (29 December 2004). . CBS News. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013.
  4. ^ *Simon, Bob. "The most beautiful woman in the world [Aishwarya Rai]". 60 Minutes. CBS. 29 December 2004.
    • "'World's most beautiful woman' Aishwarya Rai gives birth". The Daily Telegraph. 16 November 2011. from the original on 23 April 2018.
    • Hiscock, Geoff (2007). India's global wealth club. John Wiley and Sons. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-470-82238-8. from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
    • "Meet the Biggest Movie Stars on the Planet (You May Not Have Heard Of)". The Oprah Winfrey Show. 28 September 2009. from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
    • Chhabra, Aseem (9 February 2005). "Ash does fine on Letterman". Rediff. from the original on 28 May 2009.
  5. ^ . Archived from the original on 27 May 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Aishwarya Rai Bachchcan to celebrate 42nd birthday with husband Abhishek and daughter Aaradhya". The Indian Express. 1 November 2015. from the original on 4 November 2015.
  7. ^ ANI (27 December 2010). "Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan participate in event organised by Bunt community". Daily News and Analysis. from the original on 7 August 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  8. ^ "Devdas: Raise your glass". The Times of India. 30 May 2002. from the original on 20 August 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
  9. ^ "Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's father passes away; was suffering from cancer". from the original on 20 March 2017.
  10. ^ a b c "This Week in Entertainment". Rediff. 1 November 1973. from the original on 22 November 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  11. ^ Samant, Prajakta (15 January 2003). "She is a big star; I'm just starting". Rediff. from the original on 19 October 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  12. ^ "Dil Ka Rishta is special for me: Aishwarya". The Times of India. 13 January 2003. from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  13. ^ a b Assomull, Sujata (5 February 1999). . The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 22 August 2010. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  14. ^ a b Dawar, Ramesh (2006). Bollywood: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. Star Publications. p. 144.
  15. ^ a b c d e "Behind the beauty". Hindustan Times. 31 October 2008. from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  16. ^ a b c Roy, Gitanjoli (1 November 2012). "Who is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan?". NDTV. from the original on 16 November 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  17. ^ Ghose, Anindita (5 November 2012). "Exclusive interview: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan". Vogue. from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  18. ^ a b c Varma, Nikhil (14 May 2011). "Beauties and the B". The Hindu. from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  19. ^ . The Hindu. 9 May 2011. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  20. ^ . Pageontopolis. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  21. ^ . The Times of India. Archived from the original on 9 April 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  22. ^ "Looking at Mani Ratnam's landmark movies – Rediff.com Movies". Rediff. 9 June 2010. from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  23. ^ Warrior, Shobha (3 September 2003). "25 years, 25 landmarks". Rediff. from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
  24. ^ Srinivasan, V. "Of Jeans and bottom lines". Rediff. from the original on 3 March 2016.
  25. ^ . Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
  26. ^ "An easy fit". Rediff. 15 May 1998. from the original on 1 November 2006.
  27. ^ Chopra, Anupama (26 March 2001). . India Today. Archived from the original on 18 August 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  28. ^ . Box Office India. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  29. ^ "The review of Rishi Kapoor's Aa Ab Laut Chalein". Rediff. 22 January 1999. from the original on 4 November 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  30. ^ . The Hindu. 8 March 2002. Archived from the original on 19 October 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  31. ^ Farook, Farhana (31 October 2014). "I love her...I hate her". Filmfare. from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  32. ^ Mohamed, Khalid (1999). . Filmfare – Bombay Talkies. The Times Group. Archived from the original on 3 October 1999. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  33. ^ "The Winners – 1999– The 51st Filmfare Awards". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  34. ^ . The Hindu. 3 December 2003. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  35. ^ Taliculam, Sharmila (13 August 1999). "Soft 'n' sensational". Rediff. from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  36. ^ . Box Office India. Archived from the original on 21 December 2007. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
  37. ^ Bist, Raju (12 November 2002). . Asia Times. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  38. ^ . The Hindu. 28 May 2000. Archived from the original on 19 October 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  39. ^ a b "Aishwarya's life in pics". NDTV. from the original on 24 December 2011.
  40. ^ . The Indian Express. 10 July 2000. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  41. ^ Reshma S Kulkarni (10 August 2011). "At their regional best!". The Hindu. from the original on 18 May 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  42. ^ . The Hindu. 1 December 2004. Archived from the original on 19 October 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  43. ^ Suggu, Kanchana (24 January 2000). "Josh is a youth oriented film". Rediff. from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  44. ^ . The Hindu. 23 June 2000. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  45. ^ a b . Box Office India. Archived from the original on 2 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
  46. ^ "Box Office 2000". Box Office India. from the original on 16 July 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  47. ^ Verma, Sukanya. "Sir Anil to the rescue!". Rediff. from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  48. ^ a b "The Nominations – 2000– The 51st Filmfare Awards". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  49. ^ . The Hindu. 6 January 2008. Archived from the original on 19 October 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  50. ^ Adarsh, Taran. "Albela (2011) review". Bollywood Hungama. from the original on 28 October 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  51. ^ . The Hindu. 23 September 2002. Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  52. ^ Corliss, Richard (21 May 2012). . Time. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
  53. ^ "Devdas in TIME magazine's Top 10 films list". Bollywood Hungama. from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  54. ^ . Box Office India. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  55. ^ . Archived from the original on 27 December 2007. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
  56. ^ Alan Morrison. "Devdas Review". Empire. from the original on 14 May 2013.
  57. ^ . The Times of India. 27 January 2003. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  58. ^ "The Winners – 2002– The 51st Filmfare Awards". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  59. ^ "From India with Love". BBC News. 30 April 2002. from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2007.
  60. ^ a b . The Hindu. 31 December 2004. Archived from the original on 7 November 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  61. ^ . The Hindu. 10 March 2003. Archived from the original on 24 November 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  62. ^ . The Hindu. 21 July 2006. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  63. ^ . The Hindu. 16 November 2003. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  64. ^ Elley, Derek (12 August 2003). "Chokher Bali: A Passion Play". Variety. from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  65. ^ SPillai, Shreedhar (13 November 2003). . The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 November 2003. Retrieved 13 November 2003.
  66. ^ "Bengali films zoom in on profits". Rediff. from the original on 14 January 2004. Retrieved 10 January 2004.
  67. ^ "Aishwarya injured in accident". Rediff.com. 2 April 2003. from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  68. ^ . The Hindu. 27 February 2004. Archived from the original on 28 June 2004. Retrieved 27 February 2004.
  69. ^ Menon, Sita (13 August 2004). "KHGN: Part-time fun". Rediff.com. from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  70. ^ . Box Office India. Archived from the original on 7 January 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  71. ^ Dargis, Manohla (11 February 2005). "Mr. Darcy and Lalita, singing and dancing". The New York Times. from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  72. ^ Peter Travers (27 January 2005). "Bride and Prejudice". Rolling Stone. from the original on 28 March 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2005.
  73. ^ "Bride and Prejudice (2005)". Box Office Mojo. from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  74. ^ . Archived from the original on 6 April 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
  75. ^ . Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
  76. ^ Elley, Derek (30 July 2004). "Raincoat". Variety. from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  77. ^ Bhaskaran, Gautaman (31 December 2004). . The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 January 2005. Retrieved 31 December 2004.
  78. ^ Bose Malik, Jhoomur (5 February 2005). "'Shabd' leaves all speechless". The Times of India. from the original on 18 June 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  79. ^ . The Hindu. 24 April 2005. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  80. ^ . The Hindu. 26 May 2006. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  81. ^ . The Hindu. 28 May 2006. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  82. ^ "Mistress: Aishwarya's best work? – Rediff.com movies". Rediff. 20 April 2006. from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  83. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (21 April 2006). "The Mistress of Spices". The Guardian. from the original on 22 September 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  84. ^ "Ten best Bollywood actresses of 2005". Rediff.com. from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  85. ^ Taneja, Nikhil (31 December 2009). . Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  86. ^ Joshi, Poonam (20 October 2006). "Umrao Jaan (2006)". BBC News. from the original on 29 July 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  87. ^ "Ash to dance to Davar's tune". The Times of India. TNN. 10 May 2006. from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  88. ^ . Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  89. ^ J. Pais, Arthur. "Dhoom: 2 falls short of expectations". Rediff. from the original on 24 May 2010.
  90. ^ . Box Office India. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  91. ^ Corliss, Richard (12 January 2007). . Time. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2007.
  92. ^ Sen, Raja (12 January 2007). "Watch Guru for the actors". Rediff. from the original on 23 January 2011.
  93. ^ Bindel, Julie (4 April 2007). "I wanted him to stop hurting me". The Guardian. from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  94. ^ "Aishwarya's life in pics". NDTV. from the original on 14 January 2016.
  95. ^ Mirani, Indu. "Stirred and shaken". Daily news and Analysis. from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2007.
  96. ^ . Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  97. ^ Saibal Chatterjee. . Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2006.
  98. ^ "'Superbad' delivers super debut with 1.2 million debut". International Herald Tribune. 19 September 2007. from the original on 31 January 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
  99. ^ Masand, Rajeev (15 February 2008). . CNN-IBN. Archived from the original on 16 July 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  100. ^ . Box Office India. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  101. ^ M. Shah, Kunal (9 May 2008). "Why Raj wants to see Sarkar..." The Times of India. from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  102. ^ "Bachchan mania grips denizens". The Hindu. 16 June 2008. from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  103. ^ "Beyond prisms of prejudice". The Hindu. 14 August 2008. from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  104. ^ "Pink Panther 2 trashed by critics". Hindustan Times. 5 February 2009. from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  105. ^ "U.S. and Canada Box Office". The New York Times. 8 March 2009. from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  106. ^ "The Pink Panther 2- by Roger Ebert". Chicago Sun-Times. 4 February 2009. from the original on 7 January 2016.
  107. ^ Puig, Claudia (6 February 2009). "'Pink Panther 2' stumbles, bumbles and bores". USA Today. from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  108. ^ "Vikram plays both Ram and Raavan". The Hindu. 25 April 2010. from the original on 8 February 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  109. ^ Bamzai, Kaveree. "Raavan: Boy blunder lost in an epic mess". India Today. from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  110. ^ Guha, Aniruddha (18 June 2010). "Review: Raavan is a big yawn". Daily News and Analysis. from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  111. ^ . The Telegraph. 10 October 2010. Archived from the original on 19 June 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  112. ^ . Sify. 2008. Archived from the original on 8 January 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
  113. ^ "Highest grossing Indian film". The Economic Times. India. 31 January 2011. Archived from the original on 7 January 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  114. ^ . NDTV Movies. Archived from the original on 4 October 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  115. ^ . Box Office India. 1 November 2010. Archived from the original on 4 November 2010. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  116. ^ "Aishwarya is very special to me". The Hindu. 30 December 2008. from the original on 31 January 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
  117. ^ . Rediff.com. 21 October 2010. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  118. ^ D. Gupta, Pratim (20 November 2010). . The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
  119. ^ Kazmi, Nikhat (18 November 2010). "Review: Guzaarish". The Times of India. from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  120. ^ "'Heroine' Kareena's costumes worth Rs 1.2cr". Hindustan Times. 27 September 2011. from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  121. ^ . Hindustan Times. 10 May 2009. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  122. ^ Jha, Subhash K. (15 January 2015). "Mark the date!". Daily News and Analysis. from the original on 15 January 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  123. ^ Shetty-Saha, Shubha (9 August 2015). "'Jazbaa' – Movie Review". Mid-Day. from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  124. ^ "Jazbaa". Box Office India. from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  125. ^ "Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to play Sarabjit Singh's sister in biopic". Mid-day. from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  126. ^ "Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer Sarbjit screened at Cannes 2016 today". Deccan Chronicle. 15 May 2016. from the original on 16 May 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  127. ^ "'Sarbjit' movie review round-up". International Business Times. 19 May 2016. from the original on 20 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  128. ^ Saibal Chatterjee. "Sarbjit Movie Review". NDTV. from the original on 20 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  129. ^ Namratha Joshi. "Searching for Sarbjit". The Hindu. from the original on 20 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  130. ^ "'Sarbjit': Immerses You Emotionally". Business Standard. from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  131. ^ "Sarbjit movie review: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is all wrong for her part, Randeep Hooda is the only thing worth watching". The Indian Express. from the original on 21 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  132. ^ "'Sarbjit' Review: Not Perfect, But Enough to Appreciate". CNN-IBN. 20 May 2016. from the original on 23 May 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  133. ^ "NOMINATIONS FOR 62nd JIO FILMFARE AWARDS 2017". Filmfare.com. from the original on 10 January 2017.
