The Aishwarya Rai Handbook - Everything you need to know about Aishwarya Rai

Smith Emily

Description

Aishwarya Rai (Tulu pronunciation [?j???rja? r?j]; born 1 November 1973), also known as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is an Indian film actress and model. She won the Miss India and Miss World pageants of 1994, and has received two Filmfare Awards, two Screen Awards, and two IIFA Awards for her performances in Hindi films of Bollywood. She is a leading contemporary actress of Indian cinema and is often cited in the media as the "most beautiful woman in the world".

This book is your ultimate resource for Aishwarya Rai. Here you will find the most up-to-date information, photos, and much more.

In easy to read chapters, with extensive references and links to get you to know all there is to know about Aishwarya Rai's Early life, Career and Personal life right away. A quick look inside: Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan, Aditya Chopra, Bachchan family, Enthiran, Heroine (2012 film), Hrithik Roshan, Longines, Priyanka Chopra, Raavan, Raavanan, Ruparel College, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Sarkar (film), Sarkar Raj, Smile Train, Vidya Balan 123…and more pages!

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Sujets

• Biography
• Autobiography

Informations

• Publié par: Emereo Publishing
• Date de parution: 22 février 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781486474073
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 8 Mo

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Contents

Articles Aishwarya Rai Abhishek Bachchan Aditya Chopra Bachchan family Enthiran Heroine (2012 film) Hrithik Roshan Longines Priyanka Chopra Raavan Raavanan

Ruparel College Sanjay Leela Bhansali Sarkar (film) Sarkar Raj Smile Train Vidya Balan

References Article Sources and Contributors Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

Article Licenses License

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135 140

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Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya Rai

Born

Aishwarya Rai

Rai at the world premiere ofRaavanin London, 2010

Residence

Other names

Occupation

Years active

Spouse(s)

Children

Signature

[1] 1 November 1973 Mangalore, Karnataka, India

[2] Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Actress, model

1991–present

Abhishek Bachchan (2007–present)

1

Aishwarya Rai( Tulu pronunciation [əjɕʋərjaːrəj]; born 1 November 1973), also known asAishwarya Rai Bachchan is an Indian film actress and model. She won the Miss India and Miss World pageant of 1994, and has received two Filmfare Awards, two Screen Awards, and two IIFA Awards for her performances in Hindi films of Bollywood. She is a leading contemporary actress of Indian cinema and is often cited in the media as the "most beautiful woman in [3][4][5][6] the world".

Rai made her acting debut in the 1997 biographical filmIruvarand starred in the commercially successful 1998 film Jeans. She received wide public recognition and several Best Actress awards for her leading roles in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 1999 melodramaHum Dil De Chuke Sanamand 2002 period filmDevdas. She gained critical appreciation for her portrayal of Tagore's heroine Binodini in Rituparno Ghosh's 2003 filmChokher Bali, and a depressed woman in Ghosh's 2004 relationship dramaRaincoat. Following a series of commercially unsuccessful films, Rai featured in the 2006 blockbuster adventure filmDhoom 2, the 2008 historical romanceJodhaa Akbar, and the 2010 science fiction filmEnthiran. She garnered wide critical acclaim for her work in Bhansali's 2010 romantic dramaGuzaarish.

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Following a tumultuous relationship with actor Salman Khan, Rai married actor Abhishek Bachchan in 2007. Her off-screen roles include duties as a brand ambassador for several charity organisations and campaigns; she is a Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). She was awarded with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2009, and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France in 2012.

