Aishwarya Rai
Encyclopedia
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (née Aishwarya Rai, , pronounced əjɕʋərjaː rəj; born 1973) is an Indian film actress. She worked as a model before starting her acting career, and ultimately won the Miss World pageant
in 1994. Rai has acted in over 40 films in Hindi
, English
, Tamil
, Telugu
, and Bengali
.
Often cited by the media as the "most beautiful woman in the world", Rai made her acting debut in Mani Ratnam
's Tamil film Iruvar
(1997), and had her first commercial success in the Tamil movie Jeans
(1998). She gained the attention of Bollywood
through the film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
(1999), directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
. Her performance won her the Filmfare Best Actress Award
. In 2002 she appeared in Bhansali's Devdas
, for which she won her second Filmfare Best Actress Award.
After a setback in her career during 2003–2005, she appeared in Dhoom 2
(2006), which was her biggest commercial success in India. She later appeared in films like Guru (2007), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), and Enthiran (2010), which were commercially and critically successful. Rai has established herself as one of the leading actresses in Bollywood.
Rai's off-screen roles include duties as brand ambassador for various charity organisations and campaigns. She is married to fellow actor Abhishek Bachchan
. In 2009 she was honoured with Padma Shri
, the fourth-highest civilian award given by the Government of India
.
-speaking Bunt family
in Mangalore
, Karnataka. Her father, Krishnaraj, was a marine biologist, while her mother, Brindya, is a housewife. She has one elder brother, Aditya Rai, who is an engineer in the merchant navy. He co-produced one of her movies, Dil Ka Rishta
(2003).
The family moved to Mumbai
, where Rai attended the Arya Vidya Mandir High School
. Rai did her intermediate schooling at Jai Hind College
for a year, and then joined DG Ruparel College
in Matunga
, securing 90 percent in the HSC
exams. She trained in classical dance and music for five years during her teens. Her favourite subject was zoology, so she initially considered a career in medicine. With plans to become an architect, she enrolled at Raheja College, but later gave up her education to pursue a career in modelling.
took pictures of her which were published in a fashion magazine. In 1991 Rai took part in the Ford Supermodel Contest and also appeared in Vogue Magazine
. She has been on the cover of Vogue three times.
Rai became popular after appearing in a Pepsi commercial with actor Aamir Khan
. She modelled for Longines watches
, Coca-Cola
, Lakmé Cosmetics
, Casio pager
, Philips
, Palmolive, Lux
, and Fuji films. She continued to model while pursuing her studies in architecture. She was named the official brand ambassador for De Beers diamonds
in India.
In the 1994 Miss India
contest, she won second place, behind Sushmita Sen
, and was crowned Miss India World. She went on to win the Miss World
title the same year, where she also won the Miss Photogenic award. After winning the pageant, she gave up her studies and spent one year reigning as Miss World in London. Rai continued to pursue a career as a model until she became an actress.
's Tamil
biopic film Iruvar
(1997), where she worked alongside Mohanlal
. The film was a critical success and won many awards, including Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival
, and two National Film Awards
. Rai appeared in dual roles, one of which was a depiction of political leader and former actress J. Jayalalithaa
. Rai made her Bollywood
debut in the film in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya
, opposite Bobby Deol
, which released the same year; the film was unsuccessful at the box office. Her third project, Jeans
(1998), a high-budget Tamil film directed by S. Shankar
, was a commercial success. The film included the song "Poovukkul
", written by Vairamuthu
, in which Rai's character is compared to the seven wonders of the world and described as the eighth. The film was India's official entry to the Academy Awards in that year.
's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
, opposite Salman Khan
and Ajay Devgan
. The film had Rai playing Nandini, who is forced to marry Devgan despite being in love with another man (Khan). Her husband tries to help her locate her previous love, and his caring attention eventually wins her over. Rai's portrayal won her critical acclaim, with a review on Rediff.com
stating, "Aishwarya looks beautiful as usual ... This film will most likely draw her accolades from all over, may be even get her recognised as an actress the way Manisha Koirala
did in Khamoshi
. In many scenes, there is no trace of makeup and she looks very fresh". The film was her first box office success in Bollywood, and earned her a Filmfare Best Actress Award
.
In the same year she appeared in Subhash Ghai
's Taal
, in which she played Mansi, a young village woman who becomes a big pop star after being hurt by her lover, played by Akshay Khanna. The film was an average grosser in India but was a big success outside India, especially in the United States, where it became the first Indian film in the top 20 on Variety's
box office list. Her performance was praised, with a reviewer from Rediff.com writing, "After being praised for her looks and acting talent in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Aishwarya has excelled in Taal. She looks ethereal and unlike the former film, has a very sober and soft role. Though she looks pained and tragic in most of the film, she does a good job of a woman who is very protective of her father and one who doesn't think twice before rejecting a lover who has insulted her father." She received another Best Actress nomination from the Filmfare Awards for her work in the film.
In 2000 she appeared in Mansoor Khan
's Josh alongside Shahrukh Khan
and Chandrachur Singh
, in which she plays a Catholic named Shirley who falls in love with the sibling of her brother's enemy. The film was a commercial success. Later that year she appeared in Satish Kaushik
's Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai
, opposite Anil Kapoor
. It was a moderate success, and her performance earned her a Filmfare Best Actress Award nomination. Later that year she played a supporting role in Aditya Chopra
's Mohabbatein
, alongside Amitabh Bachchan
and Shahrukh Khan
. The second-highest grosser of the year, the film was a major commercial success, and earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
nomination. Later that year, she starred in the Tamil film Kandukondain Kandukondain
, alongside Mammooty, Ajith Kumar
, and Tabu
.
In 2002 Rai appeared alongside Shahrukh Khan
and Madhuri Dixit
in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas
, an adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay
's novel of the same name
. She played the role of Paro (Parvati), the love interest of the protagonist, played by Khan. The film received a special screening at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival
. It became the highest-grossing film of the year in India and overseas, earning a revenue of Rs domestically. Devdas won numerous awards, including 10 Filmfare Awards, and Rai received her second Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance.
's Bengali film Chokher Bali
, an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore
's novel of the same name
. She portrays the character of a young woman called Binodini, who is left on her own when her sickly husband dies soon after they are married. That year she appeared in the Bollywood film Dil Ka Rishta
, with Arjun Rampal
, and Rohan Sippy
's Kuch Na Kaho, alongside Abhishek Bachchan
, neither of which fared well at the box office.
In 2004 she appeared alongside Martin Henderson
in Bride and Prejudice
, Gurinder Chadha
's Bollywood-style English adaptation of Jane Austen's
Pride and Prejudice
. She played Lalita Bakshi, the film's version of Austen's character Elizabeth Bennet
. Based on 131 reviews, the film has a rating of 64 percent at the review website Rotten Tomatoes
. She played a negative role for the first time in Rajkumar Santoshi
's Khakee
, which also featured Amitabh Bachchan
, Akshay Kumar
, Ajay Devgan
, and Jayapradha. In the same year she worked with director Rituparno Ghosh for the second time, in Raincoat
, where she starred alongside Ajay Devgan
. The film was highly acclaimed by critics, with Rai receiving rave reviews for her performance.
In 2005 she appeared in Shabd
, a film based on a love triangle
, alongside Sanjay Dutt
and Zayed Khan
. The film was unsuccessful at the box office; it received average reviews from critics. Her next release was Paul Mayeda Berges
's The Mistress of Spices
, based on the novel of the same name
by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
, in which she starred alongside Dylan McDermott
. The film received negative reviews from critics, and was a commercial failure. The same year she made a special appearance in a hugely popular seven-minute dance sequence for the song "Kajra Re", with Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, in Shaad Ali
's Bunty Aur Babli
.
, the story of a courtesan
and poetess from 19th-century Lucknow
. The movie is the second adaptation of the Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada
(1905), by Mirza Hadi Ruswa
. Rai's work received mixed reviews, and the film was a critical and commercial failure. Critics particularly felt the new version is poor when compared to the acclaimed 1981 version by Muzaffar Ali
, which starred Rekha in the title role. BBC
critic Poonam Joshi wrote, "While only Aishwarya could emulate the grace and poise of Rekha, she doesn't quite capture the intensity of Umrao's abiding melancholy", commenting that "her incandescent beauty and artistry... does indeed keep the audience watching, though not necessarily emotionally engaged." Later that year she appeared as a master thief, Sunheri, in the Yash Raj Films
production of Dhoom 2
, directed by Sanjay Gadhvi
. The ensemble cast included Hrithik Roshan
, Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu
, and Uday Chopra
. The movie was a blockbuster
, and became the highest grossing film of the year in India, earning revenues of over Rs domestically. A controversy arose regarding a scene containing a kiss between her and Hrithik Roshan. Rai's performance received mostly negative reviews, with a reviewer on Rediff.com writing, "Ash's character too is all gloss and no depth. You seldom feel any tension in her behaviour and expressions as she accompanies the master thief on potentially dangerous missions. 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. There is no sensuality any more, and half an hour later, one wonders what made the master thief fall for her." Nonetheless, her performance earned her a sixth nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award.
In 2007 she appeared in Mani Ratnam
's Guru as Sujata. Speculated to be based on the life of Indian businessman Dhirubhai Ambani
, it is a rag to riches story about an ambitious small-town man who ends up as the owner of the biggest corporation in India. The film premièred at the Elgin Theatre
in Toronto, Canada, the first Indian film to have a mainstream international premiere in that country. The film was critically acclaimed, and performed well at the box office. Critical reception for Rai was mixed. While Nikhat Kazmi
from The Times of India
wrote that she is "just okay, and fails to register the growth in her character", Rediff.com's Raja Sen described it as "arguably her finest performance, visible especially when she takes over the film's climax." Rai received her seventh Filmfare nomination for Best Actress for her performance. In the same year she starred alongside Naveen Andrews
and Miranda Richardson
in Jag Mundhra
's British film Provoked
, as Kiranjit Ahluwalia
, an Non-resident Indian woman who kills her abusive husband after facing severe domestic violence. Rai received mostly positive reviews for her portrayal. It was screened in the Marché du Film
Cannes Film Market during the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
. Ahluwalia sat next to Rai during the screening, reportedly holding her hand and sobbing during the most violent scenes. In the same year Rai appeared as a warrior from Kerala
named Mira in Doug Lefler
's epic film
The Last Legion
, alongside Sir Ben Kingsley, Colin Firth
, and Thomas Sangster
. The film was a critical failure.