  134. ^ "Box Office: Understanding the economics of Sarbjit". Bollywood Hungama. 24 May 2016. from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  135. ^ "Box office collection: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's 'Sarbjit' beats 'Jazbaa' lifetime earnings record". International Business Times. 30 May 2016. from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  136. ^ "Box Office: Worldwide Collections and Day wise breakup of Sarbjit". Bollywood Hungama. 21 May 2016. from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  137. ^ Shomini Sen (November 2016). "Why Aishwarya Rai Deserved More Screen Time in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil". News18.com. from the original on 2 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  138. ^ Chatterjee, Suprateek. "'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' Review: A Generic Tearjerker That Spontaneously Combusts". HuffPost. from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  139. ^ Leydon, Joe (28 October 2016). "Film Review: 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'". Variety. from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  140. ^ "Box Office: Worldwide Collections and Day wise breakup of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil". Bollywood Hungama. 31 October 2016. from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  141. ^ "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil box office collection day 5: This is the hit Ranbir Kapoor needed". The Indian Express. 1 November 2016. from the original on 2 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  142. ^ Scott Mendelson (6 November 2016). "Karan Johar, Ajay Devgn, Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma And Aishwarya Reach New Peaks". Forbes. from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  143. ^ "Hindi adaptation of 'Everybody's Famous!'". The Times of India. from the original on 16 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  144. ^ Bhatia, Uday (3 August 2018). "Film Review: Fanney Khan". Mint. from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  145. ^ "Mani Ratnam's 'Ponniyin Selvan' full cast and crew revealed". The Times of India. 14 December 2019. from the original on 26 March 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  146. ^ "Ponniyin Selvan I movie review: Aishwarya Rai is a revelation in Mani Ratnam's masterful adaptation of classic". The Hindustan Times. 30 September 2022. from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  147. ^ "Ponniyin Selvan 1 Review: Mani Ratnam Finally Brings His Dream Alive with a Spectacular Adaptation". News 18. 30 September 2022. from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  148. ^ "Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan: 1 Enters Rs 500-Crore Club At Worldwide Box Office". News18. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  149. ^ "Ponniyin Selvan Part 2 will release 6 to 9 months after part 1's release, says Mani Ratnam". India Today. 17 September 2022. from the original on 18 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  150. ^ . Elite Entertainment (bollywoodconcerts.com). Archived from the original on 7 April 2007. Retrieved 14 April 2007.
  151. ^ "Aishwarya Rai Bachchan". Longines. 1 November 1973. from the original on 4 April 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  152. ^ . Downloads.movies.indiatimes.com. 15 November 2001. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007.
  153. ^ "Aishwarya Bachchan Rai". from the original on 18 February 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  154. ^ "Aishwarya Rai to promote Cinema Verite event". The Hindu. 13 May 2009. from the original on 17 May 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  155. ^ Shankar, S. (16 February 2004). "Almost White". Outlook India. from the original on 19 January 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  156. ^ . The Times of India. 24 August 2003. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
  157. ^ "Actress Rai backs polio campaign". BBC News. 22 August 2005. from the original on 8 January 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  158. ^ "Whosinvolved". yearofmicrocredit. from the original on 28 September 2011.
  159. ^ . The Telegraph. Kolkota, India. 8 February 2005. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2006.
  160. ^ "Bachchans to build girls school in name of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan". Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
  161. ^ "Amitabh-Abhishek planning world tour together : India Entertainment". Earth Times. from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
  162. ^ "B-Town divas who made it to Cannes". Post.jagran.com. from the original on 31 January 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  163. ^ . melbourne2006.com. 26 March 2006. Archived from the original on 28 April 2006. Retrieved 22 April 2006.
  164. ^ . Yearofmicrocredit.org. 18 November 2004. Archived from the original on 26 November 2012.
  165. ^ . Look to the Stars. 23 November 2012. Archived from the original on 23 November 2012.
  166. ^ . Aishwarya-rai-pictures.com. 6 June 2013. Archived from the original on 6 June 2013.
  167. ^ . The Times of India. 23 May 2013. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013.
  168. ^ "Aishwarya appointed 'Smile Train' ambassador". The Indian Express. India. from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
  169. ^ . SmileTrainIndia. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012.
  170. ^ "Aishwarya, Michael Douglas at UN to mark International Day of Peace". NDTV. 22 September 2012. from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  171. ^ "Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, being an UN ambassador". NDTV. from the original on 12 February 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  172. ^ . Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
  173. ^ "I'm not married to Salman Khan". Filmfare. Vol. 48, no. 6. June 1999. from the original on 30 May 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  174. ^ "Aishwarya and Vivek finally break up". The Star. Malaysia. 10 December 2005. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  175. ^ . Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  176. ^ Singh, Harneet (16 January 2007). "It was sudden...but this is the 21st century, one must be prepared". The Indian Express. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  177. ^ a b "Abhishek arrives on horseback for wedding". Rediff. from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  178. ^ "It's London in spring time!". The Times of India. 4 April 2007. from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
  179. ^ a b . The Hindu. Chennai, India. 1 August 2009. Archived from the original on 7 October 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
  180. ^ . The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 August 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  181. ^ . Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
  182. ^ . The Indian Express. 1 May 2007. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
  183. ^ a b . Rediff. 30 September 2009. Archived from the original on 2 May 2013.
  184. ^ "Abhishek kisses Aishwarya on Oprah Winfrey's show". Zee News. 30 September 2009. from the original on 12 August 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  185. ^ "It's London in spring time!". The Times of India. 4 April 2007. from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  186. ^ "Aishwarya Rai takes Aradhya Bacchan for a stroll in London". The Times of India. 20 April 2016. from the original on 3 August 2016.
  187. ^ "Bachchan baby gets a name!". Rediff. from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
  188. ^ "Aishwarya doesn't want to spoil her 'good' name". India Today. 12 October 2010. from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  189. ^ Written at Mumbai. "Aishwarya Ria Bachchan tests positive as Covid-19 hits Bollywood's first family". The Guardian. London. 12 July 2020. from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  190. ^ "Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Indian actress taken to hospital with Covid-19". BBC News. 17 July 2020. from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  191. ^ "Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Indian actress discharged after recovering from Covid-19". BBC News. 27 July 2020. from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  192. ^ "At 37, Aishwarya is a director's delight". The Hindu. 31 October 2010. from the original on 1 November 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  193. ^ "I choose to give my best". NDTV Good Times. from the original on 20 October 2012.
  194. ^ Haimanti Mukherjee (20 July 2012). "Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan: A charismatic persona". The Times of India. from the original on 8 September 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  195. ^ "Top 10 most searched Bollywood celebrities". India Today. from the original on 19 November 2016.
  196. ^ ARCHANA NANDAL (14 October 2002). . The Hindu. Archived from the original on 1 July 2003. Retrieved 14 October 2002.
  197. ^ "India Today Woman Summit & Awards 2010: Citations of Award Winners". India Today. 21 July 2011. from the original on 21 July 2011.
  198. ^ "Verve's 50 Power Women 2008". Verve. from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2008.
  199. ^ "Aishwarya Rai". Hello. from the original on 26 June 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  200. ^ "Introducing Aishwarya Rai". CBS News. 10 February 2005. from the original on 29 June 2011.
  201. ^ Perry, Alex (20 October 2003). . Time Asia. Archived from the original on 24 December 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
  202. ^ Perry, Alex (18 April 2004). . Time. Archived from the original on 13 January 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
  203. ^ . Aishwarya-rai-pictures.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  204. ^ "IAishwarya on jury of Cannes Film Festival". The Economic Times. 9 April 2003. from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  205. ^ Arun, Neil (1 October 2004). "Bollywood goddess waxes beautiful". BBC News. from the original on 1 February 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  206. ^ "Ash stops traffic in Times Square". Rediff.com. from the original on 22 October 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  207. ^ . Askmen. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  208. ^ "World's 50 Most Desirable Women – DNA". Daily News and Analysis. 23 January 2009. from the original on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  209. ^ Coghlan, Tom; Pitel, Laura; Gray, Sadie. "The most beautiful women?". The Times. UK. from the original on 1 June 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  210. ^ "Beauties Around the Globe". People. 8 May 2006. from the original on 30 March 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  211. ^ "rediff.com: Asia's sexiest women". Rediff. 20 September 2006. from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  212. ^ . Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 20 December 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
  213. ^ . Hindustan Times. India. Archived from the original on 2 July 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2008.
  214. ^ . Archived from the original on 26 April 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
  215. ^ . Star Currency. 1 November 1973. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  216. ^ . Movies.ndtv.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  217. ^ Suparna Thombare. "Sach-a icon". DNA. from the original on 16 November 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
  218. ^ Prabhakar, Jyothi (2 February 2011). "Ash's dress over Mallika at Oscars". The Times of India. from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  219. ^ . The Times of India. 4 April 2007. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012.
  220. ^ "Times 50 Most Desirable Women". The Times of India. 9 January 2011. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  221. ^ . The Times of India. 4 February 2012. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  222. ^ . Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  223. ^ "40 Women That Women Find Beautiful". The Cut – New York Magazine. 30 August 2012. from the original on 1 September 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  224. ^ "Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone among 'World's Most Admired People 2018'". 12 April 2018. from the original on 22 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  225. ^ Neha Sharma. . Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  226. ^ Robin Bansal and Aaron Rohan George. . Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  227. ^ . The First Post. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013.
  228. ^ Bhushan, Ratna (23 April 2001). "New Coke tagline to uncork fresh fizz". The Hindu. from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  229. ^ a b "rediff.com: Celebrity Endorsements". Rediff. from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  230. ^ . The Hindu. 13 May 2003. Archived from the original on 2 July 2003. Retrieved 13 May 2003.