Early life and modeling career [7][8] Rai was born in Mangalore, Karnataka to a family belonging to the Bunt community of Tulu Nadu. Her father, [1] Krishnaraj Rai, is a marine biologist, while her mother, Brindya Rai, is a writer. Her elder brother, Aditya Rai, is [9] an engineer with the merchant navy and the producer of the Hindi filmDil Ka RishtaBorn to(2003, starring Rai). [10] a conservative household, she was raised as a Hindu, a religion she continues to practice. Rai's parents were settled for work in Mumbai, where she did her schooling from Arya Vidya Mandir Secondary [1] [11] School. While in the ninth grade, she appeared in her first modelling assignment for Camlin Pencils. After [12] graduating from secondary school, Rai attended Jai Hind College for a year, and later passed high school from [1][11][13] DG Ruparel College. While at Jai Hind, photographs taken by her English professor (an amateur photographer) were published in a fashion magazine. These pictures were spotted by advertising agencies and she [12] was cast for several television commercials. In 1991, Rai won a supermodel contest (organised by Ford) and was [13][14] eventually featured in the American edition ofVogue. After abandoning an idea to pursue a career in [11] medicine, Rai enrolled for a course in architecture at the Raheja College of Arts. However, she dropped out of [12] college to pursue a full-time career as a model. [14][15] In 1993, Rai gained public recognition for her appearance in a Pepsi commercial with actor Aamir Khan. The [16] following year, Rai stood second at the annual Femina Miss India beauty pageant (losing out to Sushmita Sen). [17][18][19] Rai eventually won the Miss World pageant of 1994 held at Sun City, South Africa.

Acting career

Breakthrough and success (1997–2001) Following a successful modeling career, Rai made her acting debut in 1997 with Mani Ratnam's Tamil filmIruvar, a semi-biographical political drama, featuring Mohanlal, Prakash Raj, Tabu and Revathi. The film was a critical [20] success and among other awards, won the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival Rai featured as Pushpavalli and Kalpana–dual roles; the latter was a fictionalised portrayal of politician and former [21] actress Jayalalithaa. Due to Rai's weak Tamil-speaking skills, her dialogues in the film were dubbed by a dubbing [22] artist. That same year, she was cast as Ashi, a naive teenager in her first Bollywood film–Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya, a romantic comedy opposite Bobby Deol. The film was a commercial failure, and reviewers were critical of the film [14][23] and Rai's acting ability. Rai next appeared in the 1998 big-budget Tamil romantic dramaJeans, directed by S. Shankar and co-starring Prashanth and Nassar. Rai played Madhumita, a young woman who travels to the United States to seek medical [24] attention for her ailing grandmother. A commercial success, the film earned Rai praise for her dancing skills. [25] Unlike inIruvar, Rai practiced and dubbed for her own lines in the film.Jeanswas later submitted as India's [26] official entry to the Academy Awards for 1998. Her first role in 1999 was in the melodramaAa Ab Laut Chalen. [27] Directed by Rishi Kapoor, the film was a critical failure and had a below average performance at the box office. Rai's portrayal of Pooja Walia, a traditional Indian woman living in the United States, met with negative reviews; Rediff.com published, "Aishwarya Rai sports a plastic smile and never gets a scene where she can portray any depth. [28] All she does is cry and smile and look pretty". [29] Her next release, the romantic dramaHum Dil De Chuke Sanam, marked a significant turning point in her career. The film, an adaptation of Maitreyi Devi's Bengali novelNa Hanyate, was directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and