In 2008 Rai starred alongside Hrithik Roshan in Ashutosh Gowariker
's historical drama Jodhaa Akbar. The story is a partly-fictionalised account of the life of Muslim Mughal
emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, played by Roshan, and his Hindu wife Jodha Bai, played by Rai. The film was a critical and commercial success, earning revenues of over Rs domestically. Rai's performance in the film was praised by critics, with Rajeev Masand
writing, "Aishwarya Rai is wonderfully restrained and uses her eyes expertly to communicate so much, making this one of her finest outings on screen". She earned her eighth nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards for her performance. Later that year she co-starred with husband Abhishek Bachchan and father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan in Ram Gopal Verma's Sarkar Raj, a sequel to his previous film, Sarkar
. She plays the CEO of a major power company that is proposing a new power plant in rural Maharashtra
. The film was a critical and commercial success.
In 2009 she appeared in Harald Zwart
's spy comedy film The Pink Panther 2, playing the role of criminology expert Sonia Solandres. Like its predecessor, the sequel received negative reviews from critics, and did a moderate business of $34,590,360 at the U.S box office. In 2010 she collaborated with Mani Ratnam for a bilingual project, two films featuring Rai portraying a character based on the goddess Sita
. The films were shot simultaneously, with Rai's role being one of the only roles which were played by the same performer in both versions. Upon release, the project received mixed reviews. Though both her portrayals of Ragini were praised, the Hindi version—Raavan
, alongside Abhishek Bachchan—failed commercially, whilst the Tamil version—Raavanan—was successful. The Hindi version of the film got decent reviews in various US media, including the New York Times and Los Angeles Times
, with the former saying, "Raavan has Bollywood glamour aplenty, with the lovely if occasionally dramatically challenged Aishwarya Rai Bachchan", and the latter describing Rai as a scene-stealer.
Rai paired with Rajinikanth in the science fiction Tamil film Enthiran (2010), directed by S. Shankar
. The film—the most expensive ever made in India—was released worldwide in 2010, and is the highest-grossing Indian film when all its versions are totalled. She appeared in Vipul Shah's Action Replayy opposite Akshay Kumar
, which received mixed reviews from critics. Rai's final release in 2010 was Guzaarish
, her third collaboration with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Hrithik Roshan. The film tells the story of Ethan Mascarenhas (Roshan), a former magician who has been quadriplegic for twelve years; after years of struggle he files an appeal to the court for euthanasia
. Rai played Ethan's strict, devoted, and supportive nurse Sophie D'Souza. The film opened to positive reviews, and Rai's portrayal was praised. According to Nikhat Kazmi, "Aishwarya is a stunning picture of fire and grace, walking away with certain scenes by her sheer vitality." In 2011 she received her ninth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. As of May 2011, she is set to appear in Rajkumar Santoshi's next film, Ladies and Gentlemen
, along with Abhishek Bachchan, and in Madhur Bhandarkar
's next directorial venture, Heroine
. The shooting of both films was postponed, due to Rai's pregnancy. She will not appear in Heroine, which is going forward with Kareena Kapoor
.
, Rani Mukerji
, Akshaye Khanna
, and Twinkle Khanna
. In the same year, she was appointed as Longines
Ambassador of Elegance. In 2003 she became the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival
. In 2003 she became a global brand ambassador of L'Oreal
, alongside Andie Macdowell
, Eva Longoria
, and Penelope Cruz
. Rai is the brand ambassador for The Eye Bank Association of India's nationwide campaign to promote eye donation in India. 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. 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.
In February 2005 Rai performed alongside other Bollywood stars at the HELP! Telethon Concert, an event to raise money for the victims of the 2004 tsunami earthquake. 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. 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
.
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.
; their relationship was often reported in the media until the couple separated in 2001. Rai cited "abuse (verbal, physical and emotional), infidelity and indignity" on the part of Khan as reasons for ending the relationship. In a 2009 Times of India
article, Khan denied ever beating her: "It's not true that I hit a woman."
Rai is married to actor Abhishek Bachchan, they met in 1997. Their engagement was announced on 2007 and later confirmed by his father, Amitabh Bachchan. The couple married on 2007 according to traditional Hindu rites of the Bunt community
, to which she belongs. Token North Indian and Bengali
ceremonies were also performed. The wedding took place in a private ceremony at the Bachchan residence, "Prateeksha", in Juhu, Mumbai. They have been described as a supercouple
in the Indian media. Rai is very close to her family and lived with them in Bandra, Mumbai, until her marriage. Rai is Hindu
and deeply religious.
On 16 November 2011, Abhishek Bachchan announced through his Twitter
, that Aishwarya gave birth to a baby girl.
, and has been nominated for Filmfare Awards
eleven times. She has won numerous times at the International Indian Film Academy Awards
, Star Screen Awards
, Zee Cine Awards
, and others. In 2009 Rai was awarded the Padma Shri
, the fourth-highest Indian civilian award, for her contributions to Indian cinema. In 2001 Forbes
named Rai among the top five Indian movie stars. In a reader poll conducted by UK's Hello! magazine, she was voted "the most attractive woman of 2003". In the same year, Rai appeared in Rolling Stone
magazine's annual "Hot List". In 2004 she was chosen by TIME magazine
as one of the world's most influential people, and appeared on the cover of its 2003 Asia edition. In October 2004 a wax figure of Rai was put on display in London's Madame Tussaud's wax museum
. 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.
In 2005 she was the subject of a 60 Minutes
profile on , 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". The same year, a tulip
in the Netherlands was named "Aishwarya Rai" after her. Also in 2005, Mattel
released a limited edition of Barbie
dolls of Aishwarya Rai in the United Kingdom. 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. In May 2006 Aishwarya was featured in People Magazine as one of the "World's Most Beautiful People". The UK magazine Eastern Eye
ranked her third in the list of "Asia's Sexiest Women" in 2006, and she was ranked eighth in 2009. In 2008 American television channel E!: Entertainment
listed Aishwarya's eyes as the sexiest on their Sexiest Body Parts list. In 2009 she made appearances on Martha Stewart
's show Martha
and on the The Tyra Banks Show
. 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.
In 2009, Rai refused to accept the second-highest Order Of France
, Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
, as her father was suffering from a serious illness, and she wanted her whole family to attend the award ceremony. She is the fourth Indian actor—after Sivaji Ganesan
, Nandita Das
, and Shahrukh Khan
—to be chosen for the award. Amitabh Bachchan was chosen for another Order Of France
, the Legion of Honour. In June 2009 she was declared the Female Star of The Decade at the tenth International Indian Film Academy Awards
, held in Macau
. In December 2010 she was declared the "Actress of the Decade" at the BIG Star Entertainment Awards
. In March 2011 Rai was honoured by Karnataka
Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa at World Kannada Meet (Vishwa Kannada Sammelana) for her contributions to the arts. Later that month she was presented with the "Decade of Global Achievement Honour" by FICCI
. She attended the 83rd Academy Awards
, along with her husband, Abhishek.
Miss World 1994
Miss World 1994 was the 44th Miss World pageant and marked the third consecutive staging of Miss World in Sun City, South Africa. Actor Blair Underwood and supermodel Naomi Campbell served as presenters. The pageant attracted 87 contestants from around the world...
in 1994. Rai has acted in over 40 films in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
, and Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
.
Often cited by the media as the "most beautiful woman in the world", Rai made her acting debut in Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He made his directorial debut with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi starring Anil Kapoor in 1983...
's Tamil film Iruvar
Iruvar
Iruvar is a 1997 Tamil film directed, co-written, and co-produced by Mani Ratnam, with music composed by A. R. Rahman. The film is a fictionalized account of the lives of 1980s Tamil Nadu political icons M. G. Ramachandran and M...
(1997), and had her first commercial success in the Tamil movie Jeans
Jeans (film)
Jeans is a 1998 Tamil musical romance film. Directed and written by Shankar and produced by Ashok Amritraj and Murali Manohar, it stars Prashanth, Aishwarya Rai and Nassar in the lead roles. Raju Sundaram and Lakshmi, prominent actors from the south Indian film industry, played the roles of the...
(1998). She gained the attention of Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
through the film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
The music was composed by Ismail Darbar with lyrics by Mehboob. It received nine Filmfare Awards nominations in the music and singing categories and produced some winners as well.-Track listing:-2000 National Awards:* Best Music Direction - Ismail Darbar...
(1999), directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is an Indian film director. He is an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India...
. Her performance won her the Filmfare Best Actress Award
Filmfare Best Actress Award
The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954.-Superlatives:...
. In 2002 she appeared in Bhansali's Devdas
Devdas (2002 film)
Devdas is a 2002 Bollywood film based on the 1917 Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay novella Devdas. This is the third Hindi version and the first colour film version of the story in Hindi...
, for which she won her second Filmfare Best Actress Award.
After a setback in her career during 2003–2005, she appeared in Dhoom 2
Dhoom 2
Dhoom 2: Back In Action is a 2006 Bollywood action film directed by Sanjay Gadhvi and produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra at an estimated budget of Rs 350 million. It is the second film in the Dhoom series. Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra star in the film as buddy cops Jai Dixit and Ali,...
(2006), which was her biggest commercial success in India. She later appeared in films like Guru (2007), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), and Enthiran (2010), which were commercially and critically successful. Rai has established herself as one of the leading actresses in Bollywood.
Rai's off-screen roles include duties as brand ambassador for various charity organisations and campaigns. She is married to fellow actor Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan is an Indian actor and producer. He is the son of Indian actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and is married to actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai....