  231. ^ "Kalyan Jewellers to invest Rs 1,000 crore this year". The Hindu. Retrieved 19 August 2012.[dead link]
  232. ^ . Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  233. ^ Nair, Drishya (15 March 2013). "Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to Attend 66th Cannes Film Festival: Bollywood Beauty's Red Carpet Looks over the Years". International Business Times. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  234. ^ "Aishwarya on jury of Cannes Film Festival". The Times of India. 9 April 2003. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  235. ^ . Hindustan Times. India. 2 November 2012. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  236. ^ a b "Proud of Aishwarya's French honour, says father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan". India: ndtv.com. Indo-Asian News Service. 2 November 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2012.[permanent dead link]
  237. ^ K Jha, Subhash (2 February 2009). . The Times of India. India. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2009.

Further reading

  • Ghosh, Biswadeep (2004). Hall of Fame: Aishwarya Rai. Mumbai: Magna Books. ISBN 978-81-7809-244-7. from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  • Gitanjali Roy (1 November 2013). "Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: World's envy, India's pride". NDTV.com. from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aishwarya Rai.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Karminder Kaur-Virk
 Femina Miss India
1994 		Succeeded by
Preeti Mankotia
Preceded by Miss World Asia & Oceania
1994 		Succeeded by
  Choi Yoon-young
Preceded by Miss World
1994 		Succeeded by

April 21, 2023
aishwarya, bachchan, née, born, november, 1973, indian, actress, primarily, known, work, hindi, tamil, films, winner, miss, world, 1994, pageant, later, established, herself, most, popular, influential, celebrities, india, received, numerous, accolades, includ. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan nee Rai born 1 November 1973 is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil films The winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant she later has established herself as one of the most popular and influential celebrities in India 1 2 Rai has received numerous accolades including two Filmfare Awards and was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2009 and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France in 2012 She has often been cited in the media as the most beautiful woman in the world 3 4 Aishwarya Rai BachchanRai Bachchan at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in 2023BornAishwarya Rai1 November 1973 1973 11 age 49 Mangalore Karnataka IndiaAlma materUniversity of MumbaiOccupationActressYears active1991 presentWorksFull listTitleMiss World 1994SpouseAbhishek Bachchan m 2007 wbr Children1FamilyBachchan family by marriage AwardsFull listHonoursPadma Shri 2009 Ordre des Arts et des Lettres 2012 SignatureWhile in college Rai did a few modelling jobs Following appearances in several television commercials she entered the Miss India pageant in which she placed second She was then crowned Miss World 1994 after which she began receiving offers to act in film She made her acting debut in Mani Ratnam s 1997 Tamil film Iruvar and had her first Hindi film release in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya that same year Her first commercial success was the Tamil romantic drama Jeans 1998 which was the most expensive Indian film at the time She achieved wider success and won two Filmfare Awards for Best Actress for her performances in Sanjay Leela Bhansali s romantic dramas Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam 1999 and Devdas 2002 Rai garnered critical appreciation for portraying a passionate artist in the Tamil romance film Kandukondain Kandukondain 2000 Tagore s heroine Binodini in the Bengali film Chokher Bali 2003 a depressed woman in the drama Raincoat 2004 Kiranjit Ahluwalia in the British drama film Provoked 2006 and a nurse in Bhansali s drama Guzaarish 2010 Rai s greatest commercial successes have been the romantic drama Mohabbatein 2000 the adventure film Dhoom 2 2006 the drama Guru 2007 the period film Jodhaa Akbar 2008 the science fiction film Enthiran 2010 the romantic drama Ae Dil Hai Mushkil 2016 and the period film Ponniyin Selvan I 2022 Rai married actor Abhishek Bachchan in 2007 the couple have one daughter Her off screen roles include duties as a brand ambassador for several charity organisations and campaigns She is a Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS UNAIDS In 2003 she was the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival 5 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 Modelling work and acting breakthrough 1991 1999 2 2 Established actress 2000 2008 2 3 Career fluctuations and sabbatical 2009 2016 2 4 Success with intermittent work 2016 present 3 Off screen work 4 Personal life 5 In the media 5 1 Impact and reception 5 2 Endorsements 6 Filmography 7 Awards and recognition 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External linksEarly lifeRai was born on 1 November 1973 6 into a Tulu speaking Bunt family 7 in Mangalore Karnataka 8 Her father Krishnaraj who died on 18 March 2017 9 was an Army biologist while her mother Vrinda is a housewife 10 She has one elder brother Aditya Rai who is an engineer in the merchant navy Rai s movie Dil Ka Rishta 2003 was co produced by her brother and co written by her mother 11 12 The family moved to Mumbai where Rai attended the Arya Vidya Mandir High School 10 Rai did her intermediate schooling at Jai Hind College for a year 13 and then joined DG Ruparel College 14 in Matunga securing 90 percent in the HSC exams 10 15 She trained in classical dance and music for five years during her teens 15 Her favourite subject was zoology and she initially considered a career in medicine 15 Then with plans to become an architect she enrolled at Rachana Sansad Academy of Architecture 15 but later gave up her education to pursue a career in modelling 13 CareerModelling work and acting breakthrough 1991 1999 In 1991 Rai won an international supermodel contest organised by Ford and was eventually featured in the American edition of Vogue 14 16 In 1993 Rai gained huge public recognition for her appearance in a Pepsi commercial with actors Aamir Khan and Mahima Chaudhry The single line Hi I m Sanjana of her dialogue in the commercial made her instantly famous 16 17 In the 1994 Miss India pageant she won second place behind Sushmita Sen and was crowned Miss India World also winning five other sub titles Miss Catwalk Miss Miraculous Miss Photogenic Miss Perfect Ten and Miss Popular 18 With Sen representing India at the Miss Universe pageant Rai s duties as the first runner up included representing India in the rival Miss World Pageant held that year in Sun City South Africa She went on to win the crown 19 where she also won the Miss Photogenic award and Miss World Continental Queen of Beauty Asia and Oceania 20 After winning the pageant Rai spoke of her dream for peace for this world and her desire to be an ambassador of peace during her one year reign in London 18 21 Rai continued to pursue a career as a model until she became an actress 18 Rai made her acting debut in 1997 with Mani Ratnam s Tamil film Iruvar a semi biographical political drama featuring Mohanlal Prakash Raj Tabu and Revathi The film was a critical success and among other awards won the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival 22 Rai featured as Pushpavalli and Kalpana dual roles the latter was a fictionalised portrayal of politician and former actress Jayalalithaa 23 Her dialogue in the film was dubbed by Tamil actress Rohini 24 That same year she was cast as Ashi a naive teenager in her first Bollywood film Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya a romantic comedy opposite Bobby Deol Both Iruvar and Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya were commercial failures and reviewers were critical of Rai s acting ability in both the films However for the latter she won a Screen Award for Best Female Debut 16 25 In the 1998 big budget Tamil romantic drama Jeans directed by S Shankar Rai appeared alongside Prashanth She played Madhumita a young woman who accompanies her ailing grandmother to the United States to seek medical attention A commercial success the film earned Rai praise for her acting and dancing skills In this film her dialogue was dubbed by Savitha Reddy 26 Jeans was later submitted as India s official entry to the Academy Awards for 1998 27 Rai s first role in 1999 was in the melodrama Aa Ab Laut Chalen directed by Rishi Kapoor The film was a critical failure and had a below average performance at the box office 28 Rai s portrayal of Pooja Walia a traditional Indian woman living in the United States met with negative reviews Rediff com published Rai sports a plastic smile and never gets a scene where she can portray any depth All she does is cry and smile and look pretty 29 Also in 1999 she starred in the romantic musical Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam which became a significant turning point in her career 30 The film an adaptation of Maitreyi Devi s Bengali novel Na Hanyate was directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and co starred Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan She played Nandini a Gujarati woman who is forced into wedlock with Devgan s character despite being in love with another man played by Khan Bhansali cast Rai after he met her at the screening of a film and was impressed with her eyes 31 Khalid Mohamed of Bombay Talkies wrote that Rai reveals an unquestionable felicity for acting and has that impossible combination of breathtaking beauty and brains 32 Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam emerged as a commercial success and won Rai a Filmfare Award for Best Actress 33 Rai next took up the leading role of Mansi an aspiring singer in Subhash Ghai s musical romantic drama Taal alongside Akshay Khanna and Anil Kapoor 34 A reviewer for Rediff praised her acting and dancing prowess in the film and wrote that Taal will again enhance her reputation as an actress while in no way detracting from her image as a traffic stopper 35 A domestic commercial success Taal was notable for being the first Indian film to feature in the top 20 listing at the American box office 36 37 Rai received a second Best Actress nomination that year at the Filmfare Awards ceremony Established actress 2000 2008 In 2000 Rai starred in Kandukondain Kandukondain a Tamil language adaptation of Jane Austen s novel Sense and Sensibility Directed by Rajiv Menon the film also starred Mammooty Tabu and Ajith Kumar in prominent roles Rai was cast as Meenakshi based on the character of Marianne Dashwood the younger sister of Tabu s character 38 The film was a critical and commercial success and earned Rai positive comments from critics a review carried by The Indian Express summarized Attacking her role with just the perfect dollop of innocence Rai does full justice to her part and matches up perfectly to Tabu 39 40 41 Rai next starred alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Chandrachur Singh in the action drama Josh She portrayed Shirley Dias the twin sister of Khan s character who falls in love with his arch enemy s brother played by Singh 42 The casting of Rai as Khan s sister was considered an unusual pairing at the time director Mansoor Khan however described it as perfect 43 Despite earning mixed reviews from film critics Josh emerged as a commercial success 44 45 Satish Kaushik s social drama Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai was Rai s next release she played a rape victim in the film Co starring Anil Kapoor and Sonali Bendre the film was well received by critics and did well at the box office 46 Film critic Sukanya Verma praised Rai s decision to star in the film and added that she conveys the turmoil and pain of a rape victim well But it is her transition from an emotional wreck trying to gather the broken pieces of her life back together that is amazing 47 Rai s performance in the film eventually earned a third Best Actress nomination at Filmfare 48 Following a leading role in the box office flop Dhai Akshar Prem Ke Rai took on a supporting role in Aditya Chopra s musical romantic drama Mohabbatein Rai played Megha Shankar the daughter of Amitabh Bachchan s character who commits suicide after realizing that