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co-starred Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan. She played the leading role of Nandini, a Gujarati woman who is forced into wedlock (with Devgan's character) despite being in love with another man (played by Khan). TheMovieReport.com praised Rai's performance over her co-actors and noted, "Rai, in a luminous, award-winning performance (largely considered her big dramatic breakthrough--and justifiably so), fills in the conflicted emotional [30] shades that Khan fails to bring with his one-dimensional presence".Hum Dil De Chuke Sanamemerged as a [31] major commercial success and won Rai a Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Rai next took the leading role of Mansi, an aspiring singer, in Subhash Ghai's musicalTaal; alongside Akshaye Khanna, Anil Kapoor, Amrish Puri [32] and Alok Nath. A moderate domestic success,Taalwas notable for being the first Indian film to feature in the top [33][34] twenty listing at the American box-office. Rai received a second Best Actress nomination that year at the Filmfare Awards ceremony. In 2000, Rai starred inKandukondain Kandukondain, a Tamil language adaptation of Jane Austen's novelSense and Sensibility. Directed by Rajiv Menon, the film also starred Tabu, Mammooty and Ajith Kumar in prominent roles. Rai was cast as Meenakshi (based on the character of Marianne Dashwood), the younger sister of Tabu's [35] character. The film was a critical and commercial success and earned Rai positive comments from critics; a review carried byThe Indian Expresssummarised, "Attacking her role with just the perfect dollop of innocence, [36][37][38] Aishwarya does full justice to her part, and matches up perfectly to Tabu.". Rai next starred alongside Shahrukh Khan and Chandrachur Singh in the action dramaJosh. She portrayed Shirley [39] Dias, the sister of Khan's character who falls in love with his arch enemy's brother (played by Singh). The casting of Rai as Khan's sister was considered an unusual pairing at the time; director Mansoor Khan, however, described it [40] as "perfect". Despite earning mixed reviews from film critics,Joshemerged as a moderate commercial [41][42] success. Satish Kaushik's social dramaHamara Dil Aapke Paas Haiwas Rai's next release; she played Preeti Virat, a rape victim, in the film. Co-starring Anil Kapoor and Sonali Bendre, the film was well received by critics. Film critic Sukanya Verma praised Rai's decision to star in the film and added that she "conveys the turmoil and pain of a rape victim well. But it is her transition from an emotional wreck trying to gather the broken pieces of her life [43] [44] back together that is amazing.". Rai eventually earned a third Best Actress nomination at Filmfare. Following a leading role in the box-office flopDhai Akshar Prem Ke, Rai took on a supporting role in Aditya Chopra's ensemble romanceMohabbatein. Rai's role was that of Megha Shankar, the daughter of Amitabh Bachchan's character who commits suicide after a failed romance with one of her father's students (played by Shahrukh Khan). Despite earning mixed reviews from film critics,Mohabbateinemerged as the second highest [42][44][45] grossing film of the year and earned Rai a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination. The following year, she starred alongside Govinda and Jackie Shroff in the romantic comedyAlbela. Upon release, both the film and her performance received mostly negative reviews; Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama criticised the [46] film and mentioned Rai as "plastic in some scenes".

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Devdasand international recognition (2002–07)

After featuring in David Dhawan's slapstick comedy filmHum Kisise Kum Nahin, Rai appeared alongside Shahrukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's love-sagaDevdas, an adaptation of Sharat [47] 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 was screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and was featured byTimein their listing of the "10 best films of the [48][49] millennium". The film emerged as a major international success [50][51] with revenues of over 53 crore (US$9.65 million). Alan Morrison, writing forEmpire, praised the performances of the three leads and wrote, "Aishwarya Rai proves she has the acting talent to [52] back up her flawless looks".Devdaswas chosen as India's official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and received a nomination at the BAFTA Awards in the Best Foreign [53] Language Film category. In India, the film won 10 Filmfare [54] Awards, including a second Best Actress award for Rai.

Rai at the 2004 Sangeet Awards ceremony In 2003, Rai featured in two romantic dramas of Bollywood, her brother's production dabutDil Ka Rishta, alongside Arjun Rampal, and [55] Rohan Sippy'sKuch Na Kaho, alongside Abhishek Bachchan. Neither of these films fared well critically or [55][56] commercially. She was later noted for her starring role in Rituparno Ghosh's independent Bengali film [57] Chokher Bali, an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore's novel of the same name. She portrayed the character of [58] Binodini, an emotionally manipulative widow, struggling with her sexual desires in early-20th century Bengal. The film was a major critical success and Rai earned positive notice for her performance; Derek Elley ofVariety [59] noted, "Rai dominates the film with her delicately sensual presence and physical grace". Commercially, the film [60][61] emerged as a sleeper hit.