. In 2009 she was honoured with Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
, the fourth-highest civilian award given by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
.
Early life
Rai was born into a TuluTulu language
The Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
-speaking Bunt family
Bunt (community)
Bunt , previously spelled Bant, are a community of erstwhile nobility, feudatory and gentry from the region of Tulu Nadu in the south west of India which comprises the districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada in the Indian state of Karnataka and Kasaragod taluk of Kerala...
in Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
, Karnataka. Her father, Krishnaraj, was a marine biologist, while her mother, Brindya, is a housewife. She has one elder brother, Aditya Rai, who is an engineer in the merchant navy. He co-produced one of her movies, Dil Ka Rishta
Dil Ka Rishta
Dil Ka Rishta is a Bollywood movie, directed by Naresh Malhotra and produced by Aditya Rai, Aishwarya Rai's brother; it was released on 17 January 2003 in India.-Plot:...
(2003).
The family moved to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, where Rai attended the Arya Vidya Mandir High School
Arya Vidya Mandir
Arya Vidya Mandir is a group of schools located in Mumbai, India, which offers English medium education and focuses on holistic growth of the child.-Description:...
. Rai did her intermediate schooling at Jai Hind College
Jai Hind College
Jai Hind College is a prominent college in Mumbai, India, affiliated with University of Mumbai.Established in 1948 by a small group of teachers who worked at D. J. Sind College of Karachi,under the supervision of Dr. Mohinder-Miles Morton, it is currently located at 'A' Road, Churchgate.The...
for a year, and then joined DG Ruparel College
Ruparel College
The D.G. Ruparel College of Arts, Science and Commerce is a college in Matunga, Mumbai, India. It is run by Modern Education Society, Pune and is affiliated with the University of Mumbai, and has been referred to as "prestigious" by the Times of India....
in Matunga
Matunga
Matunga is a district located in the central part of Mumbai. It is a railway station on the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. This station is called Matunga on the Central railway line, Matunga Road on the Western line and King's Circle, on the Harbour Line...
, securing 90 percent in the HSC
Higher Secondary (School) Certificate
The Higher Secondary Certificate, also known as HSC, is a public examination taken by students in Bangladesh, Pakistan and in the states of Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra and Goa in India after successfully completing at least twelve years of schooling, that is two years...
exams. She trained in classical dance and music for five years during her teens. Her favourite subject was zoology, so she initially considered a career in medicine. With plans to become an architect, she enrolled at Raheja College, but later gave up her education to pursue a career in modelling.
Modelling career
One of her earliest modelling assignment was, when she was in the ninth grade, for Camlin Pencils. One of her professors at Jai Hind CollegeJai Hind College
Jai Hind College is a prominent college in Mumbai, India, affiliated with University of Mumbai.Established in 1948 by a small group of teachers who worked at D. J. Sind College of Karachi,under the supervision of Dr. Mohinder-Miles Morton, it is currently located at 'A' Road, Churchgate.The...
took pictures of her which were published in a fashion magazine. In 1991 Rai took part in the Ford Supermodel Contest and also appeared in Vogue Magazine
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
. She has been on the cover of Vogue three times.
Rai became popular after appearing in a Pepsi commercial with actor Aamir Khan
Aamir Khan
Aamir Hussain Khan is an Indian film actor, director and producer who has established himself as one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema....
. She modelled for Longines watches
Longines
Longines is a Swiss luxury watchmaker based in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. The company was originally founded by Auguste Agassiz in 1832 and it currently holds the oldest registered logo for a watch company . Longines is currently owned by the Swatch Group.Longines is known for its 'Aviators' watches...
, Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, Lakmé Cosmetics
Lakme cosmetics
Lakmé is an Indian brand of cosmetics, owned by Unilever. Lakme started as a 100% subsidiary of Tata Oil Mills , part of the Tata Group; it was named after the French opera Lakmé, which itself is the French form of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, also renowned for her beauty...
, Casio pager
Casio
is a multinational electronic devices manufacturing company founded in 1946, with its headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Casio is best known for its electronic products, such as calculators, audio equipment, PDAs, cameras, musical instruments, and watches...
, Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, Palmolive, Lux
Lux (soap)
Lux is a global brand developed by Unilever. The range of products includes beauty soaps, shower gels, bath additives, hair shampoos and conditioners. Lux started as “Sunlight Flakes” laundry soap in 1899....
, and Fuji films. She continued to model while pursuing her studies in architecture. She was named the official brand ambassador for De Beers diamonds
De Beers
De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
in India.
In the 1994 Miss India
Miss India
Miss India or Femina Miss India is a national beauty pageant in India, one of the most recognized contests to produce international beauty queens in the 90s, which annually selects three winners to compete globally. It is organized by Femina, a women's magazine published by Bennett, Coleman & Co...
contest, she won second place, behind Sushmita Sen
Sushmita Sen
Sushmita Sen is an Indian actress who appears in mainly Bollywood films. A former model, Sen was crowned Miss Universe in 1994. She was the first Indian woman to win the contest.-Personal life:Sen was born on 19 November 1975....
, and was crowned Miss India World. She went on to win the Miss World
Miss World
The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...
title the same year, where she also won the Miss Photogenic award. After winning the pageant, she gave up her studies and spent one year reigning as Miss World in London. Rai continued to pursue a career as a model until she became an actress.
Early career (1997–98)
Rai made her acting debut in Mani RatnamMani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He made his directorial debut with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi starring Anil Kapoor in 1983...
's Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
biopic film Iruvar
Iruvar
Iruvar is a 1997 Tamil film directed, co-written, and co-produced by Mani Ratnam, with music composed by A. R. Rahman. The film is a fictionalized account of the lives of 1980s Tamil Nadu political icons M. G. Ramachandran and M...
(1997), where she worked alongside Mohanlal
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
. The film was a critical success and won many awards, including Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival
FEST (Belgrade)
FEST is annual film festival held in Belgrade, Serbia since 1971. The festival is usually held in the first quarter of the year.It was the only film festival in socialist countries that attracted big Hollywood stars such as Jack Nicholson, Kirk Douglas, Robert De Niro and directors like Miloš...
, and two National Film Awards
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it is administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.Every year, a national panel...
. Rai appeared in dual roles, one of which was a depiction of political leader and former actress J. Jayalalithaa
J. Jayalalithaa
Jayalalithaa Jayaram ; born 24 February 1948) commonly referred to as J. Jayalalitha, is the Chief Minister of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. She is the incumbent general secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , a Dravidian party. She is called Amma and Puratchi Thalaivi by her...
. Rai made her Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
debut in the film in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya
Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya
Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya is a 1997 Indian Bollywood film. The film starred Bobby Deol and Aishwarya Rai. This is the first Hindi movie for Aishwarya Rai. The movie also featured two songs by the celebrated Qawwali singer, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Its story is somewhat similar to the 1994 English film "Only...
, opposite Bobby Deol
Bobby Deol
Bobby Deol is a Bollywood actor. Deol is the son of the acclaimed Bollywood actor Dharmendra and the brother of Sunny Deol, also a successful actor in the Mumbai based Indian film industry....
, which released the same year; the film was unsuccessful at the box office. Her third project, Jeans
Jeans (film)
Jeans is a 1998 Tamil musical romance film. Directed and written by Shankar and produced by Ashok Amritraj and Murali Manohar, it stars Prashanth, Aishwarya Rai and Nassar in the lead roles. Raju Sundaram and Lakshmi, prominent actors from the south Indian film industry, played the roles of the...
(1998), a high-budget Tamil film directed by S. Shankar
S. Shankar
Shankar is an Indian film director and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He made his directional debut in Gentleman for which he was awarded the Filmfare Best Director Award...
, was a commercial success. The film included the song "Poovukkul
Poovukkul
"Poovukkul" is a song, sung in Tamil, featured in the 1998 Tamil film Jeans. The song was written by the film's noted musical duo, composer A. R. Rahman and lyricist Vairamuthu. It was performed by Unnikrishnan and Sujatha Mohan....
", written by Vairamuthu
Vairamuthu
Vairamuthu Ramaswamy Thevar is an award-winning Tamil poet and lyricist.Debuting in the film Nizhalgal with the lyrics for the song "Ponmalai Pozhudhu", he has now about 5800 songs to his credit as of January 2009. His partnership with the composers Ilaiyaraaja, and later A. R...
, in which Rai's character is compared to the seven wonders of the world and described as the eighth. The film was India's official entry to the Academy Awards in that year.
Career (1999–2002)
In 1999 Rai starred in Sanjay Leela BhansaliSanjay Leela Bhansali
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is an Indian film director. He is an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India...
's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
The music was composed by Ismail Darbar with lyrics by Mehboob. It received nine Filmfare Awards nominations in the music and singing categories and produced some winners as well.-Track listing:-2000 National Awards:* Best Music Direction - Ismail Darbar...
, opposite Salman Khan
Salman Khan
Salman Khan is an Indian film actor. He has starred in more than 80 Hindi films.Khan, who made his acting debut with a minor role in the drama Biwi Ho To Aisi with Rekha in a lead role, had his first commercial success with the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya , for which he won a Filmfare Award for...
and Ajay Devgan
Ajay Devgan
Ajay Devgan , born Vishal Veeru Devgan on 2 April 1969, is an Indian film actor, director, and producer.He made his film debut with Phool Aur Kaante in 1991 and received a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance in the film and for which he won a Filmfare Best Debut Award...
. The film had Rai playing Nandini, who is forced to marry Devgan despite being in love with another man (Khan). Her husband tries to help her locate her previous love, and his caring attention eventually wins her over. Rai's portrayal won her critical acclaim, with a review on Rediff.com
Rediff.com
Rediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....
stating, "Aishwarya looks beautiful as usual ... This film will most likely draw her accolades from all over, may be even get her recognised as an actress the way Manisha Koirala
Manisha Koirala
Manisha B. Koirala is a Nepali-Indian actress who works in Indian films, as well as a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and social activist. Koirala has primarily worked in Hindi cinema, though she has appeared in several Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films as well...
did in Khamoshi
Khamoshi: The Musical
Khamoshi: The Musical is a critically acclaimed Indian Hindi film which was released on 9 August 1996. The film starred Nana Patekar, Manisha Koirala, Salman Khan, Seema Biswas and Helen, and marked Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directorial debut...