her father will not accept her romance with one of his students played by Shah Rukh Khan Receiving highly positive reviews from critics Mohabbatein emerged as the highest grossing film of the year and earned Rai a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress 45 48 49 The following year she starred alongside Govinda and Jackie Shroff in the romantic comedy Albela Upon release both the film and her performance received mostly negative reviews Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama criticized the film and mentioned Rai as plastic in some scenes 50 Rai with her co star Madhuri Dixit at the premiere of their film Devdas in 2002 After featuring in David Dhawan s slapstick comedy film Hum Kisise Kum Nahin Rai appeared alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit in Sanjay Leela Bhansali s period romantic drama Devdas an adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay s novel of the same name 51 She played the role of Paro Parvati the love interest of the protagonist played by Khan The film was screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and was featured by Time in their listing of the 10 Best Films of the Millennium 52 53 Devdas emerged as a major international success with revenues of over 840 million US 11 million 54 55 Alan Morrison writing for Empire praised the performances of the three leads and wrote Rai proves she has the acting talent to back up her flawless looks 56 Devdas was chosen as India s official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and received a nomination at the BAFTA Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category 57 In India the film won 10 Filmfare Awards including a second Best Actress award for Rai 58 Also in 2002 she participated in the show From India With Love in the UK along with Amitabh Bachchan Aamir Khan Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta It took place at two outdoor venues Manchester s Old Trafford and London s Hyde Park with over 100 000 spectators 59 In 2003 Rai featured in two romantic dramas her brother s production debut Dil Ka Rishta alongside Arjun Rampal and Rohan Sippy s Kuch Naa Kaho alongside Abhishek Bachchan 60 Neither of these films fared well critically or commercially 60 61 She was later noted for her starring role in Rituparno Ghosh s independent Bengali film Chokher Bali an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore s novel of the same name 62 She portrayed the character of Binodini an emotionally manipulative widow struggling with her sexual desires in early 20th century Bengal 63 The film was a major critical success and Rai earned positive notice for her performance Derek Elley of Variety noted Rai dominates the film with her delicately sensual presence and physical grace 64 Commercially the film was a sleeper hit 65 66 After the success of Chokher Bali Rai returned to mainstream Hindi film with Rajkumar Santoshi s Khakee 2004 an action thriller featuring Amitabh Bachchan Akshay Kumar Ajay Devgan and Tusshar Kapoor The film tells the story of five constables embroiled in a mystery surrounding a terrorist attack Rai s role was that of Mahalakshmi a gun moll While filming for Khakee Rai was accidentally hit by a running car which resulted in the fracture of her left foot 67 Upon release the film was a moderate critical and commercial success 68 In her next release the romantic comedy Kyun Ho Gaya Na Rai played Diya Malhotra a university student who develops a one sided attraction toward her friend Arjun Khanna played by Vivek Oberoi The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics but was commercially unsuccessful 69 70 Rai garnered international recognition in 2004 for her starring role opposite Martin Henderson in Gurinder Chadha s British film Bride and Prejudice a Bollywood style adaptation of Jane Austen s novel Pride and Prejudice International film critics expressed mixed views on Rai s performance as the Punjabi version of Elizabeth Bennet a review carried by The New York Times mentioned her as radiantly beautiful but inert 71 while Rolling Stone noted that she is a world class hottie with talent to match as she proves in her first English speaking role 72 With a worldwide gross of 24 million against a production budget of 7 million Bride and Prejudice proved to be a commercial success 73 Rai next collaborated with director Rituparno Ghosh for the second time on the 2004 relationship drama Raincoat an adaptation of O Henry s The Gift of the Magi which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi 74 Critics praised the film and also noted the lack of glamour in Rai s role which earned her a Best Actress nomination at Filmfare 75 Derek Elley of Variety called the film a chamber sized gem and mentioned Rai for s hunning her usual immaculate makeup and duds and looking more like a broken malfunctioning doll 76 On the contrary Gautaman Bhaskaran of The Hindu thought that Rai looks quite plain and seems to have made an earnest effort to emote using less of her body and limbs and more of her face and eyes in particular 77 Rai at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival Rai next co starred alongside Sanjay Dutt and Zayed Khan in the 2005 adult drama Shabd which tells the story of an author who convinces his wife to pursue an illicit relationship with a younger man in research for his next book The film received predominantly negative reviews and proved to be a commercial failure The Times of India concluded For the umpteenth time Ms Rai looks drop dead gorgeous And that s about it She is like that picture postcard you get when what you were actually waiting for is a letter It s very beautiful to look at but is of no use because it says nothing 78 The same year Rai took on the lead role of Tilo in Paul Mayeda Berges s romantic fantasy film The Mistress of Spices an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni 79 The film received negative reviews from film critics 80 81 and emerged as a commercial failure 82 failed verification Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian termed Rai s performance as annoying and wrote that she wafts and simpers through the entire film 83 Rai s only successful venture of 2005 was a special appearance in Shaad Ali s crime comedy Bunty Aur Babli in which she featured in the widely popular item number Kajra Re 84 85 Rai had two film releases in 2006 J P Dutta s Umrao Jaan and Yash Raj Films Dhoom 2 The former an adaptation of Mirza Hadi Ruswa s Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada 1905 tells the story of a doomed courtesan from 19th century Lucknow Rai played the titular role a character famously played by Rekha in the first film adaptation of the novel Reviewers while comparing the film to its previous adaptation were critical of the film as well as of Rai s performance BBC noted While only Rai could emulate the grace and poise of Rekha she doesn t quite capture the intensity of Umrao s abiding melancholy adding that Rai s incandescent beauty and artistry does indeed keep the audience watching though not necessarily emotionally engaged 86 In the Sanjay Gadhvi directed adventure film Dhoom 2 Rai portrayed Sunehri a petty thief who helps the police catch an illusive criminal the film had an ensemble cast including Hrithik Roshan Abhishek Bachchan Bipasha Basu and Uday Chopra 87 Despite receiving mixed to positive reviews from critics Dhoom 2 was Rai s first major commercial success since Devdas the film was declared a blockbuster and became the highest grossing Indian film of 2006 with gross revenues of over 1 11 billion US 14 million 88 Rediff com commented She is all gloss and no depth You seldom feel any tension in her behaviour and expressions Sunehri enters the film nearly 50 minutes after its opening in a disguise In no time she is wearing the flimsiest of clothes Once she opens her mouth and she does it two minutes after appearing in the film she spoils the image 89 Nonetheless her performance earned her a sixth Filmfare Award nomination in the Best Actress category In 2007 Rai played the wife of Abhishek Bachchan s character in Mani Ratnam s social drama Guru A fictionalized biography of businessman Dhirubhai Ambani Guru tells the rag to riches story of an uneducated man who builds a multinational corporation The film met with international critical acclaim and emerged as a box office success 90 Richard Corliss of Time labelled her character as an ornament but Raja Sen from Rediff described it as arguably her finest performance visible especially when she takes over the film s climax 91 92 Rai received her seventh Best Actress nomination at Filmfare for her performance in the film Rai next starred alongside Naveen Andrews and Miranda Richardson in Jag Mundhra s independent British drama Provoked as the real life character of Kiranjit Ahluwalia a non resident Indian who murders her husband after suffering years of domestic abuse 93 Rai earned mostly positive comments for her performance 94 Critic Indu Mirani from DNA wrote Aishwarya Rai plays the battered wife in what is undoubtedly one of her best performances to date Rai convincingly goes through the various stages of shock bewilderment remorse and finally vindication 95 Internationally well received the film emerged as a moderate commercial success in the United Kingdom 96 97 That same year Rai starred alongside Ben Kingsley Colin Firth and Thomas Sangster as the Indian warrior Mira in Doug Lefler s epic film The Last Legion 98 After a series of films that under performed either critically or commercially Rai garnered both critical and box office success with Ashutosh Gowariker s period romantic drama Jodhaa Akbar 2008 The film narrates a partly fictionalized account of a marriage of convenience between the Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar played by Hrithik Roshan and the Rajput princess Jodha Bai played by Rai Rajeev Masand noted Rai is wonderfully restrained and uses her eyes expertly to communicate so much making this one of her finest outings on screen 99 The film had gross earnings of 1 12 billion US 14 million and fetched Rai a Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare Awards ceremony 100 She then co starred with her husband Abhishek Bachchan and her father in law Amitabh Bachchan in Ram Gopal Verma s political drama Sarkar Raj a sequel to the 2005 box office hit Sarkar 101 Rai was cast as Anita Rajan the CEO of an international power firm who proposes to set up a plant in rural Maharashtra The film was a critical and commercial success with praise directed to the performances of the three leads 102 103 failed verification Career fluctuations and sabbatical 2009 2016 Rai s next role was in the 2009 Harald Zwart directed spy comedy The Pink Panther 2 Starring alongside Steve Martin Jean Reno and Emily Mortimer Rai portrayed the role of Sonia Solandres a seductive criminology expert Like its predecessor the sequel received negative reviews from critics 104 but did a moderate business of 34 million at the American box office 105 Roger Ebert wrote Rai is breathtaking in Bollywood films where they devote a great deal of expertise to admiring beauty but here she s underutilized and too much in the background 106 USA Today mentioned her expressions as wooden and added She looks gorgeous but her expression rarely changes 107 Rai performing at the 17th Annual Star Screen Awards 2011 In 2010 Rai was cast by Mani Ratnam in his Tamil film which is also a bilingual modern day adaptation of the Indian epic Ramayana Her role was that of Ragini modeled on Sita the heroine of Ramayana a woman married to the superintendent of police who is kidnapped by a bandit The Tamil version Raavanan and the Hindi version Raavan of the film were shot simultaneously and Rai played the same role in both the film versions She made a comeback to Tamil cinema after a gap of 10 years with Raavanan The Tamil version Raavanan was a huge commercial success whereas the Hindi version Raavan was a commercial failure 108 The films received polarized reviews from film critics as did Rai s performance Kaveree Bamzai of India Today wrote Rai s Sita is one of the best things in the film her performance is heartfelt this is a performer who is at ease playing women rather than girls 109 However film critics Aniruddha Guha and Rajeev Masand criticized her character and noted She s left to scream and shriek and hiss 110 Commercially Raavanan emerged as a success while Raavan flopped 111 Rai s next role was opposite Rajinikanth in the science fiction Tamil