Aishwarya Rai (born 1 November 1973), also known as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, is an Indian actress and model who won the Miss World pageant in 1994. She has received several awards, including two Filmfare Awards from ten nominations, and was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2009. She is often cited as one of the most beautiful women in the world.
Rai began modeling during college and placed second in the Miss India pageant before being crowned Miss World 1994. She debuted in acting with the 1997 Tamil film Iruvar and her first Hindi film was Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya the same year. Her commercial successes include Jeans (1998), Mohabbatein (2000), Dhoom 2 (2006), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), and Enthiran (2010). She received critical acclaim for roles in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Devdas (2002), Chokher Bali (2003), Raincoat (2004), Provoked (2006), and Guzaarish (2010). Rai took a sabbatical in 2010 and returned with the thriller Jazbaa in 2015. She married actor Abhishek Bachchan in 2007, with whom she has a daughter. Rai serves as a brand ambassador for several charities and is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNAIDS. In 2003, she was the first Indian actress to serve as a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival.
India
