Aishwarya Rai

BIOGRAPHY

Born into a traditional south Indian family, Aishwarya started modeling at a young age. This green-blue-eyed beauty appeared in advertisements for many prestigious firms; the ones that brought her into the limelight were the garden sari and the Pepsi ad. Crowned Miss India 1994 runner-up, she was a hot favorite in the run for miss world title, which she won, her beauty and charm made her India's darling. Ash stormed into the Indian movie industry, where she has proven herself a brilliant & genuine actress. Her performance in Iruvar (1997) was critically acclaimed, and she won the Screen best female debutant award for her role in ...Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (1997). She was adored in movies like Taal (1999), Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Devdas (2002), her item number in 'Bunty & Bubbly' had sent waves of rhythm across the nation. With her successful Bollywood movies and prestigious Hollywood projects lined up for release it is impossible to ignore this Indian diva in international scenes.

Aishwarya was an architecture student before she entered modeling as her part-time job. She was best known for her Pepsi commercial with Mahima Chaudhry. With her green-gray eyes, she was already approached by big names in India's film industry, where they offered her starring roles. She rejected the film offers since she aimed to be an architect. However, fate had other things in store for her after she was crowned Miss World 1994. Soon after her winning, again she received offers to star in movies. In Southern India, she was best known for her role as Madhumita/Veishnavi in Jeans (1998) and as Meenakshi in Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000). She won the Filmfare Award for best actress for her performance in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) as Ajay Devgn's wife who is in love with another man. She also received rave reviews for her performance as a rape victim in Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai (2000).

AS AN ACTRESS