film Enthiran 2010 directed by S Shankar 112 She was cast as Sana a college student and the girlfriend of Rajinikanth s character At the time of release Enthiran was the most expensive Indian film production and eventually emerged as one of the highest grossing Indian films of all time 113 114 115 She then appeared as Mala an impetuous brat in Vipul Shah s Action Replayy a science fiction comedy co starring Akshay Kumar Aditya Roy Kapoor and Neha Dhupia Rai s final film of 2010 was the drama Guzaarish her third collaboration with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Hrithik Roshan 116 The film tells the story of Ethan Mascarenas a former magician played by Roshan with quadriplegia who after years of struggle files an appeal for euthanasia Rai s role was that of Sophia D Souza Mascarenas nurse who is abused by her alcoholic husband Due to her and Bhansali s prior associations Rai agreed to the project before reading its script 117 Despite flopping at the box office Guzaarish met with positive critical reviews The Telegraph described it to be one of Rai s best performances and The Times of India summarized Rai is a stunning picture of fire and grace walking away with certain scenes by her sheer vitality 118 119 In 2011 Rai was cast as the protagonist of Madhur Bhandarkar s social drama Heroine however due to her pregnancy Rai was replaced by actress Kareena Kapoor the original choice for the role 120 121 After a five year sabbatical from film acting Rai made a comeback with Sanjay Gupta s drama thriller Jazbaa co starring Shabana Azmi and Irrfan Khan 122 A remake of the Korean thriller Seven Days 2007 the film saw Rai play the role of Anuradha Verma a criminal lawyer who is forced to defend a rapist in exchange for her daughter s safety Shubha Shetty Saha of Mid Day criticized the film s unnecessary and intrusive melodrama and thought that Rai looks the part and even does a fairly decent job barring certain emotional scenes where she clearly goes over the top 123 The film underperformed at the box office 124 Rai in 2016In 2016 Rai starred in Omung Kumar s biographical drama Sarbjit The film is based on the life of Indian farmer Sarabjit Singh who was convicted of terrorism by a Pakistani court and how his sister Dalbir Kaur fought relentlessly for his release Rai played the role of the sister of Sarabjit Singh played by Randeep Hooda 125 The film premiered at the 69th Cannes Film Festival 126 and received mixed reactions from critics 127 Few reviewers expressed that Rai was miscast as she neither looked nor sounded like a Sikh woman 128 Her Punjabi accent and her over the top performance in few scenes was largely criticized though several critics took note of how much she stood out in the film s quieter scenes 129 130 131 Rajeev Masand summarized that she s required to scream and shout and weep copiously to express her anguish the shrillness does her no favors In quieter moments like one in which Dalbir can t bear to part with her stillborn baby the actress shines 132 Nonetheless her role earned her tenth Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination 133 The film earned over 440 million US 5 5 million worldwide against a production budget of 150 million US 1 9 million 134 135 136 Success with intermittent work 2016 present Rai s final release of 2016 was Karan Johar s musical romantic drama Ae Dil Hai Mushkil alongside Anushka Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor in which she played the role of a poet named Saba Rai received positive reviews for her performance despite having limited screen time 137 138 Joe Leydon of Variety considered her to be the film s prime asset and wrote that she seems to have wandered in from another movie one where emotions are conveyed in subtler and more affecting fashion When she takes her leave from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil you may wish you could go with her 139 The film emerged as one of her biggest commercial successes with revenues of over 2 billion US 25 million 140 141 142 Two years later Rai played the part of a singer who is kidnapped by a troubled father in the unremarkable comedy drama Fanney Khan 2018 An adaptation of the Belgian film Everybody s Famous 2000 the film co starred Anil Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao 143 Uday Bhatia of Mint disliked the film and found Rai too unruffled a screen presence to convincingly sell the kind of silliness this film requires 144 In 2022 Rai reunited with Mani Ratnam for Ponniyin Selvan I a Tamil ensemble period film based on Kalki Krishnamurthy s epic novel of the same name 145 She played Nandini a scheming Chola queen Haricharan Pudipeddi of Hindustan Times found Rai s to be the best performance among the ensemble cast 146 while Sonil Dedhia of News 18 added that she is wonderfully restrained and uses her eyes expertly to communicate so much 147 The film earned over 5 billion US 63 million worldwide to emerge as one of the highest grossing Tamil films of all time 148 Rai will reprise her role in the sequel Ponniyin Selvan II 149 Off screen workIn 1999 Rai participated in a world tour called the Magnificent Five along with Aamir Khan Rani Mukerji Akshaye Khanna and Twinkle Khanna 150 In the same year she was appointed as Longines Ambassador of Elegance 151 In 2001 Rai appeared in her first world tour which was Craze 2001 a series of concerts that was performed across the US alongside Anil Kapoor Aamir Khan Preity Zinta and Gracy Singh The show faced early cancellation due to the 11 September 2001 attacks and the team prepared to return to India as soon as possible However the shows continued successfully in Canada 152 In 2003 she became the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival 153 In the same year she became a global brand ambassador of L Oreal alongside Andie MacDowell Eva Longoria and Penelope Cruz 154 155 Rai is the brand ambassador for The Eye Bank Association of India s nationwide campaign to promote eye donation in India 156 In 2005 she became a brand ambassador for Pulse Polio a campaign established by the Government of India in 1994 to eradicate polio in India 157 In the same year Rai was appointed spokesperson for the International Year of Microcredit raising awareness of the main goals and priorities of the United Nations poverty alleviation efforts 158 Rai Bachchan receives Outlook Business Outstanding Woman Award In February 2005 Rai performed with other Bollywood stars at the HELP Telethon Concert an event to raise money for the victims of the 2004 tsunami earthquake 159 Along with other members of the Bachchan family she laid the foundation of a special school for underprivileged girls in Daulatpur village in Uttar Pradesh in 2008 Construction is being funded by the Bachchan family and the school will be named after Rai 160 Between July to August 2008 Rai her husband Abhishek Bachchan her father in law Amitabh Bachchan and actors Preity Zinta Ritesh Deshmukh and Madhuri Dixit starred in the Unforgettable World Tour stage production The first leg covered the US Canada Trinidad and London England Rai is also involved in the functional and administrative operations of her father in law s company originally known as ABCL and rechristened as AB Corp Ltd That company along with Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd developed the Unforgettable production 161 failed verification 162 She appeared along with various other Bollywood actors at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne The performance showcased Indian culture as a lead up to India hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games 163 Rai is a UN Microcredit Spokesperson 164 She supports PETA India 165 She pledged to donate her eyes to the Eye Bank Association of India and appeared in a public awareness film on eye donation 166 In November 2004 Rai created the Aishwarya Rai Foundation to help needy people in India 167 In 2009 Rai was appointed as the first Goodwill Ambassador of Smile Train an international charity that provides free Cleft lip and palate surgery to children in need Her work with Smile Train will focus not only on India but on 76 different developing countries around the world 168 169 In September 2012 Rai had joined United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki moon and renowned Hollywood actor Michael Douglas at a ceremony to commemorate the International Day of Peace in New York 170 Later that week she was appointed as the new international Goodwill Ambassador for UNAIDS the joint United Nations programme on AIDS and HIV She will raise global awareness on protecting children from HIV infection and increasing access to antiretroviral treatment 171 Personal lifeIn 1999 Rai began dating Bollywood actor Salman Khan their relationship was often reported in the media until the couple separated in 2002 Rai cited abuse verbal physical and emotional infidelity and indignity on the part of Khan as reasons for ending the relationship 172 173 She then had a romantic relationship with actor Vivek Oberoi before they broke up in 2005 174 Rai with her husband Abhishek Bachchan in 2010 Though they both appeared in Dhai Akshar Prem Ke in which her then longtime boyfriend Salman Khan had a brief cameo and Kuch Naa Kaho Abhishek Bachchan fell in love with Rai whilst filming Dhoom 2 175 Their engagement was announced on 14 January 2007 and later confirmed by his father Amitabh Bachchan 176 The couple married on 20 April 2007 according to traditional Hindu rites of the Bunt community to which she belongs 177 North Indian and Bengali ceremonies were also performed The wedding took place in a private ceremony at the Bachchan residence Prateeksha in Juhu Mumbai 177 They have been described in the Indian media as a supercouple 178 179 Rai is very close to her family and lived with them in Bandra Mumbai until her marriage 180 181 182 Rai is Hindu and deeply religious 3 Her international presence shot up when Abhishek Bachchan accompanied her to the Cannes Film festival shortly after their marriage and later to The Oprah Winfrey Show appearing on 28 September 2009 183 They were described as being more famous as a couple than Brangelina 184 185 179 Rai gave birth to a girl on 16 November 2011 186 187 Rai is commonly referred to by fans and the media by the nicknames Ash and Aish but has stated that she dislikes being called as such She has discouraged people from referring to her by names other than Aishwarya as she does not want to spoil her good name 188 On 12 July 2020 Rai and her daughter were reported to have tested positive for COVID 19 189 On 17 July they were reported to have been hospitalized 190 Rai and her daughter recovered and were discharged from the hospital on 27 July 2020 191 In the mediaImpact and reception Rai in 2014 her blue green eyes have been identified as a trademark by the Indian media Rai Bachchan is one of the most popular Indian celebrities 39 192 193 194 195 Despite constant media speculation she keeps her personal life well guarded citation needed Her physical appearance and performances have made her a style icon for young women 196 In 2011 India Today noted that there were over 17 000 websites dedicated to her 197 She was selected by Verve magazine in its list of the country s most powerful women 198 In 2001 Forbes named Rai among the top five Indian movie stars 2 In a reader poll conducted by UK s Hello magazine she was voted the most attractive woman of 2003 199 In the same year Rai appeared in Rolling Stone magazine s annual Hot List 200 In 2004 she was chosen by Time as one of the world s most influential people and appeared on the cover of its 2003 Asia edition 201 202 203 Rai is the first Indian actress to be on the jury of the Cannes International Film Festival 204 In October 2004 a wax figure of Rai was put on display in London s Madame Tussaud s wax museum 205 She was the sixth Indian and the second Bollywood personality after her father in law Amitabh Bachchan to get this honour In 2007 the same figure was displayed at Madame Tussaud s Museum in Times Square in New York 206 As her most distinctive physical features Rai s green blue eyes luscious lips curves and feminine mannerisms have been cited by the media as her trademark 207 In 2005 she was the subject of a 60 Minutes profile on 2 January which said that at least according to thousands of Web sites Internet polls and even Julia Roberts she was the world s most beautiful woman 3 The same year a tulip in the Netherlands was named Aishwarya Rai after her citation needed Also in 2005 