. In many scenes, there is no trace of makeup and she looks very fresh". The film was her first box office success in Bollywood, and earned her a Filmfare Best Actress Award
Filmfare Best Actress Award
The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954.-Superlatives:...
.
In the same year she appeared in Subhash Ghai
Subhash Ghai
Subhash Ghai is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. His most notable films include Kalicharan ,Karz , Hero , Meri Jung , Karma ,Ram Lakhan ,Saudagar , Khalnayak , Pardes and Taal...
's Taal
Taal (film)
Taal is a 1999 Hindi film directed by Subhash Ghai. Taal was an official selection by Roger Ebert for his 2005 Overlooked Film Festival. The film stars Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna, Aishwarya Rai, Amrish Puri and Alok Nath. It was also dubbed in Tamil as Thaalam...
, in which she played Mansi, a young village woman who becomes a big pop star after being hurt by her lover, played by Akshay Khanna. The film was an average grosser in India but was a big success outside India, especially in the United States, where it became the first Indian film in the top 20 on Variety's
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
box office list. Her performance was praised, with a reviewer from Rediff.com writing, "After being praised for her looks and acting talent in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Aishwarya has excelled in Taal. She looks ethereal and unlike the former film, has a very sober and soft role. Though she looks pained and tragic in most of the film, she does a good job of a woman who is very protective of her father and one who doesn't think twice before rejecting a lover who has insulted her father." She received another Best Actress nomination from the Filmfare Awards for her work in the film.
In 2000 she appeared in Mansoor Khan
Mansoor Khan
Mansoor Khan, son of film maker Nasir Hussain, made his directorial debut with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak which launched the career of his cousin Aamir Khan. The film, a soft Romeo-Juliet inspired romantic drama, was a huge success...
's Josh alongside Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan , often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "the King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films....
and Chandrachur Singh
Chandrachur Singh
Chandrachur Singh is an Indian actor, who appeared in Bollywood films.-Early life:Chandrachur Singh is a native of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. He was born on 11 October 1968 in New Delhi, India. He belongs to a very affluent family. His father is an ex-MLA from Aligarh and his mother is the daughter...
, in which she plays a Catholic named Shirley who falls in love with the sibling of her brother's enemy. The film was a commercial success. Later that year she appeared in Satish Kaushik
Satish Kaushik
Satish Kaushik is an Indian film director and actor in Hindi films and theatre.As a film actor his most remembered for his role as 'Calendar' in Mr. India, and as 'Chanu Ahmed' in Sarah Gavron's English film Brick Lane...
's Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai
Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai
Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai is an Indian Bollywood film directed by Satish Kaushik, released on 24 August 2000. The film stars Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai and Sonali Bendre in lead roles.-Plot:...
, opposite Anil Kapoor
Anil Kapoor
Anil Kapoor is an Indian actor and producer who mainly appears in Bollywood films. He won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in Yash Chopra's film Mashaal ....
. It was a moderate success, and her performance earned her a Filmfare Best Actress Award nomination. Later that year she played a supporting role in Aditya Chopra
Aditya Chopra
Aditya Chopra is an Indian film producer, screenwriter and director. He is most known for directing his only three films Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge , Mohabbatein , and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi...
's Mohabbatein
Mohabbatein
Mohabbatein , is a 2000 Indian Bollywood film directed by Aditya Chopra. The movie stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan in pivotal roles, along with six young debutantes. Aishwarya Rai appeared in flashbacks as Khan's lover. The movie was filmed at Oxford, England and Longleat...
, alongside Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
and Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan , often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "the King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films....
. The second-highest grosser of the year, the film was a major commercial success, and earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
The Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Awards is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
nomination. Later that year, she starred in the Tamil film Kandukondain Kandukondain
Kandukondain Kandukondain
Kandukondain Kandukondain is a 2000 Tamil musical and romantic film based on Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility. Directed and co-written by Rajiv Menon, the film features an ensemble cast of Ajith Kumar, Mammootty, Tabu, Aishwarya Rai and Abbas in the lead roles...
, alongside Mammooty, Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai . A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with...
, and Tabu
Tabu (actress)
Tabu is an Indian film actress. She has mainly acted in Hindi films, though she has also starred in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Bengali language films, as well as one American film...
.
In 2002 Rai appeared alongside Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan , often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "the King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films....
and Madhuri Dixit
Madhuri Dixit
Madhuri Dixit is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Hindi films. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, she established herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses and most accomplished dancers. She appeared in numerous commercially successful films and was recognised for several of...
in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas
Devdas (2002 film)
Devdas is a 2002 Bollywood film based on the 1917 Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay novella Devdas. This is the third Hindi version and the first colour film version of the story in Hindi...
, an adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay
Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay is one of the most popular Bengali novelists and short story writers of early 20th century.- Background and writing :Sarat Chandra was born into poverty in Debanandapur, Hooghly, India...
's novel of the same name
Devdas
Devdas is a Bengali Romance novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Essentially, it is a retelling of the Krishna, Radha, and Meera myths, the relationships between its three protagonists - Devdas, Parvati, and Chandramukhi - paralleling the Hindu deities'.-Plot summary:Devdas is a young man from...
. She played the role of Paro (Parvati), the love interest of the protagonist, played by Khan. The film received a special screening at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival
2002 Cannes Film Festival
The 2002 Cannes Film Festival started on 15 May and ran until 26 May. The Palme d'Or went to the Polish-French-German-British co-produced film The Pianist directed by Roman Polanski.-Jury:* David Lynch * Sharon Stone* Michelle Yeoh...
. It became the highest-grossing film of the year in India and overseas, earning a revenue of Rs domestically. Devdas won numerous awards, including 10 Filmfare Awards, and Rai received her second Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance.
Professional setback (2003–05)
In 2003 she acted in Rituparno GhoshRituparno Ghosh
Rituparno Ghosh is a Bengali film director. He has won 8 National Film Awards in India and several awards at international film festivals abroad.- Early life and background :...
's Bengali film Chokher Bali
Chokher Bali (film)
Chokher Bali is a Bengali film based on the novel Chokher Bali by Rabindranath Tagore. It was directed by Rituparno Ghosh in 2003 and stars Prasenjit as Mahendra, Aishwarya Rai as Binodini and Raima Sen as Ashalata. Ashalata and Binodini refer to each other as Chokher Bali...
, an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
's novel of the same name
Chokher Bali
Chokher Bali , literally Sand of the Eye, equivalent to eyesore, is a Bengali novel written by Rabindranath Tagore in the early twentieth century.-Plot:...
. She portrays the character of a young woman called Binodini, who is left on her own when her sickly husband dies soon after they are married. That year she appeared in the Bollywood film Dil Ka Rishta
Dil Ka Rishta
Dil Ka Rishta is a Bollywood movie, directed by Naresh Malhotra and produced by Aditya Rai, Aishwarya Rai's brother; it was released on 17 January 2003 in India.-Plot:...
, with Arjun Rampal
Arjun Rampal
Arjun Rampal , born 26 November 1972, is an award-winning Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films, as well as a fashion model.- Film career :...
, and Rohan Sippy
Rohan Sippy
Rohan Sippy is an Indian film director and producer who has directed three films: Kuch Naa Kaho , Bluffmaster! and Dum Maaro Dum . He is the son of Ramesh Sippy, the director of the Hindi blockbuster film Sholay, and grandson of producer G. P. Sippy...
's Kuch Na Kaho, alongside Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan is an Indian actor and producer. He is the son of Indian actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and is married to actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai....
, neither of which fared well at the box office.
In 2004 she appeared alongside Martin Henderson
Martin Henderson
Martin Henderson is a New Zealand actor, well known to American audiences for his starring role in the ABC TV series Off the Map, while remaining known in his home country for his teenage role as Stuart Neilson in the soap opera Shortland Street.-Life and career:Henderson was born in Auckland, New...
in Bride and Prejudice
Bride and Prejudice
Bride and Prejudice is a 2004 romantic musical film directed by Gurinder Chadha. The screenplay by Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges is a Bollywood-style adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It was filmed primarily in English, with some Hindi and Punjabi dialogue. The film released in...
, Gurinder Chadha
Gurinder Chadha
Gurinder Chadha , OBE, is a British film director of Indian origin. Most of her films explore the lives of Indians living in the United Kingdom. She is best known for the hit films Bhaji on the Beach , Bend It Like Beckham , Bride and Prejudice and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging...
's Bollywood-style English adaptation of Jane Austen's
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England...
. She played Lalita Bakshi, the film's version of Austen's character Elizabeth Bennet
Elizabeth Bennet
Elizabeth Bennet, later Elizabeth Darcy, is the protagonist in the 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. She is often referred to as Eliza or Lizzy by her friends and family...
. Based on 131 reviews, the film has a rating of 64 percent at the review website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. She played a negative role for the first time in Rajkumar Santoshi
Rajkumar Santoshi
Rajkumar Santoshi is a Filmfare award-winning Indian film director and producer of Hindi films. He is the son of producer-director P.L. Santoshi.-Career:...
's Khakee
Khakee
Khakee is a 2004 Bollywood action film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and written by Santoshi and Shridhar Raghavan about corruption and law and order in India. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan, Atul Kulkarni, Prakash Raj, Aishwarya Rai, Tusshar Kapoor, Tanuja, and...
, which also featured Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
, Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar is an Indian film actor, producer and martial artist who has appeared in over a hundred Hindi films. When he began his acting career in the 1990s, he primarily starred in action films and was particularly known for his appearances in feature films commonly called the "Khiladi series",...