After the success ofChokher Bali, Rai returned to mainstream Hindi film with Rajkumar Santoshi'sKhakee(2004), a suspense thriller featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan and Tusshar Kapoor. The film tells the story of five constables embroiled in a mystery surrounding a terrorist attack; Rai's role was that of Mahalakshmi, a gun moll. While filming forKhakee, Rai was accidentally hit by a running car, which resulted in the fracture of her [62] [63] left foot. Upon release, the film received moderate critical and commercial success. In her next release, the romantic comedyKyun! Ho Gaya Na..., Rai played Diya Malhotra, a university student who develops a one-sided attraction toward her friend Arjun Khanna (played by Vivek Oberoi). The film received positive to mixed comments [64][65] from critics, but failed commercially. In late 2004, Rai garnered international recognition for her starring role opposite Martin Henderson in Gurinder Chadha's British filmBride and Prejudice, a Bollywood-style adaptation of Jane Austen's novelPride and Prejudice. International film critics were appreciative of Rai's "beauty" but questioned her acting abilities; a review carried by [66] The New York TimesWith a worldwide gross of $24 millionmentioned her as "radiantly beautiful but inert". [67] against a production budget of $7 million,Bride and PrejudiceRai nextproved a commercial success. collaborated with director Rituparno Ghosh, for the second time, in the relationship dramaRaincoat, an adaptation of O. Henry'sThe Gift of the Magi. Also featuring Ajay Devgan,Raincoatmet with wide critical acclaim and among [68] other wins, won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.The Hindunoted, "[A]s Neerja, [Rai] appears to have shed her inhibitions about looking unglamorous. What is more, she seems to have made an earnest [69] effort to emote, using less of her body and limbs and more of her face, and eyes in particular". She eventually received another Best Actress nomination at Filmfare.

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Rai next co-starred alongside Sanjay Dutt and Zayed Khan in the 2005 adult dramaShabd, which tells the story of an author who convinces his wife to pursue an illicit relationship with a younger man in research for his next book. The film received predominantly negative reviews and proved a commercial failure.The Times of Indiaconcluded, "For the umpteenth time, Ms Rai looks drop-dead gorgeous. And that's about it. She is like that picture postcard you get when what you were actually waiting for is a letter. It's very beautiful to look at, but is of no use because it says [70] nothing." That same year, Rai took on the lead role of Tilo in Paul Mayeda Berges's romantic fantasy filmThe Mistress of Spices, an adaptation of the novel of the [71] same name by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. The film received unanimous [72][73] negative reviews from film critics and emerged as a commercial [74] failure. Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardiantermed Rai's performance as [75] "annoying" and wrote that she "wafts and simpers" through the entire film. Rai's only successful venture of 2005 was a special appearance in Shaad Ali's comedyBunty Aur Babli, in which she featured in the publicly popular item [76][77] numberKajra Re.

Rai had two film releases in 2006, J P Dutta'sUmrao Jaanand Yash Raj Films' Dhoom 2. The former film, an adaptation of Mirza Hadi Ruswa's Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada(1905), tells the story of a doomed courtesan from 19th-century Lucknow. Rai played the titular role, a character famously played by Rekha in Rai in 2007 the first film adaptation of the novel. Reviewers, while comparing the film to its previous adaptation, were critical of the film as well as of Rai's performance. BBC noted, "While only Aishwarya could emulate the grace and poise of Rekha, she doesn't quite capture the intensity of Umrao's abiding melancholy", adding that "Rai's incandescent beauty and artistry [..] does indeed keep [78] the audience watching, though not necessarily emotionally engaged."