Mattel released a limited edition of Barbie dolls of Rai in the United Kingdom 208 The British magazine Maxim ranked Rai first on their list of Hottest Women of India Rai appeared on such shows as Late Show with David Letterman and was the first Bollywood personality to appear on Oprah s Women Across the Globe segment In 2005 Harpers and Queen s list of Most Beautiful Women in The World ranked her ninth 209 In May 2006 Rai was featured in People Magazine as one of the World s Most Beautiful People 210 The UK magazine Eastern Eye ranked her third in the list of Asia s Sexiest Women in 2006 211 and she was ranked eighth in 2009 212 In 2008 American television channel E Entertainment listed Rai s eyes as the sexiest on their Sexiest Body Parts list 213 In 2009 she made appearances on Martha Stewart s show Martha and on The Tyra Banks Show 214 In the same year Forbes listed Rai at 387th out of 1 411 actors on their list of the most bankable stars in Hollywood She is the highest ranked Indian actor on the list 215 216 In a poll conducted by the newspaper Daily News and Analysis in 2009 she was voted as one of India s most popular icons 217 She attended the 83rd Academy Awards along with her husband Abhishek 218 Rai with her husband Abhishek Bachchan appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on 28 September 2009 She is the first Indian celebrity who appeared in The Oprah Winfrey Show twice 183 They have been described as a supercouple in the Indian media 219 She ranked 2nd in The Times of India s 50 most desirable women of 2010 220 and ranked 9th for 2011 221 In 2011 she has received a lot of negative publicity for failing to lose her post pregnancy weight as is apparently required of a public figure However she silenced her critics by walking the red carpet at the AmfAR Cinema Against Aids gala in 2012 Cannes Film Festival for the 11th time 222 Later that year Rai has made it to the issue of New York Magazine s list of Forty Women That Women Find Beautiful where she grabbed the 21st position in the list with New York Magazine saying She may be the world s most beautiful woman but what we really love is that she never feels fragile onscreen 223 The market research firm YouGov named Rai the world s eleventh most admired person of 2018 224 Endorsements Rai made her first commercial for Camlin exam pencils when she was in the 9th grade Rai became popular after appearing in a Pepsi commercial with actor Aamir Khan 15 She is the only actress who endorsed both Pepsi and Coca Cola 225 She is one of the top brand ambassadors in the country and is one of the top paid Bollywood actresses in this respect 226 She modelled for Titan Watches 227 Longines watches L Oreal Coca Cola 228 Lakme Cosmetics Casio pager Philips Palmolive citation needed Lux Fuji films 229 Nakshatra Diamond Jewellery 230 and Kalyan Jewellers 231 She was named the official brand ambassador for De Beers diamonds in India 229 Rai has been ranked the 2nd most popular watch brand ambassador worldwide in a survey conducted by World Watch Report 232 In 2013 Rai and her husband Abhishek Bachchan have been roped in as the brand ambassadors by the TTK Group citation needed FilmographyMain article Aishwarya Rai filmographyAwards and recognitionMain article List of awards and nominations received by Aishwarya Rai The 12th President of India Pratibha Patil presenting the Padma Shri Award to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at the Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on March 31 2009 Rai received a Padma Shri in 2009 for her contribution to Indian cinema As of April 2023 she remains one of very few India actresses to have been awarded this alongside Tabu Kajol and Priyanka Chopra Rai has also received two Filmfare Awards awards for Best Actress for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam 1999 and Devdas 2002 out of 11 nominations and numerous times at Screen Awards and IIFA Awards ceremonies and others for her on screen performances Rai was appointed the member of the jury of the 2003 Cannes Film Festival she was the first Indian actress to represent her country as a jury member in the festival 233 234 In 2012 she finally accepted the second highest Order of France Ordre des Arts et des Lettres 235 236 Earlier she refused it because her father was suffering from a serious illness and she wanted her whole family to attend the award ceremony 236 237 References Simon Robinson 15 August 2007 India s Most Influential Time Archived from the original on 2 November 2016 a b Jatras Todd 9 March 2001 India s Celebrity Film Stars Forbes Archived from the original on 20 February 2017 Retrieved 3 September 2001 a b c Tricia McDermott 29 December 2004 The World s Most Beautiful Woman CBS News Archived from the original on 29 October 2013 Simon Bob The most beautiful woman in the world Aishwarya Rai 60 Minutes CBS 29 December 2004 World s most beautiful woman Aishwarya Rai gives birth The Daily Telegraph 16 November 2011 Archived from the original on 23 April 2018 Hiscock Geoff 2007 India s global wealth club John Wiley and Sons p 6 ISBN 978 0 470 82238 8 Archived from the original on 30 March 2017 Retrieved 29 March 2017 Meet the Biggest Movie Stars on the Planet You May Not Have Heard Of The Oprah Winfrey Show 28 September 2009 Archived from the original on 29 March 2017 Retrieved 28 March 2017 Chhabra Aseem 9 February 2005 Ash does fine on Letterman Rediff Archived from the original on 28 May 2009 Aishwarya at Cannes 2010 CNN Travel Archived from the original on 27 May 2017 Retrieved 10 January 2018 Aishwarya Rai Bachchcan to celebrate 42nd birthday with husband Abhishek and daughter Aaradhya The Indian Express 1 November 2015 Archived from the original on 4 November 2015 ANI 27 December 2010 Aishwarya Rai Abhishek Bachchan participate in event organised by Bunt community Daily News and Analysis Archived from the original on 7 August 2012 Retrieved 21 February 2012 Devdas Raise your glass The Times of India 30 May 2002 Archived from the original on 20 August 2011 Retrieved 20 June 2011 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan s father passes away was suffering from cancer Archived from the original on 20 March 2017 a b c This Week in Entertainment Rediff 1 November 1973 Archived from the original on 22 November 2011 Retrieved 1 June 2011 Samant Prajakta 15 January 2003 She is a big star I m just starting Rediff Archived from the original on 19 October 2011 Retrieved 1 June 2011 Dil Ka Rishta is special for me Aishwarya The Times of India 13 January 2003 Archived from the original on 27 March 2017 Retrieved 23 February 2016 a b Assomull Sujata 5 February 1999 My first break Aishwarya Rai The Indian Express Archived from the original on 22 August 2010 Retrieved 15 June 2009 a b Dawar Ramesh 2006 Bollywood Yesterday Today Tomorrow Star Publications p 144 a b c d e Behind the beauty Hindustan Times 31 October 2008 Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 23 February 2016 a b c Roy Gitanjoli 1 November 2012 Who is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan NDTV Archived from the original on 16 November 2012 Retrieved 17 November 2012 Ghose Anindita 5 November 2012 Exclusive interview Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Vogue Archived from the original on 22 February 2013 Retrieved 16 February 2013 a b c Varma Nikhil 14 May 2011 Beauties and the B The Hindu Archived from the original on 10 November 2012 Retrieved 1 June 2011 Metro Plus Bangalore Beauties and the B The Hindu 9 May 2011 Archived from the original on 10 November 2012 Retrieved 1 June 2011 1994 Pageontopolis Archived from the original on 3 September 2011 Retrieved 21 April 2011 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link INTERNATIONAL PAGEANT WINNERS The Times of India Archived from the original on 9 April 2012 Retrieved 9 September 2012 Looking at Mani Ratnam s landmark movies Rediff com Movies Rediff 9 June 2010 Archived from the original on 6 October 2014 Retrieved 30 May 2011 Warrior Shobha 3 September 2003 25 years 25 landmarks Rediff Archived from the original on 21 January 2016 Retrieved 2 April 2009 Srinivasan V Of Jeans and bottom lines Rediff Archived from the original on 3 March 2016 Box Office India report of 1997 Archived from the original on 17 December 2007 Retrieved 20 November 2008 An easy fit Rediff 15 May 1998 Archived from the original on 1 November 2006 Chopra Anupama 26 March 2001 Waiting for the Oscar India Today Archived from the original on 18 August 2014 Retrieved 9 April 2011 Box Office 1999 Box Office India Archived from the original on 18 September 2010 Retrieved 14 August 2010 The review of Rishi Kapoor s Aa Ab Laut Chalein Rediff 22 January 1999 Archived from the original on 4 November 2011 Retrieved 12 July 2011 Family values The Hindu 8 March 2002 Archived from the original on 19 October 2011 Retrieved 1 June 2011 Farook Farhana 31 October 2014 I love her I hate her Filmfare Archived from the original on 27 March 2017 Retrieved 26 March 2017 Mohamed Khalid 1999 That Touch of Class Filmfare Bombay Talkies The Times Group Archived from the original on 3 October 1999 Retrieved 18 October 2021 The Winners 1999 The 51st Filmfare Awards The Times of India Archived from the original on 8 July 2012 Retrieved 22 April 2011 Kabir s ambition The Hindu 3 December 2003 Archived from the original on 10 November 2012 Retrieved 1 June 2011 Taliculam Sharmila 13 August 1999 Soft n sensational Rediff Archived from the original on 9 November 2013 Retrieved 1 June 2011 Box Office India report of 1999 Box Office India Archived from the original on 21 December 2007 Retrieved 20 November 2008 Bist Raju 12 November 2002 Bollywood takes on the world Asia Times Archived from the original on 29 September 2018 Retrieved 5 December 2008 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link From the known to the unknown The Hindu 28 May 2000 Archived from the original on 19 October 2011 Retrieved 22 April 2011 a b Aishwarya s life in pics NDTV Archived from the original on 24 December 2011 Movie reviews The Indian Express 10 July 2000 Archived from the original on 14 October 2012 Retrieved 19 November 2012 Reshma S Kulkarni 10 August 2011 At their regional best The Hindu Archived from the original on 18 May 2018 Retrieved 23 July 2017 National Fun feni and sands exotic locale at home The Hindu 1 December 2004 Archived from the original on 19 October 2011 Retrieved 22 April 2011 Suggu Kanchana 24 January 2000 Josh is a youth oriented film Rediff Archived from the original on 26 January 2013 Retrieved 22 April 2012 Competent portrayals continue unsung The Hindu 23 June 2000 Archived from the original on 10 November 2012 Retrieved 22 April 2011 a b Box Office 2000 Box Office India Archived from the original on 2 November 2011 Retrieved 20 November 2008 Box Office 2000 Box Office India Archived from the original on 16 July 2020 Retrieved 2 February 2020 Verma Sukanya Sir Anil to the rescue Rediff Archived from the original on 26 January 2013 Retrieved 19 November 2012 a b The Nominations 2000 The 51st Filmfare Awards The Times of India Archived from the original on 9 July 2012 Retrieved 22 April 2011 Magazine Cinema Crossover influences The Hindu 6 January 2008 Archived from the original on 19 October 2011 Retrieved 22 April 2011 Adarsh Taran Albela 2011 review Bollywood Hungama Archived from the original on 28 October 2012 Retrieved 19 November 2012 Celebrating Devdas The Hindu 23 September 2002 Archived from the original on 29 November 2010 Retrieved 1 June 2011 Corliss Richard 21 May 2012 Cannes Kiss Off Time Archived from the original on 14 January 2009 Retrieved 20 November 2008 Devdas in TIME magazine s Top 10 films list Bollywood Hungama Archived from the original on 3 September 2014 Retrieved 21 May 2012 Top Lifetime Grossers Worldwide IND Rs Box Office India Archived from the original on 6 October 2013 Retrieved 22 July 2015 Box Office India report of Overseas Gross Archived from the original on 27 December 2007 Retrieved 20 November 2008 Alan Morrison Devdas Review Empire Archived from the original on 14 May 2013 Devdas nominated for best foreign film at Bafta The Times of India 27 January 2003 Archived from the original on 12 May 2013 Retrieved 18 June 2011 The Winners 2002 The 51st Filmfare Awards The Times of India Archived from the original on 9 July 2012 Retrieved 22 April 2011 From India with Love BBC News 30 April 2002 Archived from the original on 1 August 2012 Retrieved 16 November 2007 a b Entertainment Cinema Mixed bag of hits and duds