, Ajay Devgan
Ajay Devgan
Ajay Devgan , born Vishal Veeru Devgan on 2 April 1969, is an Indian film actor, director, and producer.He made his film debut with Phool Aur Kaante in 1991 and received a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance in the film and for which he won a Filmfare Best Debut Award...
, and Jayapradha. In the same year she worked with director Rituparno Ghosh for the second time, in Raincoat
Raincoat (film)
Raincoat is a 2004 Hindi film directed by Rituparno Ghosh, and starring Ajay Devgan and Aishwarya Rai. It tells the story of two lovers, separated by destiny, who meet again one day. This encounter allows each to realize the truth about the lives they are living...
, where she starred alongside Ajay Devgan
Ajay Devgan
Ajay Devgan , born Vishal Veeru Devgan on 2 April 1969, is an Indian film actor, director, and producer.He made his film debut with Phool Aur Kaante in 1991 and received a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance in the film and for which he won a Filmfare Best Debut Award...
. The film was highly acclaimed by critics, with Rai receiving rave reviews for her performance.
In 2005 she appeared in Shabd
Shabd (film)
Shabd is a 2005 Bollywood movie produced by Pritish Nandy Communications, and directed by Leena Yadav. It stars Sanjay Dutt, Aishwarya Rai and Zayed Khan. The film got good reviews but failed at the Box Office...
, a film based on a love triangle
Love triangle
A love triangle is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third, it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to the other two...
, alongside Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt is an Indian Hindi film actor and politician. Dutt, son of Hindi film actors Sunil and Nargis Dutt, made his acting debut in 1981.-Personal life:...
and Zayed Khan
Zayed Khan
-Early life:Khan's parents are former Bollywood actor Sanjay Khan and interior designer Zarine Khan. Khan is the youngest of four children. His older sisters are Simone Khan , Sussanne Roshan , and Farah Khan Ali...
. The film was unsuccessful at the box office; it received average reviews from critics. Her next release was Paul Mayeda Berges
Paul Mayeda Berges
Paul Mayeda Berges is an American screenwriter and director.Of Japanese ancestry, Berges graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 1990. He has collaborated with his wife, British-Indian director Gurinder Chadha, on a number of films...
's The Mistress of Spices
The Mistress of Spices (film)
The Mistress of Spices is a film by Paul Mayeda Berges, with a screenplay by Gurinder Chadha and Berges. It is based upon the novel The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. The film stars Aishwarya Rai...
, based on the novel of the same name
Mistress of Spices
The Mistress of Spices, , set in contemporary Oakland, California, is a novel by Indian American writer and University of Houston Creative Writing Program professor Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.-Plot summary:...
by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an Indian-American author, poet, and the Betty and Gene McDavid Professor of Writing at the University of Houston Creative Writing Program....
, in which she starred alongside Dylan McDermott
Dylan McDermott
Mark Anthony McDermott , better known by his professional name of Dylan McDermott, is an American actor, known for his role as lawyer and law firm head Bobby Donnell on the television legal drama The Practice and his role in the series Dark Blue as Lt. Carter Shaw. McDermott currently stars in FX...
. The film received negative reviews from critics, and was a commercial failure. The same year she made a special appearance in a hugely popular seven-minute dance sequence for the song "Kajra Re", with Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, in Shaad Ali
Shaad Ali
-Early life:Shaad Ali was born to Muzaffar Ali and Subhashini Ali née Sehgal, an Indian politician and member of the Communist Party of India ). He is thus the grandson of Azad Hind Fauj commander Lakshmi Sahgal...
's Bunty Aur Babli
Bunty Aur Babli
Bunty Aur Babli , released in 2005, is an Indian Bollywood film directed by Shaad Ali and starring Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan. It was the first film to feature both Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan, and featured guest appearances by Aishwarya Rai and Tania...
.
Recent work (2006–present)
In 2006 Rai portrayed the title role in J P Dutta's Umrao JaanUmrao Jaan (2006 film)
Umrao Jaan is a Bollywood film about the famous courtesan of the title. Aishwarya Rai stars in the lead role. The film is directed by J.P...
, the story of a courtesan
Courtesan
A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
and poetess from 19th-century Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
. The movie is the second adaptation of the Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada
Umrao Jaan Ada
Umrao Jaan Ada is an Urdu novel by Mirza Hadi Ruswa , first published in 1899. It is considered the first Urdu novel by many and tells the story of a courtesan and poetess by the same name from 19th century Lucknow, as recounted by her to the author.-History and theme:According to the novel, the...
(1905), by Mirza Hadi Ruswa
Mirza Hadi Ruswa
Mirza Muhammad Hadi Ruswa was an Urdu poet and writer of fiction, plays, and treatises . He remained on the Nizam of Awadh's advisory board on language matters for years...
. Rai's work received mixed reviews, and the film was a critical and commercial failure. Critics particularly felt the new version is poor when compared to the acclaimed 1981 version by Muzaffar Ali
Muzaffar Ali
Rajah Muzaffar Ali is an Indian film-maker, a fashion designer, a poet, an artist, a music-lover, a revivalist, and a social worker.He belongs to a Royal Muslim Rajput family of Kotwara. He is not to be confused with the famous 16th century Persian artist of the Persian miniature.Muzaffar Ali was...
, which starred Rekha in the title role. BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
critic Poonam Joshi wrote, "While only Aishwarya could emulate the grace and poise of Rekha, she doesn't quite capture the intensity of Umrao's abiding melancholy", commenting that "her incandescent beauty and artistry... does indeed keep the audience watching, though not necessarily emotionally engaged." Later that year she appeared as a master thief, Sunheri, in the Yash Raj Films
Yash Raj Films
Yash Raj Films is an Indian Entertainment company set up by Yash Chopra, an Indian film director and producer who is considered an entertainment mogul in India.-Initial years:...
production of Dhoom 2
Dhoom 2
Dhoom 2: Back In Action is a 2006 Bollywood action film directed by Sanjay Gadhvi and produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra at an estimated budget of Rs 350 million. It is the second film in the Dhoom series. Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra star in the film as buddy cops Jai Dixit and Ali,...
, directed by Sanjay Gadhvi
Sanjay Gadhvi
Sanjay Gadhvi 22 November 1965 is an Indian writer and director belongs to Surendranagar in Gujarat.Hise was born to Manubhai Gadhvi, a renowned and much revered speaker, socialite and orator. His father also tried films during his young age, afterwards he quit films and focused on social work.He...
. The ensemble cast included Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.After having appeared in films as a child actor in the 1980s, Roshan made his film debut in a leading role in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai for which Roshan earned his Filmfare Awards for Best Actor and Best Male Debut...
, Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu
Bipasha Basu
Bipasha Basu is an Indian actress who mainly appears in Bollywood films. A former model, she was the winner of the Ford's Godrej Cinthol Supermodel contest in 1996.-Early life:...
, and Uday Chopra
Uday Chopra
Uday Chopra is a Bollywood actor, producer, and assistant director.He is the son of Yash Chopra and brother of Aditya Chopra, and worked as assistant director on a number of his father's and brother's movies under the Yash Raj Films banner. In 1994 Chopra produced Yeh Dillagi starring Akshay...
. The movie was a blockbuster
Blockbuster (entertainment)
Blockbuster, as applied to film or theatre, denotes a very popular or successful production. The entertainment industry use was originally theatrical slang referring to a particularly successful play but is now used primarily by the film industry...
, and became the highest grossing film of the year in India, earning revenues of over Rs domestically. A controversy arose regarding a scene containing a kiss between her and Hrithik Roshan. Rai's performance received mostly negative reviews, with a reviewer on Rediff.com writing, "Ash's character too is all gloss and no depth. You seldom feel any tension in her behaviour and expressions as she accompanies the master thief on potentially dangerous missions. 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. There is no sensuality any more, and half an hour later, one wonders what made the master thief fall for her." Nonetheless, her performance earned her a sixth nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award.
In 2007 she appeared in Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He made his directorial debut with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi starring Anil Kapoor in 1983...
's Guru as Sujata. Speculated to be based on the life of Indian businessman Dhirubhai Ambani
Dhirubhai Ambani
Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani also known as Dhirubhai, was an Indian-Gujarati business magnate and entrepreneur who founded Reliance Industries, a petrochemicals, communications, power, and textiles conglomerate and the only privately owned Indian company in the Fortune 500. Ambani took his company...
, it is a rag to riches story about an ambitious small-town man who ends up as the owner of the biggest corporation in India. The film premièred at the Elgin Theatre
Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres
The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres are a pair of stacked theatres in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Winter Garden theatre is seven stories above the Elgin Theatre....
in Toronto, Canada, the first Indian film to have a mainstream international premiere in that country. The film was critically acclaimed, and performed well at the box office. Critical reception for Rai was mixed. While Nikhat Kazmi
Nikhat Kazmi
Nikhat Kazmi is a senior correspondent and well-known film critic from India, who has been writing for The Times of India, since 1987.-Books:* If Shakespeare was a gun: a play. Writers Workshop, 1984....
from The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
wrote that she is "just okay, and fails to register the growth in her character", Rediff.com's Raja Sen described it as "arguably her finest performance, visible especially when she takes over the film's climax." Rai received her seventh Filmfare nomination for Best Actress for her performance. In the same year she starred alongside Naveen Andrews
Naveen Andrews
Naveen William Sidney Andrews is a British American actor. He is best known for portraying Kip in the movie The English Patient and Sayid Jarrah on the American television series Lost.-Early life:...
and Miranda Richardson
Miranda Richardson
Miranda Jane Richardson is an English stage, film and television actor. She has been nominated for two Academy Awards, and has won two Golden Globes and a BAFTA during her career....
in Jag Mundhra
Jag Mundhra
Jagmohan "Jag" Mundhra was an Indian filmmaker best known for his early career as an American exploitation film writer-director and his later career as maker of such issue-oriented films as Bawandar and Provoked.-Early life:Mundhra was born at Nagpur, and grew up in a Marwari locality in Calcutta,...