In the Sanjay Gadhvi-directed adventure filmDhoom 2, Rai portrayed Sunehri, a small-time thief who helps the police catch an illusive criminal; the film had an ensemble cast including Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, [79] Bipasha Basu, and Uday Chopra. Though critically unsuccessful, the film was Rai's first major commercial success sinceDevdas; the film was declared a blockbuster, and became the highest grossing Indian film of 2006 with [80] gross revenues of over 111 crore (US$20.2 million). Rediff.com commented, "[She] is all gloss and no depth. You seldom feel any tension in her behaviour and expressions. [..] Sunehri enters the film nearly 50 minutes after its opening in a disguise. In no time, she is wearing the flimsiest of clothes. Once she opens her mouth—and she does it [81] two minutes after appearing in the film—she spoils the image." Nonetheless, her performance earned her a sixth Filmfare Award nomination in the Best Actress category. In 2007, Rai featured as the wife of Abhishek Bachchan's character in Mani Ratnam's social dramaGuru. A fictionalised biography of businessman Dhirubhai Ambani,Gurutells the rag to riches story of an uneducated man who builds a multinational corporation. The film met with international critical acclaim and emerged as a box-office [82] success. Critical reception for Rai's performance, however, was mixed; Richard Corliss ofTimeexpressed doubt on Rai's acting potential and labelled her character as an "ornament", but Raja Sen described it as "her finest [83][84] performance, visible especially when she takes over the film's climax." Rai received her seventh Best Actress nomination at Filmfare for her performance in the film. Rai next starred alongside Naveen Andrews and Miranda Richardson in Jag Mundhra's independent British drama Provoked, as the real-life character of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, a non-resident Indian who murders her husband after [85] suffering from years of domestic abuse. Rai earned positive to mixed comments for her performance; critic Indu Mirani wrote, "Aishwarya Rai plays the battered wife in what is undoubtedly one of her best performances to date. [86] Rai convincingly goes through the various stages of shock, bewilderment, remorse and finally vindication". [87][88] Internationally well-received, the film emerged as a moderate commercial success in the United Kingdom.

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That same year, Rai starred as Mira, an Indian warrior in Doug Lefler's epic filmThe Last Legion. Starring alongside [89] Sir Ben Kingsley, Colin Firth, and Thomas Sangster, the film proved a major critical and commercial failure.New [90] York Daily Newsnoted, "[T]hough Rai may be the most beautiful woman in the world, [..] she's no actress."

Jodhaa Akbarand beyond (2008–present)

After a series of films that under-performed either critically or commercially, Rai garnered both critical and box-office success with Ashutosh Gowariker's period romanceJodhaa Akbar(2008). The film narrates a partly fictionalised account of a marriage of convenience between the Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar (played by Hrithik Roshan) and the Rajput princess Jodha Bai (played by Rai). Rajeev Masand noted, "Aishwarya Rai is wonderfully restrained and uses her eyes expertly to communicate so much, making this one of her [91] finest outings on screen". The film had gross earnings of 112 crore (US$20.38 million) and fetched Rai a Best Actress nomination at the [92] Filmfare Awards ceremony. She then co-starred with her husband, Abhishek Bachchan, and her father-in-law, Amitabh Bachchan, in Ram Gopal Verma's political dramaSarkar Raj, a sequel to the 2005 [93] box-office hitSarkar. Rai was cast as Anita Rajan, the CEO of an Rai at a promotional event forRaavan, 2010 international power firm who proposes to set up a plant in rural Maharashtra. The film was a critical and commercial success, with praise directed to the performances of the three [94][95] leads.

