Aishwarya Rai (Kannada: ಐಶ್ವರ್ಯಾ ರೈ, Hindi: ऐश्वर्या राय; born on November 1 1973) is an actress from India. Born in Mangalore, a South Indian state of Karnataka, she got her start in Bollywood films, but is now getting international exposure with films such as 2004's Bride & Prejudice, with Martin Henderson .

This former architecture major became one of India's best-known models, even appearing in Vogue Magazine. She won the Miss World contest in 1994 at the age of twenty-one. On the crest of the ensuing publicity, she entered films. Her film debut in Mani Rathnam's Iruvar (1997) was a critical success. She soon became on of the highest-paid actresses in Bollywood, racking up hits like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Taal and Devdas. She has also acted in films for the Tamil-speaking regional film industry, such as Kandukondain Kandukondain , and for the Bengali film industry, in Chokher Bali .

Devdas, a lavishly-produced mega-hit, brought her into international limelight. It became the first Bollywood picture to ever receive a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2003 Ash became the first Indian actor to be a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival. She was the subject of a 60 Minutes profile on January 2, 2005; the profile called her "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World". Later in the year she was one of the few Bollywood stars to ever appear on the Late Show by David Letterman. She has even been featured in London's Madame Tussaud's wax museum; she is the only Bollywood actress to attain that sort of celebrity.

Filmography

Aishwarya's films are in Hindi, except where noted below.

• 1991 : Mamaguru by Muthyala Subbaiah
• 1997 : Iruvar by Mani Ratnam
• 1997 : Iddaru by Mani Ratnam
• 1997 : Aur Pyar Ho Gaya by Rahul Rawail
• 1998 : Jeans by S. Shankar
• 1999 : Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
• 1999 : Aa Ab Laut Chalein by Rishi Kapoor
• 1999 : Taal by Subhash Ghai
• 1999 : Ravoyi Chandamama by Jayant Paranji
• 2000 : Mela by Dharmesh Darshan
• 2000 : Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai by Satish Kaushik
• 2000 : Mohabbatein by Aditya Chopra
• 2000 : Dhai Akshar Prem Ke by Raj Kanwa
• 2000 : Josh_movie by Mansoor Khan
• 2000 : Kandukondain Kandukondain by Rajiv Menon (in Tamil)
• 2000 : Sanam Tere Hain Hum by Jayant Paranji
• 2001 : Albela by Deepak Sareen
• 2002 : Devdas by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
• 2002 : Hum Kisise Kum Nahin by David Dhawan
• 2002 : Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam by K.S. Adiyaman
• 2002 : by Guddu Dhanoa
• 2002 : Shakti: The Power by Krishna Vamshi
• 2003 : Kuch Na Kaho by Rohan Sippy
• 2003 : Dil Ka Rishta by Naresh Malhotra
• 2003 : Chokher Bali by Rituparno Ghosh (in Bangla)
• 2003 : Khakee by Rajkumar Santoshi
• 2004 : Kyun...! Ho Gaya Na by Samir Karnik
• 2004 : Bride and Prejudice by Gurinder Chadha (in English)
• 2004 : Raincoat by Rituparno Ghosh
• 2005 : Shabd by Leena Yadav

External links

• Her Official Website
• "The World's Most Beautiful Woman?" - CBS News
• "Aishwarya Rai" - Ask Men