's British film Provoked
Provoked (film)
Provoked is a 2007 UK based English language film, directed by Jag Mundhra. It stars Aishwarya Rai, Naveen Andrews, Miranda Richardson, Robbie Coltrane, Nandita Das and Steve McFadden. The film is loosely based on the true story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia who killed her abusive husband.Cinematography...
, as Kiranjit Ahluwalia
Kiranjit Ahluwalia
Kiranjit Ahluwalia is an Indian woman who came to international attention after burning her husband to death in 1989 in response to ten years of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse...
, an Non-resident Indian woman who kills her abusive husband after facing severe domestic violence. Rai received mostly positive reviews for her portrayal. It was screened in the Marché du Film
Marché du Film
The Marché du Film is the business counterpart of the Cannes Film Festival and the largest film market in the world.It was created in 1959 and it is held annually since then, simultaneously to the Cannes Festival...
Cannes Film Market during the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
2006 Cannes Film Festival
The 2006 Cannes Film Festival ran from May 17, 2006 to May 28, 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over the jury....
. Ahluwalia sat next to Rai during the screening, reportedly holding her hand and sobbing during the most violent scenes. In the same year Rai appeared as a warrior from Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
named Mira in Doug Lefler
Doug Lefler
Doug Lefler is an American film director, screenwriter, film producer and storyboard artist, best known as director of the Dragonheart fantasy adventure film sequel, Dragonheart: A New Beginning, and recently The Last Legion.-Career:...
's epic film
Epic film
An epic is a genre of film that emphasizes human drama on a grand scale. Epics are more ambitious in scope than other film genres, and their ambitious nature helps to differentiate them from similar genres such as the period piece or adventure film...
The Last Legion
The Last Legion
The Last Legion is a 2007 film directed by Doug Lefler. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis and others, it is based on a 2003 Italian novel of the same name written by Valerio Massimo Manfredi...
, alongside Sir Ben Kingsley, Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
, and Thomas Sangster
Thomas Sangster
Thomas Brodie Sangster is an English film and television actor, best known for his roles in Love Actually, Nanny McPhee, The Last Legion, and voice of Ferb Fletcher in Phineas and Ferb.-Personal life:...
. The film was a critical failure.
In 2008 Rai starred alongside Hrithik Roshan in Ashutosh Gowariker
Ashutosh Gowariker
Ashutosh Gowariker is an Indian film director, actor, writer and producer. He is known for directing the films Lagaan , Swades , Jodhaa Akbar , What's Your Raashee and Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey...
's historical drama Jodhaa Akbar. The story is a partly-fictionalised account of the life of Muslim Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, played by Roshan, and his Hindu wife Jodha Bai, played by Rai. The film was a critical and commercial success, earning revenues of over Rs domestically. Rai's performance in the film was praised by critics, with Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand is an Indian film critic and entertainment reporter for CNN-IBN. Masand started his career as an entertainment correspondent at the young age of 16...
writing, "Aishwarya Rai is wonderfully restrained and uses her eyes expertly to communicate so much, making this one of her finest outings on screen". She earned her eighth nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards for her performance. Later that year she co-starred with husband Abhishek Bachchan and father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan in Ram Gopal Verma's Sarkar Raj, a sequel to his previous film, Sarkar
Sarkar (film)
Sarkar is a 2005 Indian dramatic thriller film set in the world of politics and crime, directed by Ram Gopal Varma...
. She plays the CEO of a major power company that is proposing a new power plant in rural Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. The film was a critical and commercial success.
In 2009 she appeared in Harald Zwart
Harald Zwart
Harald Zwart is a Norwegian film director.Although born in the Netherlands, Zwart was raised in Fredrikstad in Norway. As early as age eight, he started making short films. He attended the Dutch Film Academy in Amsterdam where he received great acclaim for his student film Gabriel's Surprise...
's spy comedy film The Pink Panther 2, playing the role of criminology expert Sonia Solandres. Like its predecessor, the sequel received negative reviews from critics, and did a moderate business of $34,590,360 at the U.S box office. In 2010 she collaborated with Mani Ratnam for a bilingual project, two films featuring Rai portraying a character based on the goddess Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
. The films were shot simultaneously, with Rai's role being one of the only roles which were played by the same performer in both versions. Upon release, the project received mixed reviews. Though both her portrayals of Ragini were praised, the Hindi version—Raavan
Raavan
Raavan is a 2010 Hindi film directed, written and produced by Mani Ratnam. It stars Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Vikram in the lead roles while Govinda, Ravi Kishan, Nikhil Dwivedi, Tejaswini Kolhapure and Priyamani feature in key supporting roles...
, alongside Abhishek Bachchan—failed commercially, whilst the Tamil version—Raavanan—was successful. The Hindi version of the film got decent reviews in various US media, including the New York Times and Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, with the former saying, "Raavan has Bollywood glamour aplenty, with the lovely if occasionally dramatically challenged Aishwarya Rai Bachchan", and the latter describing Rai as a scene-stealer.
Rai paired with Rajinikanth in the science fiction Tamil film Enthiran (2010), directed by S. Shankar
S. Shankar
Shankar is an Indian film director and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He made his directional debut in Gentleman for which he was awarded the Filmfare Best Director Award...
. The film—the most expensive ever made in India—was released worldwide in 2010, and is the highest-grossing Indian film when all its versions are totalled. She appeared in Vipul Shah's Action Replayy opposite Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar is an Indian film actor, producer and martial artist who has appeared in over a hundred Hindi films. When he began his acting career in the 1990s, he primarily starred in action films and was particularly known for his appearances in feature films commonly called the "Khiladi series",...
, which received mixed reviews from critics. Rai's final release in 2010 was Guzaarish
Guzaarish
Guzaarish is a 2010 Hindi drama romance film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai in the lead roles. The film is produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ronnie Screwvala under the banner of SLB Films and UTV Motion Pictures.The first look of Guzaarish was...
, her third collaboration with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Hrithik Roshan. The film tells the story of Ethan Mascarenhas (Roshan), a former magician who has been quadriplegic for twelve years; after years of struggle he files an appeal to the court for euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
. Rai played Ethan's strict, devoted, and supportive nurse Sophie D'Souza. The film opened to positive reviews, and Rai's portrayal was praised. According to Nikhat Kazmi, "Aishwarya is a stunning picture of fire and grace, walking away with certain scenes by her sheer vitality." In 2011 she received her ninth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. As of May 2011, she is set to appear in Rajkumar Santoshi's next film, Ladies and Gentlemen
Ladies and Gentlemen (film)
Ladies and Gentlemen is an upcoming Hindi romance comedy film, produced and directed by Rajkumar Santoshi under his new banner named after his mother Rajam Santoshi. It will star supercouple Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan in lead roles. This will be the eighth time the couple is...
, along with Abhishek Bachchan, and in Madhur Bhandarkar
Madhur Bhandarkar
Madhur Bhandarkar is a National Award-winning Indian film director, script writer, and producer. He is best known for his films such as Chandni Bar , Page 3 , Traffic Signal , and Fashion...
's next directorial venture, Heroine
Heroine (film)
Heroine is an upcoming Indian film co - written and directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. The film revolves around the life of a once successful film actress Mahi Khanna, whose career is on the decline...
. The shooting of both films was postponed, due to Rai's pregnancy. She will not appear in Heroine, which is going forward with Kareena Kapoor
Kareena Kapoor
Kareena Kapoor , often informally referred to as Bebo, is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. During her career, Kapoor has received six Filmfare Awards, among nine nominations, and has been noted for her performances in a range of film genres; these include her work from contemporary...
.
Social work
In 1999 Rai participated in a world tour called the Magnificent Five, along with Aamir KhanAamir Khan
Aamir Hussain Khan is an Indian film actor, director and producer who has established himself as one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema....
, Rani Mukerji
Rani Mukerji
Rani Mukerji is an Indian film actress who works in Hindi movies. In the course of her film career, she has received six Filmfare Awards, among twelve nominations....
, Akshaye Khanna
Akshaye Khanna
Akshaye Khanna is a critically acclaimed Indian film actor who works in Hindi cinema. Known for his impeccable acting talent and flawless diction, Khanna has worked with the best names in Indian cinema.- Background :...
, and Twinkle Khanna
Twinkle Khanna
Twinkle Khanna is an Indian film actress who has acted in Bollywood and Telugu films. She is the wife of Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar and the daughter of established actors, Dimple Kapadia and Rajesh Khanna...
. In the same year, she was appointed as Longines
Longines
Longines is a Swiss luxury watchmaker based in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. The company was originally founded by Auguste Agassiz in 1832 and it currently holds the oldest registered logo for a watch company . Longines is currently owned by the Swatch Group.Longines is known for its 'Aviators' watches...
Ambassador of Elegance. In 2003 she became the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. In 2003 she became a global brand ambassador of L'Oreal
L'Oréal
The L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
, alongside Andie Macdowell
Andie MacDowell
Rosalie Anderson "Andie" MacDowell is an American model and actress. She has received the Golden Camera and an Honorary César.-Early life:...
, Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria
Eva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
, and Penelope Cruz
Penélope Cruz
Penélope Cruz Sánchez is a Spanish actress. Signed by an agent at age 15, she made her acting debut at 16 on television and her feature film debut the following year in Jamón, jamón , to critical acclaim...
. Rai is the brand ambassador for The Eye Bank Association of India's nationwide campaign to promote eye donation in India. In 2005 she became a brand ambassador for Pulse Polio
Pulse Polio
Pulse Polio is an immunisation campaign established by the government of India in 1995-96 to eradicate poliomyelitis in India by vaccinating all children under the age of five years against polio virus...
, a campaign established by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
in 1994 to eradicate polio
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
in India. In the same year, Rai was appointed spokesperson for the International Year of Microcredit
International Year of Microcredit
International Year of Microcredit is a special event of the United Nations which took place in the year 2005. The event highlighted microfinance as an instrument for socioeconomic development.The year was launched on November 18, 2004.- Goals :...
, raising awareness of the main goals and priorities of the United Nations' poverty alleviation efforts.