Rai's next role was in the 2009 Harald Zwart-directed spy comedyThe Pink Panther 2. Starring alongside Steve Martin, Jean Reno and Emily Mortimer, Rai portrayed the role of Sonia Solandres, a seductive criminology expert. [96] Like its predecessor, the sequel received negative reviews from critics, but did a moderate business of $34 million [97] at the American box office. Roger Ebert wrote, "Rai is breathtaking in Bollywood films, where they devote a [98] great deal of expertise to admiring beauty, but here's she's underutilized and too much in the background";USA Todaymentioned her expressions as "wooden" and added, "She looks gorgeous, but her expression rarely [99] changes". In 2010, Rai was cast by Mani Ratnam in his bilingual modern-day adaptation of the Indian epicRamayana. Her role was that of Ragini (modeled on Sita, the heroine ofRamayana), a woman married to the superintendent of police, who is kidnapped by a bandit. The Hindi version (Raavan) and the Tamil version (Raavanan) of the film were shot [100] simultaneously and Rai played the same role in both the film versions. The films received polarising reviews from film critics; writing forDaily News and Analysis, Aniruddha Guha criticised the Hindi version and added, "[Rai's] character screeches and moans and cries and winces and none of that makes you sympathise with her. If only she could have cut down on the histrionics and kept it more subtle, she might have even picked up a couple of [101] [102] awards." Commercially,Raavananemerged as a success whileRaavanflopped. Rai's next role was opposite Rajinikanth in the science fiction Tamil filmEnthiran(2010), directed by S. [103] Shankar. She was cast as Sana, a college student and the girlfriend of Rajnikanth's character. At the time of release,Enthiranwas the most expensive Indian film production and eventually emerged as one of the [104][105][106] highest-grossing Indian films of all time. She then appeared as Mala, an impetuous brat, in Vipul Shah's Action Replayy; a science fiction comedy co-starring Akshay Kumar, Aditya Roy Kapoor and Neha Dhupia. Upon [107] release, the film met with largely negative reviews and proved an economic failure. Rai's final film of 2010 was the dramaGuzaarish; her third collaboration with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and [108] actor Hrithik Roshan. The film tells the story of Ethan Mascarenas, a former magician (played by Roshan) suffering from quadriplegia, who after years of struggle, files an appeal for euthanasia. Rai's role was that of Sophia

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D'Souza, Mascarenas' nurse, who is abused by her alcoholic husband. Despite flopping at the box-office,Guzaarish met with positive critical comments.The Telegraghdescribed it to be Rai's "best performance" andThe Times of Indiasummarised, "Aishwarya is a stunning picture of fire and grace, walking away with certain scenes by her sheer [109][110] vitality." In 2011, Rai was cast as the protagonist of Madhur Bhandarkar's social dramaHeroine; however, [111][112] due to her pregnancy, Rai was replaced by actor Kareena Kapoor, the original choice for the role.

Off-screen work

Stage performances Rai has taken part in several stage shows and world tours since 2001. Her first world tour, a series of concerts called Craze 2001, was performed across the U.S. alongside Anil Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Priety Zinta and Gracy Singh. The show faced early cancellation due to the 11 September 2001 attacks, and the team prepared to return to India as soon [113] as possible. However, the shows continued successfully in Canada. In 2002, she participated in the showFrom India With Lovein the UK, along with Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan and Priety Zinta. It took [114] place at two outdoor venues, Manchester's Old Trafford and London's Hyde Park, with over 100,000 spectators. In the summer of 2008,Rai, her husband Abhishek Bachchan, her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan, and actors Preity Zinta, Ritesh Deshmukh, and Madhuri Dixit starred in the "Unforgettable World Tour" stage production. The first leg covered the USA, Canada, Trinidad, and London, England. Rai is also involved in the functional and administrative operations of her father-in-law's company, originally known as ABCL, and rechristened as AB Corp. Ltd. That company, along with Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., developed the Unforgettable [115] production.

Social work In 1999 Rai participated in a world tour called theMagnificent Five, along with Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Akshaye [116] [117] Khanna, and Twinkle Khanna. In the same year, she was appointed as Longines Ambassador of Elegance. In [118] 2003 she became the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2003 she became a [119][120] global brand ambassador of L'Oraal, alongside Andie MacDowell, Eva Longoria, and Penalope Cruz. Rai is the brand ambassador for The Eye Bank Association of India's nationwide campaign to promote eye donation in [121] India. In 2005 she became a brand ambassador for Pulse Polio, a campaign established by the Government of [122] 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 [123][124] efforts. In February 2005 Rai performed alongside other Bollywood stars at theHELP! Telethon Concert, an event to raise [125] 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. [126] 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 [127] Games.

