Biography of Mrs. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Aishwarya Rai (born 1 November 1973), known as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan after her marriage, is an Indian actress and the winner of the Miss World pageant of 1994. Through her successful Bollywood career, she has established herself as one the most popular and high-profile celebrities in India. Rai has received several awards, including twoFilmfare Awards from ten nominations. She was awarded the Padma Shri by theGovernment of India in 2009 and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France in 2012. She has been cited in the media as the "most beautiful woman in the world".[2][3][4][5][6][7]
While in college, Rai did a few modelling assignments. Following appearances in several television commercials, she entered into the Miss India pageant, in which she placed second. She was then crowned Miss World 1994, after which she began receiving offers to act in film. She made her acting debut with the 1997 Tamil film Iruvar and had her first Hindi film release in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya the same year. Her first commercial success was the Tamil romantic drama Jeans(1998), following which she achieved wider success and two Best Actress awards atFilmfare for her performances in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) and Devdas (2002). She garnered critical appreciation for portrayingRabindranath Tagore's heroine, Binodini, in the Bengali film Chokher Bali (2003) and a depressed woman in the relationship dramaRaincoat (2004). Rai's greatest commercial successes have been the adventure filmDhoom 2 (2006), the historical romanceJodhaa Akbar (2008), and the science fiction film Enthiran (2010). She also received praise for performing a nurse in the drama Guzaarish(2010).[8][9][10]
Rai's off-screen roles include duties as a brand ambassador for several charity organisations and campaigns. She is aGoodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS).
Off-screen work
Rai at an event for L'Oréal in 2015
Endorsements
Rai made her first commercial for Camlin pencils when she was in the 9th grade. Rai became popular after appearing in a Pepsicommercial with actor Aamir Khan.[17] She is the only actress who endorsed both Pepsi and Coca-Cola.[124] She is one of the top brand ambassadors in the country and is one of the top paid Bollywood actresses in this respect.[125] She modelled for Titan Watches,[126] Longines watches, L'Oréal,Coca-Cola,[127] Lakmé Cosmetics, Casio pager, Philips, Palmolive,[128] Lux, Fuji films,[129] Nakshatra Diamond Jewellery,[130]and Kalyan Jewellers.[131] She was named the official brand ambassador for De Beers diamonds in India.[129] Rai has been ranked the 2nd most popular watch brand ambassador worldwide in a survey, conducted by World Watch Report.[132] In 2013 Rai and her husband Abhishek Bachchan have been roped in as the brand ambassadors by the TTK Group.[133]Aishwarya Rai to endorse Lodha’s Worli project by Lodha Group World One[134]
Social and humanitarian work
In 1999 Rai participated in a world tour called the Magnificent Five, along with Aamir Khan,Rani Mukerji, Akshaye Khanna and Twinkle Khanna.[135] In the same year, she was appointed as Longines Ambassador of Elegance.[136] In 2003 she became the first Indian actress to be a jury member at theCannes Film Festival.[137] In the same year she became a global brand ambassador ofL'Oréal, alongside Andie MacDowell, Eva Longoria and Penélope Cruz.[138][139] Rai is the brand ambassador for The Eye Bank Association of India's nationwide campaign to promote eye donation in India.[140] In 2005 she became a brand ambassador for Pulse Polio, a campaign established by theGovernment of India in 1994 to eradicatepolio in India.[141] 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.[142]
In February 2005 Rai performed with other Bollywood stars at the HELP! Telethon Concert, an event to raise money for the victims of the2004 tsunami earthquake.[143] Along with other members of the Bachchan family, she laid the foundation of a special school for underprivileged girls in Daulatpur village inUttar Pradesh in 2008. Construction is being funded by the Bachchan family and the school will be named after Rai.[144] 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.[145]
Aishwarya Rai is a UN Microcredit Spokesperson[146] She supports PETA India[147] She pledged to donate her eyes to the Eye Bank Association of India and appeared in a public awareness film on eye donation.[148] In November 2004, Aishwara Rai created the Aishwarya Rai Foundation to help needy people in India.[149] In 2009 Rai was appointed as the first Goodwill Ambassador of Smile Train, an international charity that provides free Cleft lip and palatesurgery to children in need. Her work with Smile Train will focus not only on India, but on 76 different developing countries around the world.[150][151] In September 2012, Rai had joined United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and renowned Hollywood actorMichael Douglas at a ceremony to commemorate the International Day of Peace in New York.[152] 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 infection and increasing access to antiretroviral treatment.[153]
Stage performances
Rai performing at the 17th AnnualStar Screen Awards (2011)
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 US alongside Anil Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Preity 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 as possible. However, the shows continued successfully in Canada.[154] In 2002, she participated in the show From India With Lovein the UK, along with Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta. It took place at two outdoor venues,Manchester's Old Trafford and London's Hyde Park, with over 100,000 spectators.[155] 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 production.[156][157]
Personal life
See also: Bachchan family
Rai with her husband, Abhishek Bachchan, 2013.