In February 2005 Rai performed alongside other Bollywood stars at the HELP! Telethon Concert, an event to raise money for the victims of the 2004 tsunami earthquake. Along with other members of the Bachchan family
Bachchan Family
The Bachchan family is a prominent Indian family, headed by Amitabh Bachchan, from which many members have participated in the Indian film industry....
, she laid the foundation of a special school for underprivileged girls in Daulatpur village in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
in 2008. Construction is being funded by the Bachchan family, and the school will be named after Rai. She appeared along with various other Bollywood actors at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
in Melbourne. The performance showcased Indian culture as a lead-up to India hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
.
In 2009 Rai was appointed as the first Goodwill Ambassador
Goodwill Ambassador
Goodwill Ambassador is a collective term sometimes used as a substitute honorific title or a title of honor for an Ambassador of Goodwill; but, most appropriately for a generic recognition, it is a job position or description that is usually indicated following the name of the individual recognized...
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
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, but on 76 different developing countries around the world.
Personal life
In 1999 Aishwarya began dating Bollywood actor Salman KhanSalman Khan
Salman Khan is an Indian film actor. He has starred in more than 80 Hindi films.Khan, who made his acting debut with a minor role in the drama Biwi Ho To Aisi with Rekha in a lead role, had his first commercial success with the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya , for which he won a Filmfare Award for...
; their relationship was often reported in the media until the couple separated in 2001. Rai cited "abuse (verbal, physical and emotional), infidelity and indignity" on the part of Khan as reasons for ending the relationship. In a 2009 Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
article, Khan denied ever beating her: "It's not true that I hit a woman."
Rai is married to actor Abhishek Bachchan, they met in 1997. Their engagement was announced on 2007 and later confirmed by his father, Amitabh Bachchan. The couple married on 2007 according to traditional Hindu rites of the Bunt community
Bunt (community)
Bunt , previously spelled Bant, are a community of erstwhile nobility, feudatory and gentry from the region of Tulu Nadu in the south west of India which comprises the districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada in the Indian state of Karnataka and Kasaragod taluk of Kerala...
, to which she belongs. Token North Indian and Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
ceremonies were also performed. The wedding took place in a private ceremony at the Bachchan residence, "Prateeksha", in Juhu, Mumbai. They have been described as a supercouple
Supercouple
A supercouple or super couple is a popular or financially wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or even obsessive fashion...
in the Indian media. Rai is very close to her family and lived with them in Bandra, Mumbai, until her marriage. Rai is Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
and deeply religious.
On 16 November 2011, Abhishek Bachchan announced through his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, that Aishwarya gave birth to a baby girl.
Awards and honours
Aishwarya Rai is a two-time winner of the Filmfare Best Actress AwardFilmfare Best Actress Award
The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954.-Superlatives:...
, and has been nominated for Filmfare Awards
Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...
eleven times. She has won numerous times at the International Indian Film Academy Awards
International Indian Film Academy Awards
The International Indian Film Academy Awards, also known as the IIFA Awards are presented annually by the International Indian Film Academy to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood, the Hindi language film industry. Instituted in 2000, the ceremony is held in...
, Star Screen Awards
Star Screen Awards
The Star Screen Awards is an annual awards ceremony in India honoring professional excellence in film. The nomination and award selection is done by a panel of distinguished professional from the industry itself.- History :...
, Zee Cine Awards
Zee Cine Awards
The Zee Cine Awards or "ZCA" for short is an awards ceremony for the Hindi film industry. It was first held in 1998 in Mumbai. Since then, it has gained substantial popularity as a notable awards ceremony to the Indian population as well as to the viewers of Zee Network.In 2004, the ZCA went...
, and others. In 2009 Rai was awarded the Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
, the fourth-highest Indian civilian award, for her contributions to Indian cinema. In 2001 Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
named Rai among the top five Indian movie stars. In a reader poll conducted by UK's Hello! magazine, she was voted "the most attractive woman of 2003". In the same year, Rai appeared in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's annual "Hot List". In 2004 she was chosen by TIME magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
as one of the world's most influential people, and appeared on the cover of its 2003 Asia edition. In October 2004 a wax figure of Rai was put on display in London's Madame Tussaud's wax museum
Wax museum
A wax museum or waxworks consists of a collection of wax sculptures representing famous people from history and contemporary personalities exhibited in lifelike poses....
. 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
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
in New York.
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
profile on , 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". The same year, a tulip
Tulip
The tulip is a perennial, bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa, which comprises 109 species and belongs to the family Liliaceae. The genus's native range extends from as far west as Southern Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, and Iran to the Northwest of China. The tulip's centre of...
in the Netherlands was named "Aishwarya Rai" after her. Also in 2005, Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
released a limited edition of Barbie
Barbie
Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....
dolls of Aishwarya Rai in the United Kingdom. The British magazine Maxim
Maxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
ranked Rai first on their list of "Hottest Women of India".
Rai appeared on such shows as Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
, and was the first Bollywood personality to appear on Oprah's
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
"Women Across the Globe" segment. In 2005 Harpers and Queen's list of "Most Beautiful Women in The World" ranked her ninth. In May 2006 Aishwarya was featured in People Magazine as one of the "World's Most Beautiful People". The UK magazine Eastern Eye
Eastern Eye (newspaper)
Eastern Eye is a British weekly newspaper. It was created in 1989 and was first published by The Guardian, before becoming a standalone newspaper.The company behind Eastern Eye changed several times since its foundation by Sarwar Ahmed...
ranked her third in the list of "Asia's Sexiest Women" in 2006, and she was ranked eighth in 2009. In 2008 American television channel E!: Entertainment
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
listed Aishwarya's eyes as the sexiest on their Sexiest Body Parts list. In 2009 she made appearances on Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
's show Martha
Martha (TV series)
Martha, also known as The Martha Stewart Show, is an American, weekday one-hour talk show hosted by Martha Stewart. Previously airing in first-run syndication, the show began exclusively airing on cable network Hallmark Channel since September 13, 2010.-History:The program originally debuted on...
and on the The Tyra Banks Show
The Tyra Banks Show
The Tyra Banks Show, also known as and shortened to Tyra or The Tyra Show, is an American talk show hosted by Tyra Banks. The last new episode aired on Friday, May 28, 2010.-2005-2009: Syndication:...
. 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.
In 2009, Rai refused to accept the second-highest Order Of France
Order (decoration)
An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
, Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
, as her father was suffering from a serious illness, and she wanted her whole family to attend the award ceremony. She is the fourth Indian actor—after Sivaji Ganesan
Sivaji Ganesan
Viluppuram Chinnaiahpillai Ganesan Manrayar , commonly known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan , was an Indian stage and film actor active during the latter half of the 20th century. He is one of the most respected film actors in India. He is well known for his versatility and acting skills with...
, Nandita Das
Nandita Das
Nandita Das is an award-winning Indian film actress and director. As an actress, she is known for her performances in Fire , Earth , Bawandar , Kannathil Muthamittal and Aamaar Bhuvan . As a director, she is known for her directorial debut Firaaq , which has won a number of national and...
, and Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan , often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "the King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films....
—to be chosen for the award. Amitabh Bachchan was chosen for another Order Of France
Order (decoration)
An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
, the Legion of Honour. In June 2009 she was declared the Female Star of The Decade at the tenth International Indian Film Academy Awards
2009 IIFA Awards
The 2009 IIFA Awards, officially the 10th International Indian Film Academy Awards and informally known as the Decadial IIFA Awards, were a major film awards ceremony honoring Bollywood films held in The Venetian Macao, Macau from 11 to 13 June 2009.The choosing of Macau as the host city was...
, held in Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
. In December 2010 she was declared the "Actress of the Decade" at the BIG Star Entertainment Awards
BIG Star Entertainment Awards
The Big STAR Entertainment Awards are presented annually by Reliance Broadcast Network Limited in association with Star India to honour personalities from the field of entertainment across movies, music, television, sports, theatre and dance...
. In March 2011 Rai was honoured by Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa at World Kannada Meet (Vishwa Kannada Sammelana) for her contributions to the arts. Later that month she was presented with the "Decade of Global Achievement Honour" by FICCI
FICCI
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry is an association of business organizations in India, headquartered in the national capital New Delhi. FICCI is one of the main organizations to fund and support many governmental and non-governmental educational institutes...
. She attended the 83rd Academy Awards
83rd Academy Awards
The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2010 and took place February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, Academy Awards ...