Humanitarian work [128] [129] Aishwarya is a UN Microcredit Spokesperson She supports PETA India She pledged to donate her eyes to [130] the Eye Bank Association of India, and appeared in a public awareness film on eye donation. In November 2004, [131] Aishwara Rai created the Aishwarya Rai Foundation to help needy people in India. 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

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[132][133] around the world. In September 2012, Rai had joined United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and renowned Hollywood actor Michael Douglas at a ceremony to commemorate the International Day of Peace in New [134] York. Later that week, she was appointed as the new international Goodwill Ambassador for UNAIDS, the joint United Nations programme on AIDS and HIV. She will raise global awareness on protecting children from HIV [135] infection and increasing access to antiretroviral treatment.

Endorsements Rai made her first commercial for Camlin pencils when she was in the 9th grade. Rai became popular after appearing [11] in a Pepsi commercial with actor Aamir Khan. She is the only female actor to have endorsed both Pepsi and [136] Coca-Cola. She is one of the top brand ambassadors in the country and is one of the top paid Bollywood [137] [138] [139] actresses in this respect. She modelled for Titan Watches, Longines watches, L'Oraal, Coca-Cola, [140] [141] [142] Lakma Cosmetics, Casio pager, Philips, Palmolive, Lux, Fuji films, Nakshatra Diamond Jewellery, and [143] [141] Kalyan Jewellers. She was named the official brand ambassador for De Beers diamonds in India. Rai has been ranked the 2nd most popular watch brand ambassador worldwide in a survey, conducted by World Watch [144] Report.

Personal life

In 1999, Rai began dating Bollywood actor Salman Khan; 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 [145] relationship. In a 2009Times of Indiaarticle, Khan denied ever [146] beating her: "It's not true that I hit a woman." [147] Rai is married to actor Abhishek Bachchan, they met in 1997. Their engagement was announced on 14 January 2007 and later [148] confirmed by his father, Amitabh Bachchan. The couple married Rai and Abhishek at their wedding ceremony on 20 April 2007 according to traditional Hindu rites of the Bunt [149] community, to which she belongs. Token North Indian and Bengali ceremonies were also performed. The [149] wedding took place in a private ceremony at the Bachchan residence, "Prateeksha", in Juhu, Mumbai. They have [150][151] been described as a supercouple in the Indian media. Rai is very close to her family and lived with them in [152][153][154] [4] Bandra, Mumbai, until her marriage. Rai is Hindu and deeply religious. [155] Rai gave birth to a baby girl on 16 November 2011. Her daughter became quite popular by the name of "Beti B" which was christened by the fans and the media, since the couple took over four months to name their daughter. The [156] baby girl was finally named as Aaradhya Bachchan in March 2012.

In the media Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has become one of the most admired and revered women in India, and in the [36][157][158] [159][160] world. Mass media has described her as dignified, statuesque, beautiful and charismatic person. [161] Despite constant media speculation, she has always managed to keep her personal life well-guarded. Her beauty [162] [163] and performances have made her as a style icon for young women. Over 17,000 websites dedicated to her, [164] [165] she was selected byVerve MagazineIn 2001 Forbesits list of the country's most powerful women.  in [166] named Rai among the top five Indian movie stars. In a reader poll conducted by UK'sHello!magazine, she was [167] voted "the most attractive woman of 2003". In the same year, Rai appeared inRolling Stonemagazine's annual [168] "Hot List". In 2004 she was chosen byTIMEmagazine as one of the world's most influential people, and [169][170][171] appeared on the cover of its 2003 Asia edition. In October 2004 a wax figure of Rai was put on display

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