The Hindu 31 December 2004 Archived from the original on 7 November 2010 Retrieved 1 June 2011 Jism continues to attract appeal allure The Hindu 10 March 2003 Archived from the original on 24 November 2011 Retrieved 1 June 2011 Kerala News Film finds its audience The Hindu 21 July 2006 Archived from the original on 6 August 2012 Retrieved 1 June 2011 A director s film The Hindu 16 November 2003 Archived from the original on 10 November 2012 Retrieved 1 June 2011 Elley Derek 12 August 2003 Chokher Bali A Passion Play Variety Archived from the original on 11 October 2020 Retrieved 20 April 2020 SPillai Shreedhar 13 November 2003 Alluring Ash The Hindu Archived from the original on 28 November 2003 Retrieved 13 November 2003 Bengali films zoom in on profits Rediff Archived from the original on 14 January 2004 Retrieved 10 January 2004 Aishwarya injured in accident Rediff com 2 April 2003 Archived from the original on 26 January 2013 Retrieved 2 November 2012 Bollywood s favourite filmmaker The Hindu 27 February 2004 Archived from the original on 28 June 2004 Retrieved 27 February 2004 Menon Sita 13 August 2004 KHGN Part time fun Rediff com Archived from the original on 26 January 2013 Retrieved 2 November 2012 Box Office 2004 Box Office India Archived from the original on 7 January 2013 Retrieved 19 November 2012 Dargis Manohla 11 February 2005 Mr Darcy and Lalita singing and dancing The New York Times Archived from the original on 12 May 2013 Retrieved 21 October 2012 Peter Travers 27 January 2005 Bride and Prejudice Rolling Stone Archived from the original on 28 March 2013 Retrieved 27 January 2005 Bride and Prejudice 2005 Box Office Mojo Archived from the original on 15 May 2013 Retrieved 19 November 2012 Rain coat is simply beautiful Archived from the original on 6 April 2009 Retrieved 9 March 2009 Rain coat is simply beautiful Rediff com Archived from the original on 6 April 2009 Retrieved 9 March 2009 Elley Derek 30 July 2004 Raincoat Variety Archived from the original on 8 November 2012 Retrieved 11 December 2020 Bhaskaran Gautaman 31 December 2004 Raincoat The Hindu Archived from the original on 25 January 2005 Retrieved 31 December 2004 Bose Malik Jhoomur 5 February 2005 Shabd leaves all speechless The Times of India Archived from the original on 18 June 2013 Retrieved 22 April 2012 Magazine Book Review Multi layered tale The Hindu 24 April 2005 Archived from the original on 10 November 2012 Retrieved 2 June 2011 Friday Review Chennai Film Review It is beautiful but bland Mistress of Spices The Hindu 26 May 2006 Archived from the original on 10 November 2012 Retrieved 22 April 2011 Magazine Sightings Festive flavour at Canne The Hindu 28 May 2006 Archived from the original on 10 November 2012 Retrieved 2 June 2011 Mistress Aishwarya s best work Rediff com movies Rediff 20 April 2006 Archived from the original on 25 May 2011 Retrieved 2 June 2011 Bradshaw Peter 21 April 2006 The Mistress of Spices The Guardian Archived from the original on 22 September 2014 Retrieved 2 November 2012 Ten best Bollywood actresses of 2005 Rediff com Archived from the original on 22 September 2012 Retrieved 13 November 2012 Taneja Nikhil 31 December 2009 From melody to Dev D Hindustan Times Archived from the original on 22 October 2012 Retrieved 28 June 2011 Joshi Poonam 20 October 2006 Umrao Jaan 2006 BBC News Archived from the original on 29 July 2010 Retrieved 9 April 2011 Ash to dance to Davar s tune The Times of India TNN 10 May 2006 Archived from the original on 20 October 2011 Retrieved 13 April 2011 All Time Earners Inflation Adjusted Archived from the original on 3 March 2009 Retrieved 4 March 2009 J Pais Arthur Dhoom 2 falls short of expectations Rediff Archived from the original on 24 May 2010 Box Office 2007 Box Office India Archived from the original on 14 October 2013 Retrieved 19 November 2012 Corliss Richard 12 January 2007 Guru Review Time Archived from the original on 16 October 2007 Retrieved 9 February 2007 Sen Raja 12 January 2007 Watch Guru for the actors Rediff Archived from the original on 23 January 2011 Bindel Julie 4 April 2007 I wanted him to stop hurting me The Guardian Archived from the original on 11 October 2020 Retrieved 23 February 2011 Aishwarya s life in pics NDTV Archived from the original on 14 January 2016 Mirani Indu Stirred and shaken Daily news and Analysis Archived from the original on 5 November 2013 Retrieved 6 April 2007 Aishwarya s Provoked well received in UK Hindustan Times Archived from the original on 13 May 2013 Retrieved 18 April 2007 Saibal Chatterjee Provoked a winner for Ash Hindustan Times Archived from the original on 13 May 2013 Retrieved 23 May 2006 Superbad delivers super debut with 1 2 million debut International Herald Tribune 19 September 2007 Archived from the original on 31 January 2009 Retrieved 5 January 2009 Masand Rajeev 15 February 2008 Masand s Verdict Jodha Akbar CNN IBN Archived from the original on 16 July 2010 Retrieved 18 August 2009 Top Worldwide Grossers ALL TIME 37 Films Hit 100 Crore Box Office India Archived from the original on 5 February 2012 Retrieved 3 February 2012 M Shah Kunal 9 May 2008 Why Raj wants to see Sarkar The Times of India Archived from the original on 22 August 2011 Retrieved 8 June 2011 Bachchan mania grips denizens The Hindu 16 June 2008 Archived from the original on 21 January 2016 Retrieved 15 June 2011 Beyond prisms of prejudice The Hindu 14 August 2008 Archived from the original on 21 January 2016 Retrieved 15 June 2011 Pink Panther 2 trashed by critics Hindustan Times 5 February 2009 Archived from the original on 12 July 2020 Retrieved 12 July 2020 U S and Canada Box Office The New York Times 8 March 2009 Archived from the original on 4 November 2012 Retrieved 15 June 2011 The Pink Panther 2 by Roger Ebert Chicago Sun Times 4 February 2009 Archived from the original on 7 January 2016 Puig Claudia 6 February 2009 Pink Panther 2 stumbles bumbles and bores USA Today Archived from the original on 7 November 2012 Retrieved 15 June 2011 Vikram plays both Ram and Raavan The Hindu 25 April 2010 Archived from the original on 8 February 2018 Retrieved 6 May 2012 Bamzai Kaveree Raavan Boy blunder lost in an epic mess India Today Archived from the original on 2 November 2013 Retrieved 18 June 2010 Guha Aniruddha 18 June 2010 Review Raavan is a big yawn Daily News and Analysis Archived from the original on 11 May 2011 Retrieved 15 June 2011 Limelight Going places The Telegraph 10 October 2010 Archived from the original on 19 June 2012 Retrieved 10 October 2010 Robot confirmed Sify 2008 Archived from the original on 8 January 2008 Retrieved 5 January 2008 Highest grossing Indian film The Economic Times India 31 January 2011 Archived from the original on 7 January 2017 Retrieved 5 March 2011 Rajini s Endhiran A sell out in Chennai NDTV Movies Archived from the original on 4 October 2010 Retrieved 26 September 2010 Endhiran The Robot Expected Lifetime Business Box Office India 1 November 2010 Archived from the original on 4 November 2010 Retrieved 12 November 2013 Aishwarya is very special to me The Hindu 30 December 2008 Archived from the original on 31 January 2009 Retrieved 5 January 2009 Ash said yes but Hrithik almost said no Rediff com 21 October 2010 Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 26 March 2017 D Gupta Pratim 20 November 2010 Hrithik in wonderland The Telegraph Archived from the original on 25 October 2012 Retrieved 26 November 2012 Kazmi Nikhat 18 November 2010 Review Guzaarish The Times of India Archived from the original on 21 January 2016 Retrieved 20 November 2010 Heroine Kareena s costumes worth Rs 1 2cr Hindustan Times 27 September 2011 Archived from the original on 18 April 2016 Retrieved 26 November 2011 Ash ready to be a Heroine Hindustan Times 10 May 2009 Archived from the original on 16 May 2011 Retrieved 23 April 2011 Jha Subhash K 15 January 2015 Mark the date Daily News and Analysis Archived from the original on 15 January 2015 Retrieved 15 January 2015 Shetty Saha Shubha 9 August 2015 Jazbaa Movie Review Mid Day Archived from the original on 11 August 2018 Retrieved 3 August 2018 Jazbaa Box Office India Archived from the original on 3 August 2018 Retrieved 3 August 2018 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to play Sarabjit Singh s sister in biopic Mid day Archived from the original on 7 June 2015 Retrieved 5 June 2015 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer Sarbjit screened at Cannes 2016 today Deccan Chronicle 15 May 2016 Archived from the original on 16 May 2016 Retrieved 15 May 2016 Sarbjit movie review round up International Business Times 19 May 2016 Archived from the original on 20 May 2016 Retrieved 20 May 2016 Saibal Chatterjee Sarbjit Movie Review NDTV Archived from the original on 20 May 2016 Retrieved 19 May 2016 Namratha Joshi Searching for Sarbjit The Hindu Archived from the original on 20 May 2016 Retrieved 20 May 2016 Sarbjit Immerses You Emotionally Business Standard Archived from the original on 22 May 2016 Retrieved 20 May 2016 Sarbjit movie review Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is all wrong for her part Randeep Hooda is the only thing worth watching The Indian Express Archived from the original on 21 May 2016 Retrieved 20 May 2016 Sarbjit Review Not Perfect But Enough to Appreciate CNN IBN 20 May 2016 Archived from the original on 23 May 2016 Retrieved 23 May 2016 NOMINATIONS FOR 62nd JIO FILMFARE AWARDS 2017 Filmfare com Archived from the original on 10 January 2017 Box Office Understanding the economics of Sarbjit Bollywood Hungama 24 May 2016 Archived from the original on 5 October 2016 Retrieved 24 May 2016 Box office collection Aishwarya Rai Bachchan s Sarbjit beats Jazbaa lifetime earnings record International Business Times 30 May 2016 Archived from the original on 30 May 2016 Retrieved 30 May 2016 Box Office Worldwide Collections and Day wise breakup of Sarbjit Bollywood Hungama 21 May 2016 Archived from the original on 20 August 2017 Retrieved 21 May 2016 Shomini Sen November 2016 Why Aishwarya Rai Deserved More Screen Time in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil News18 com Archived from the original on 2 November 2016 Retrieved 1 November 2016 Chatterjee Suprateek Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Review A Generic Tearjerker That Spontaneously Combusts HuffPost Archived from the original on 29 October 2016 Retrieved 28 October 2016 Leydon Joe 28 October 2016 Film Review Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Variety Archived from the original on 29 October 2016 Retrieved 14 January 2016 Box Office Worldwide Collections and Day wise breakup of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Bollywood Hungama 31 October 2016 Archived from the original on 30 October 2016 Retrieved 31 October 2016 Ae Dil Hai Mushkil box office collection day 5 This is the hit Ranbir Kapoor needed The Indian Express 1 November 2016 Archived from the original on 2 November 2016 Retrieved 2 November 2016 Scott Mendelson 6 November 2016 Karan Johar Ajay Devgn Ranbir Kapoor Anushka Sharma And Aishwarya Reach New Peaks Forbes Archived from the original on 7 November 2016 Retrieved 7 November 2016 Hindi adaptation of Everybody s Famous The Times of India Archived from the original on 16 August 2018 Retrieved 3 August 2018 Bhatia Uday 3 August 2018 Film Review Fanney Khan Mint Archived from the original on 4 August 2018 Retrieved 3 August 2018 Mani Ratnam s Ponniyin Selvan full cast and crew revealed The Times of India 14 December 2019 Archived from the original on 26 March 2020 Retrieved 9 January 2020 Ponniyin Selvan I movie review Aishwarya Rai is a revelation in Mani Ratnam s masterful adaptation of classic The Hindustan Times 30 September 2022 Archived from the original on 30 September 2022 Retrieved 30 September 2022 Ponniyin Selvan 1 Review Mani Ratnam Finally Brings His Dream Alive with a Spectacular Adaptation News 18 30 September 2022 Archived from the original on 30 September 2022 Retrieved 30 September 2022 Mani Ratnam s Ponniyin Selvan 1 Enters Rs 500 Crore Club At Worldwide Box Office News18 3 November 2022 Retrieved 7 November 2022 Ponniyin Selvan Part 2 will release 6 to 9 months after part 1 s release says Mani Ratnam India Today 17 September 2022 Archived from the original on 18 September 2022 Retrieved 18 September 2022 Magnificent Five Elite Entertainment bollywoodconcerts com Archived from the original on 7 April 2007 Retrieved 14 April 2007 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Longines 1 November 1973 Archived from