In 1999, Rai began dating Bollywood actorSalman 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 relationship.[158]
Though they both appeared in Dhai Akshar Prem Ke (in which her then longtime boyfriend, Salman Khan, had a brief cameo) and Kuch Naa Kaho, Abhishek Bachchan fell in love with Aishwarya whilst filming Dhoom 2.[159] Their engagement was announced on14 January 2007 and later confirmed by his father, Amitabh Bachchan.[160] The couple married on 20 April 2007 according to traditional Hindu rites of the Bunt community, to which she belongs.[161] Token North Indianand Bengali ceremonies were also performed. The wedding took place in a private ceremony at the Bachchan residence, "Prateeksha", inJuhu, Mumbai.[161] They have been described as a supercouple in the Indian media.[162][163]Rai is very close to her family and lived with them in Bandra, Mumbai, until her marriage.[164][165][166] Rai is Hindu and deeply religious.[5] Her international presence shot up when Abhishek Bachchan accompanied her to the Cannes Film festival shortly after their marriage, and later to The Oprah Winfrey Show, appearing on 28 September 2009.[167]They were described as being more famous as a couple than Brangelina.[168][169][170]
In the media
Rai at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival
Rai Bachchan is one of the most popular Bollywood celebrities in the world.[42][173][174][175][176] Despite constant media speculation, she keeps her personal life well-guarded.[177] Her beauty and performances have made her as a style icon for young women.[178] Over 17,000 websites dedicated to her,[179] she was selected byVerve Magazine in its list of the country's most powerful women.[180] In 2001 Forbesnamed Rai among the top five Indian movie stars.[3] In a reader poll conducted by UK'sHello! magazine, she was voted "the most attractive woman of 2003".[181] In the same year, Rai appeared in Rolling Stonemagazine's annual "Hot List".[182] 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.[183][184][185] She has earned the distinction of being the first Indian actress to be on the jury of the Cannes International Film Festival[186] In October 2004 a wax figure of Rai was put on display in London'sMadame Tussaud's wax museum.[187] 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 Squarein New York.[188] As her most distinctive physical features, Rai's green-blue eyes, luscious lips, sexy curves and ultra-feminine mannerisms have been cited by the media as her trademark.[189] In 2005 she was the subject of a 60 Minutes profile on 2 January, 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".[5] The same year, atulip in the Netherlands was named "Aishwarya Rai" after her.[190] Also in 2005,Mattel released a limited edition of Barbiedolls of Aishwarya Rai in the United Kingdom.[191] The British magazine Maximranked 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 2005Harpers and Queen's list of "Most Beautiful Women in The World" ranked her ninth.[192] In May 2006 Aishwarya was featured in People Magazine as one of the "World's Most Beautiful People".[193] The UK magazineEastern Eye ranked her third in the list of "Asia's Sexiest Women" in 2006,[194] and she was ranked eighth in 2009.[195] In 2008 American television channel E!: Entertainment listed Aishwarya's eyes as the sexiest on their Sexiest Body Parts list.[196] In 2009 she made appearances on Martha Stewart's show Martha and on the The Tyra Banks Show.[197] In the same year Forbeslisted 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.[198][199]
Rai walks for Manish Malhotra at HDIL India Couture Week 2010
In 2009 a poll conducted by the newspaperDaily News and Analysis, she was voted as one of India's most popular icons.[200] She attended the 83rd Academy Awards, along with her husband, Abhishek.[201] Rai with her husband Abhishek Bachchan appeared onThe Oprah Winfrey Show on 28 September 2009. She is the first Indian celebrity who appeared in The Oprah Winfrey Show twice.[167]They have been described as a supercouple in the Indian media[202] She ranked 2nd in The Times of India's 50 most desirable women of 2010,[203] and ranked 9th for 2011.[204] In 2011, she has received a lot of negative publicity for failing to lose her post-pregnancy weight as is apparently "required" of a public figure. However she silenced her critics by walking the red carpet at the "AmfAR Cinema Against Aids" gala in 2012 Cannes Film Festival for the 11th time.[205] Later that year, Rai has made it to the issue of New York Magazine’s list of "Forty Women That Women Find Beautiful", where she grabbed the 21st position in the list, with New York Magazine saying "She may be the "world’s most beautiful woman," but what we really love is that she never feels fragile onscreen,".[206]She was considered by the media one of the most popular Bollywood celebrities in India.[207]
Filmography and awards
Selected filmography
Main article: Aishwarya Rai filmography
- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)
- Taal (1999)
- Mohabbatein (2000)
- Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai (2001)
- Devdas (2002)
- Raincoat (2004)
- Dhoom 2 (2006)
- Guru (2007)
- Jodhaa Akbar (2008)
- Guzaarish (2010)
- Jazbaa (2015)
Awards
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Aishwarya Rai
Rai has received 10 Filmfare Awards nominations, and has won two Best Actress trophies for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) and Devdas (2002).[50][124][208][209] In 2009 she was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest Indian civilian award, by theGovernment of India for her contributions to the arts .[210][211] In 2012, she was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, the second-highest Order of France.[210]
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