, along with her husband, Abhishek.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Language | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Iruvar Iruvar Iruvar is a 1997 Tamil film directed, co-written, and co-produced by Mani Ratnam, with music composed by A. R. Rahman. The film is a fictionalized account of the lives of 1980s Tamil Nadu political icons M. G. Ramachandran and M... |
Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
Pushpa / Kalpana | Dubbed into Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... as Iddaru |
| 1997 | Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya is a 1997 Indian Bollywood film. The film starred Bobby Deol and Aishwarya Rai. This is the first Hindi movie for Aishwarya Rai. The movie also featured two songs by the celebrated Qawwali singer, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Its story is somewhat similar to the 1994 English film "Only... |
Hindi | Ashi Kapoor | |
| 1998 | Jeans Jeans (film) Jeans is a 1998 Tamil musical romance film. Directed and written by Shankar and produced by Ashok Amritraj and Murali Manohar, it stars Prashanth, Aishwarya Rai and Nassar in the lead roles. Raju Sundaram and Lakshmi, prominent actors from the south Indian film industry, played the roles of the... |
Tamil | Madhumita | Dubbed into Telugu and Hindi Hindi Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi... with the same title |
| 1999 | Aa Ab Laut Chalen Aa Ab Laut Chalen Aa Ab Laut Chalen , literally Come, Let's Go Back) is a 1999 Bollywood romantic drama musical directed by Rishi Kapoor and written by Sachin Bhowmick. The film premiered in India and the United States on 22 January 1999. The film starred Akshaye Khanna and Aishwarya Rai in lead roles. This film was... |
Hindi | Pooja | |
| 1999 | Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam The music was composed by Ismail Darbar with lyrics by Mehboob. It received nine Filmfare Awards nominations in the music and singing categories and produced some winners as well.-Track listing:-2000 National Awards:* Best Music Direction - Ismail Darbar... |
Hindi | Nandini | Filmfare Best Actress Award Filmfare Best Actress Award The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954.-Superlatives:... |
| 1999 | Ravoyi Chandamama Ravoyi Chandamama Raavoyi Chandamama is a Telugu language film starring Akkineni Nagarjuna, Anjala Zhaveri, Keerthi Reddy and Jagapati Babu. Aishwarya Rai appears in a song sequence. The film is directed by Jayant Paranji and music is by Mani Sharma.... |
Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... |
Special appearance | |
| 1999 | Taal Taal (film) Taal is a 1999 Hindi film directed by Subhash Ghai. Taal was an official selection by Roger Ebert for his 2005 Overlooked Film Festival. The film stars Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna, Aishwarya Rai, Amrish Puri and Alok Nath. It was also dubbed in Tamil as Thaalam... |
Hindi | Mansi | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actress Award Filmfare Best Actress Award The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954.-Superlatives:... Dubbed into Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... as Thaalam |
| 2000 | Mela Mela (2000 film) * This is the third film to feature real-life brothers Aamir Khan and Faisal Khan. Previously Faisal did cameo roles in Aamir's films Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar .... |
Hindi | Champakali | Guest appearance |
| 2000 | Kandukondain Kandukondain Kandukondain Kandukondain Kandukondain Kandukondain is a 2000 Tamil musical and romantic film based on Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility. Directed and co-written by Rajiv Menon, the film features an ensemble cast of Ajith Kumar, Mammootty, Tabu, Aishwarya Rai and Abbas in the lead roles... |
Tamil | Meenakshi Bala | Dubbed into Telugu as Priyuralu Pilichindi |
| 2000 | Josh | Hindi | Shirley | |
| 2000 | Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai is an Indian Bollywood film directed by Satish Kaushik, released on 24 August 2000. The film stars Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai and Sonali Bendre in lead roles.-Plot:... |
Hindi | Preeti Virat | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actress Award Filmfare Best Actress Award The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954.-Superlatives:... |
| 2000 | Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke | Hindi | Sahiba Grewal | |
| 2000 | Mohabbatein Mohabbatein Mohabbatein , is a 2000 Indian Bollywood film directed by Aditya Chopra. The movie stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan in pivotal roles, along with six young debutantes. Aishwarya Rai appeared in flashbacks as Khan's lover. The movie was filmed at Oxford, England and Longleat... |
Hindi | Megha | Nominated—Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award The Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Awards is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role... |
| 2001 | Albela | Hindi | Sonia | |
| 2002 | Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam | Hindi | Suman | Guest appearance |
| 2002 | Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin Hum Kisise Kum Nahi (2002 film) Hum Kisise Kum Nahin is a 2002 Hindi comedy film directed by David Dhawan and produced by Afzal Khan. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgn, Ashish Vidyarthi, Satish Kaushik and Paresh Rawal.... |
Hindi | Komal Rastogi | |
| 2002 | 23 March 1931: Shaheed | Hindi | Special appearance | |
| 2002 | Devdas Devdas (2002 film) Devdas is a 2002 Bollywood film based on the 1917 Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay novella Devdas. This is the third Hindi version and the first colour film version of the story in Hindi... |
Hindi | Parvati (Paro) | Filmfare Best Actress Award Filmfare Best Actress Award The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954.-Superlatives:... |
| 2002 | Shakti: The Power Shakti (2002 film) Shakti: The Power is a 2002 Bollywood movie. The film stars Karisma Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Sanjay Kapoor in the main roles. Shahrukh Khan has an extended appearance, while Aishwarya Rai has special appearance in an Item number. The movie is a remake of a Telugu film "Antahpuram"... |
Hindi | Herself | Special appearance in song "Ishq Kamina" |
| 2003 | Chokher Bali Chokher Bali (film) Chokher Bali is a Bengali film based on the novel Chokher Bali by Rabindranath Tagore. It was directed by Rituparno Ghosh in 2003 and stars Prasenjit as Mahendra, Aishwarya Rai as Binodini and Raima Sen as Ashalata. Ashalata and Binodini refer to each other as Chokher Bali... |
Bengali Bengali language Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script... |
Binodhini | |
| 2003 | Dil Ka Rishta Dil Ka Rishta Dil Ka Rishta is a Bollywood movie, directed by Naresh Malhotra and produced by Aditya Rai, Aishwarya Rai's brother; it was released on 17 January 2003 in India.-Plot:... |
Hindi | Tia Sharma | |
| 2003 | Kuch Naa Kaho Kuch Naa Kaho Kuch Naa Kaho is an Indian Bollywood movie, directed by Rohan Sippy, starring Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan and Arbaaz Khan... |
Hindi | Namrata Shrivastav | |
| 2004 | Bride & Prejudice | English | Lalita Bakshi | Dubbed into Hindi Hindi Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi... as Balle Balle Amritsar to LA |
| 2004 | Khakee Khakee Khakee is a 2004 Bollywood action film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and written by Santoshi and Shridhar Raghavan about corruption and law and order in India. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan, Atul Kulkarni, Prakash Raj, Aishwarya Rai, Tusshar Kapoor, Tanuja, and... |
Hindi | Mahalakshmi | |
| 2004 | Kyun...! Ho Gaya Na | Hindi | Diya Malhotra | |
| 2004 | Raincoat Raincoat (film) Raincoat is a 2004 Hindi film directed by Rituparno Ghosh, and starring Ajay Devgan and Aishwarya Rai. It tells the story of two lovers, separated by destiny, who meet again one day. This encounter allows each to realize the truth about the lives they are living... |
Hindi | Neerja | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actress Award Filmfare Best Actress Award The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954.-Superlatives:... |
| 2005 | Shabd Shabd (film) Shabd is a 2005 Bollywood movie produced by Pritish Nandy Communications, and directed by Leena Yadav. It stars Sanjay Dutt, Aishwarya Rai and Zayed Khan. The film got good reviews but failed at the Box Office... |
Hindi | Antara Vashist/Tammana | |
| 2005 | Bunty Aur Babli Bunty Aur Babli Bunty Aur Babli , released in 2005, is an Indian Bollywood film directed by Shaad Ali and starring Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan. It was the first film to feature both Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan, and featured guest appearances by Aishwarya Rai and Tania... |
Hindi | Special appearance in the song "Kajra Re" | |
| 2005 | Mistress of Spices The Mistress of Spices (film) The Mistress of Spices is a film by Paul Mayeda Berges, with a screenplay by Gurinder Chadha and Berges. It is based upon the novel The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. The film stars Aishwarya Rai... |
English | Tilo | |
| 2006 | Umrao Jaan Umrao Jaan (2006 film) Umrao Jaan is a Bollywood film about the famous courtesan of the title. Aishwarya Rai stars in the lead role. The film is directed by J.P... |
Hindi | Umrao Jaan | |
| 2006 | Dhoom 2 Dhoom 2 Dhoom 2: Back In Action is a 2006 Bollywood action film directed by Sanjay Gadhvi and produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra at an estimated budget of Rs 350 million. It is the second film in the Dhoom series. Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra star in the film as buddy cops Jai Dixit and Ali,... |
Hindi | Sunehri | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actress Award Filmfare Best Actress Award The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954.-Superlatives:... |
| 2007 | Guru | Hindi | Sujata | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actress Award Filmfare Best Actress Award The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954.-Superlatives:... Dubbed into Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... as Guru and Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... as Gurukanth |
| 2007 | Provoked Provoked (film) Provoked is a 2007 UK based English language film, directed by Jag Mundhra. It stars Aishwarya Rai, Naveen Andrews, Miranda Richardson, Robbie Coltrane, Nandita Das and Steve McFadden. The film is loosely based on the true story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia who killed her abusive husband.Cinematography... |
English | Kiranjit Ahluwalia Kiranjit Ahluwalia Kiranjit Ahluwalia is an Indian woman who came to international attention after burning her husband to death in 1989 in response to ten years of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse... |
Dubbed into Hindi Hindi Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi... with the same title |
| 2007 | The Last Legion The Last Legion The Last Legion is a 2007 film directed by Doug Lefler. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis and others, it is based on a 2003 Italian novel of the same name written by Valerio Massimo Manfredi... |
English | Mira | |
| 2008 | Jodhaa Akbar | Hindi | Jodhaa Bai | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actress Award Filmfare Best Actress Award The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954.-Superlatives:... Dubbed into Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... and Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... with the same title |
| 2008 | Sarkar Raj | Hindi | Anita Rajan | |
| 2009 | The Pink Panther 2 | English | Sonia Solandres | Dubbed into French as La Pantera Rosa 2 |
| 2010 | Raavan Raavan Raavan is a 2010 Hindi film directed, written and produced by Mani Ratnam. It stars Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Vikram in the lead roles while Govinda, Ravi Kishan, Nikhil Dwivedi, Tejaswini Kolhapure and Priyamani feature in key supporting roles... |
Hindi | Ragini Sharma | |
| 2010 | Raavanan | Tamil | Ragini Subramaniam | Dubbed into Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... as Villain |
| 2010 | Enthiran | Tamil | Sana | Dubbed into Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... as Robo and Hindi Hindi Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi... as Robot |
| 2010 | Action Replayy | Hindi | Mala | |
| 2010 | Guzaarish Guzaarish Guzaarish is a 2010 Hindi drama romance film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai in the lead roles. The film is produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ronnie Screwvala under the banner of SLB Films and UTV Motion Pictures.The first look of Guzaarish was... |
Hindi | Sofia D'Souza | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actress Award Filmfare Best Actress Award The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954.-Superlatives:... |
| 2012 | Ladies and Gentlemen Ladies and Gentlemen (film) Ladies and Gentlemen is an upcoming Hindi romance comedy film, produced and directed by Rajkumar Santoshi under his new banner named after his mother Rajam Santoshi. It will star supercouple Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan in lead roles. This will be the eighth time the couple is... |
Hindi |