the original on 4 April 2011 Retrieved 9 April 2011 Tour Stop Downloads movies indiatimes com 15 November 2001 Archived from the original on 15 October 2007 Aishwarya Bachchan Rai Archived from the original on 18 February 2009 Retrieved 14 February 2009 Aishwarya Rai to promote Cinema Verite event The Hindu 13 May 2009 Archived from the original on 17 May 2009 Retrieved 18 June 2011 Shankar S 16 February 2004 Almost White Outlook India Archived from the original on 19 January 2011 Retrieved 18 June 2011 Ash appeal fails to boost eye donation drive The Times of India 24 August 2003 Archived from the original on 6 November 2012 Retrieved 19 September 2009 Actress Rai backs polio campaign BBC News 22 August 2005 Archived from the original on 8 January 2009 Retrieved 14 February 2009 Whosinvolved yearofmicrocredit Archived from the original on 28 September 2011 Bollywood unites to present caring face The Telegraph Kolkota India 8 February 2005 Archived from the original on 18 January 2012 Retrieved 8 February 2006 Bachchans to build girls school in name of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Archived from the original on 8 September 2012 Retrieved 20 February 2009 Amitabh Abhishek planning world tour together India Entertainment Earth Times Archived from the original on 18 September 2012 Retrieved 13 November 2008 B Town divas who made it to Cannes Post jagran com Archived from the original on 31 January 2015 Retrieved 28 January 2015 Bollywood s taste of Delhi 2010 melbourne2006 com 26 March 2006 Archived from the original on 28 April 2006 Retrieved 22 April 2006 International Year of Microcredit 2005 Yearofmicrocredit org 18 November 2004 Archived from the original on 26 November 2012 PETA Celebrity Supporters Look to the Stars 23 November 2012 Archived from the original on 23 November 2012 Aishwarya Rai Promotes Eye Donation Aishwarya rai pictures com 6 June 2013 Archived from the original on 6 June 2013 Rai Foundation Latest News on Rai Foundation at Times of India The Times of India 23 May 2013 Archived from the original on 23 May 2013 Aishwarya appointed Smile Train ambassador The Indian Express India Archived from the original on 21 January 2016 Retrieved 1 November 2009 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan appeals for Smile Train SmileTrainIndia Archived from the original on 4 April 2012 Aishwarya Michael Douglas at UN to mark International Day of Peace NDTV 22 September 2012 Archived from the original on 15 June 2013 Retrieved 22 September 2012 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan being an UN ambassador NDTV Archived from the original on 12 February 2013 Retrieved 28 September 2012 Salman Khan chapter was a nightmare in my life Aishwarya Rai Archived from the original on 20 January 2012 Retrieved 19 September 2009 I m not married to Salman Khan Filmfare Vol 48 no 6 June 1999 Archived from the original on 30 May 2021 Retrieved 18 February 2021 Aishwarya and Vivek finally break up The Star Malaysia 10 December 2005 Retrieved 11 October 2020 Abhishek details his love story with Aishwarya Archived from the original on 26 January 2012 Retrieved 25 January 2012 Singh Harneet 16 January 2007 It was sudden but this is the 21st century one must be prepared The Indian Express Retrieved 16 June 2011 a b Abhishek arrives on horseback for wedding Rediff Archived from the original on 11 May 2011 Retrieved 16 June 2011 It s London in spring time The Times of India 4 April 2007 Archived from the original on 15 October 2013 Retrieved 19 September 2009 a b I didn t chicken out of Dostana says Saif Ali Khan The Hindu Chennai India 1 August 2009 Archived from the original on 7 October 2013 Retrieved 19 September 2009 Why did Aishwarya dump Vivek The Times of India Archived from the original on 26 August 2009 Retrieved 19 August 2009 The buzz outside Ash s house Archived from the original on 20 September 2020 Retrieved 19 September 2009 The name s Bachchan Aishwarya Bachchan The Indian Express 1 May 2007 Archived from the original on 14 January 2009 Retrieved 20 November 2008 a b Ash Abhishek to Oprah Living with parents natural Rediff 30 September 2009 Archived from the original on 2 May 2013 Abhishek kisses Aishwarya on Oprah Winfrey s show Zee News 30 September 2009 Archived from the original on 12 August 2013 Retrieved 11 June 2013 It s London in spring time The Times of India 4 April 2007 Archived from the original on 15 October 2013 Retrieved 19 January 2013 Aishwarya Rai takes Aradhya Bacchan for a stroll in London The Times of India 20 April 2016 Archived from the original on 3 August 2016 Bachchan baby gets a name Rediff Archived from the original on 17 March 2012 Retrieved 14 March 2012 Aishwarya doesn t want to spoil her good name India Today 12 October 2010 Archived from the original on 18 August 2016 Retrieved 13 July 2016 Written at Mumbai Aishwarya Ria Bachchan tests positive as Covid 19 hits Bollywood s first family The Guardian London 12 July 2020 Archived from the original on 17 July 2020 Retrieved 18 July 2020 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Indian actress taken to hospital with Covid 19 BBC News 17 July 2020 Archived from the original on 17 July 2020 Retrieved 18 July 2020 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Indian actress discharged after recovering from Covid 19 BBC News 27 July 2020 Archived from the original on 24 September 2021 Retrieved 24 September 2021 At 37 Aishwarya is a director s delight The Hindu 31 October 2010 Archived from the original on 1 November 2010 Retrieved 31 October 2010 I choose to give my best NDTV Good Times Archived from the original on 20 October 2012 Haimanti Mukherjee 20 July 2012 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan A charismatic persona The Times of India Archived from the original on 8 September 2014 Retrieved 20 July 2012 Top 10 most searched Bollywood celebrities India Today Archived from the original on 19 November 2016 ARCHANA NANDAL 14 October 2002 Invoking the goddess of style The Hindu Archived from the original on 1 July 2003 Retrieved 14 October 2002 India Today Woman Summit amp Awards 2010 Citations of Award Winners India Today 21 July 2011 Archived from the original on 21 July 2011 Verve s 50 Power Women 2008 Verve Archived from the original on 1 May 2012 Retrieved 6 June 2008 Aishwarya Rai Hello Archived from the original on 26 June 2011 Retrieved 9 April 2011 Introducing Aishwarya Rai CBS News 10 February 2005 Archived from the original on 29 June 2011 Perry Alex 20 October 2003 The Leading Lady Time Asia Archived from the original on 24 December 2008 Retrieved 5 January 2009 Perry Alex 18 April 2004 Aishwarya Rai Time Archived from the original on 13 January 2009 Retrieved 5 January 2009 Aishwarya Rai is 100 most influential people Aishwarya rai pictures com Archived from the original on 5 February 2011 Retrieved 14 February 2011 IAishwarya on jury of Cannes Film Festival The Economic Times 9 April 2003 Archived from the original on 3 November 2013 Retrieved 13 July 2013 Arun Neil 1 October 2004 Bollywood goddess waxes beautiful BBC News Archived from the original on 1 February 2009 Retrieved 27 October 2008 Ash stops traffic in Times Square Rediff com Archived from the original on 22 October 2011 Retrieved 15 June 2011 Top 99 Women Aishwarya Rai Askmen Archived from the original on 29 August 2012 Retrieved 12 September 2012 World s 50 Most Desirable Women DNA Daily News and Analysis 23 January 2009 Archived from the original on 13 January 2012 Retrieved 22 April 2011 Coghlan Tom Pitel Laura Gray Sadie The most beautiful women The Times UK Archived from the original on 1 June 2010 Retrieved 12 June 2011 Beauties Around the Globe People 8 May 2006 Archived from the original on 30 March 2011 Retrieved 9 April 2011 rediff com Asia s sexiest women Rediff 20 September 2006 Archived from the original on 15 July 2011 Retrieved 9 April 2011 world s sexiest Asian woman Hindustan Times Archived from the original on 20 December 2010 Retrieved 11 December 2009 Aishwarya Rai s eyes voted the sexiest Hindustan Times India Archived from the original on 2 July 2011 Retrieved 23 October 2008 Tyra Banks Show Archived from the original on 26 April 2010 Retrieved 19 September 2009 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Star Currency Forbes com Star Currency 1 November 1973 Archived from the original on 11 July 2011 Retrieved 10 August 2011 Ash beats the Khans Movies ndtv com Archived from the original on 14 July 2011 Retrieved 9 April 2011 Suparna Thombare Sach a icon DNA Archived from the original on 16 November 2009 Retrieved 13 November 2009 Prabhakar Jyothi 2 February 2011 Ash s dress over Mallika at Oscars The Times of India Archived from the original on 20 August 2014 Retrieved 2 February 2011 It s London in spring time The Times of India The Times of India 4 April 2007 Archived from the original on 6 November 2012 Times 50 Most Desirable Women The Times of India 9 January 2011 Archived from the original on 1 July 2012 Retrieved 9 January 2011 Times 50 Most Desirable Women of 2011 The Winners The Times of India 4 February 2012 Archived from the original on 17 December 2013 Retrieved 4 February 2012 Aishwarya sizzles at Cannes proves critics wrong Hindustan Times Archived from the original on 25 May 2012 Retrieved 25 May 2012 40 Women That Women Find Beautiful The Cut New York Magazine 30 August 2012 Archived from the original on 1 September 2012 Retrieved 31 August 2012 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Priyanka Chopra Deepika Padukone among World s Most Admired People 2018 12 April 2018 Archived from the original on 22 January 2019 Retrieved 22 January 2019 Neha Sharma OVER THE YEARS Ash good as it can get Hindustan Times Archived from the original on 18 September 2012 Retrieved 16 September 2012 Robin Bansal and Aaron Rohan George Brand Bachchan Hindustan Times Archived from the original on 13 October 2012 Retrieved 21 May 2011 Aishwarya Rai Titan Advertisement The First Post Archived from the original on 3 February 2013 Bhushan Ratna 23 April 2001 New Coke tagline to uncork fresh fizz The Hindu Archived from the original on 10 November 2012 Retrieved 17 June 2011 a b rediff com Celebrity Endorsements Rediff Archived from the original on 21 January 2012 Retrieved 17 June 2011 Signature collection The Hindu 13 May 2003 Archived from the original on 2 July 2003 Retrieved 13 May 2003 Kalyan Jewellers to invest Rs 1 000 crore this year The Hindu Retrieved 19 August 2012 dead link Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Ranked second Most Popular Brand Ambassador Worldwide Yahoo News Archived from the original on 10 March 2012 Retrieved 6 March 2012 Nair Drishya 15 March 2013 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to Attend 66th Cannes Film Festival Bollywood Beauty s Red Carpet Looks over the Years International Business Times Retrieved 20 March 2013 Aishwarya on jury of Cannes Film Festival The Times of India 9 April 2003 Retrieved 20 March 2013 Why Aaradhya cried on Aishwarya Rai Bachchan s 39th birthday Hindustan Times India 2 November 2012 Archived from the original on 2 November 2012 Retrieved 2 November 2012 a b Proud of Aishwarya s French honour says father in law Amitabh Bachchan India ndtv com Indo Asian News Service 2 November 2012 Retrieved 2 November 2012 permanent dead link K Jha Subhash 2 February 2009 Ash won t accept award without Dad The Times of India India Archived from the original on 23 October 2012 Retrieved 12 February 2009 Further readingGhosh Biswadeep 2004 Hall of Fame Aishwarya Rai Mumbai Magna Books ISBN 978 81 7809 244 7 Archived from the original on 11 October 2020 Retrieved 21 September 2016 Gitanjali Roy 1 November 2013 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan World s envy India s pride NDTV com Archived from the original on 17 May 2014 Retrieved 17 May 2014 External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aishwarya Rai Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at IMDb Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at Bollywood Hungama Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on InstagramAwards and achievementsPreceded byKarminder Kaur Virk Femina Miss India1994 Succeeded byPreeti MankotiaPreceded by Ruffa Gutierrez Miss World Asia amp Oceania1994 Succeeded by Choi Yoon youngPreceded by Lisa Hanna Miss World1994 Succeeded by Jacqueline Aguilera Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Aishwarya Rai Bachchan amp oldid 1147675405, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.