Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
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Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (born November 1, 1973, Mangalore [now Mangaluru], Karnataka, India) is an Indian actress and internationally acclaimed model whose striking beauty and graceful presence have established her as one of Bollywood’s premier stars. Before embarking on an acting career, she achieved significant success in modeling, attracting international praise for her poise and elegance. She won the Miss World pageant in 1994, during which she represented India with distinction. Her notable movies include Devdas, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (“Straight from the Heart”), Dhoom 2, Bride and Prejudice, and Jodhaa Akbar.
Early life and education
Rai was born into a Tulu-speaking family to Krishnaraj Rai and Vrinda Rai. She attended Arya Vidya Mandir High School in Mumbai (Bombay), where she excelled academically. She later completed her intermediate studies at Jai Hind College before transferring to D.G. Ruparel College at Matunga in Mumbai. She intended to become an architect and enrolled in the Rachana Sansad Academy of Architecture, but she proceeded to pursue a career in modeling instead. Rai received formal training in the Indian dance form bharata natyam.
Modeling career
Rai participated in an international supermodel contest sponsored by Ford Motor Company in 1991, which led to her being featured in the American edition of Vogue. In 1993 she appeared in a memorable PepsiCo ad alongside the Indian actors Aamir Khan and Mahima Chaudhry. Her character in the ad was named Sanjana, and she became known for the line “Hi, I’m Sanjana. Got another Pepsi?” This character is believed to have had such a cultural impact that many parents in India named their daughters Sanjana in the year following the ad’s release.
After finishing as the first runner-up at the Miss India pageant, Rai won the Miss World pageant in 1994. When asked about the qualities befitting Miss World in the final round, she replied,
The Miss Worlds that we have had up to date have been proof enough that they have had compassion—compassion for the underprivileged and not only for the people who have status and stature. We have had people who can look beyond the barriers that man has set up, of nationalities and color. We have to look beyond those, and that would make a true Miss World. A true person, a real person.
Rai made her Cannes film festival debut in 2002, during the premiere of the film Devdas, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and starring Rai. In 2003 she became the first Indian actress to serve as a jury member at Cannes. That same year, Rai was named a global ambassador for L’Oréal, a French cosmetics manufacturer, occasioning several more appearances at Cannes. Over the years, she has graced the red carpet in creations by renowned designers such as Roberto Cavalli and Sabyasachi Mukherjee, blending traditional Indian elegance with contemporary high style. Rai has also been the face of international brands such as watchmaker Longines, Cadbury chocolate, and Revlon cosmetics as well as Indian ones such as Lakmé cosmetics and Titan accessories.
Acting career
Since 1997 she has appeared in more than 40 films in Hindi, Bengali, and Tamil cinema. Her performances have spanned multiple languages, highlighting her versatility as an actress. Notably, she has also acted in international films, such as Bride and Prejudice (2004), a British adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice. This diverse filmography highlights Rai Bachchan’s ability to connect with audiences across different cultures and regions.
Debut and breakthrough
Rai made her big-screen debut in the 1997 Tamil film Iruvar (“The Duo”), directed by Mani Ratnam. She entered Bollywood with …Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (“And Love Happened”) that same year. The 1998 Tamil comedy Jeans proved to be her breakthrough. In the 1999 movie Taal (“Rhythm”), directed by Subhash Ghai, Rai played Mansi, an aspiring singer caught in a love triangle with characters played by Akshaye Khanna and Anil Kapoor. Music director A.R. Rahman’s evocative score helped shape the characters and their journeys in the film.
Rise to Bollywood stardom
Rai received the Filmfare Award for best actress for her performance in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999; released internationally in 2000 as Straight from the Heart), directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. She was lauded for her magnetic presence in the film, and, with that work, she cemented her position as one of the top Bollywood actresses of the time. In the 2000 Tamil film Kandukondain Kandukondain, Rai portrayed the character Meenakshi, inspired by Marianne Dashwood in Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. The movie costarred other stalwart actors, such as Tabu and Ajith Kumar. In Bhansali’s 2002 movie Devdas, a remake of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s film of the same name, Rai’s portrayal of the jilted lover, Paro, blended seamlessly into the lavish visual and auditory tapestry. The film boasted opulent set designs, including an intricately crafted mansion with stained glass and an artificial lake. The extravagant production also included meticulously color-coded costumes and a rich musical score.
Rai’s exceptional dancing prowess and versatility have been conducive to her acting success, enabling her to bring depth and dynamism to a wide range of characters across cinematic genres. Her standout performance in the iconic song “Kajra Re” from the Bollywood film Bunty Aur Babli (2005) not only captivated audiences with its vibrant choreography but also featured Rai alongside her future father-in-law, Amitabh Bachchan. Throughout her career, she has consistently demonstrated her ability to adapt to various dance styles, thus enhancing her on-screen presence. In the movie Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam she gracefully performed a Garba, a Gujarati folk dance, for the song “Dholi Taro Dhol Baaje.” With her performance in the number “Dola Re Dola” in the movie Devdas, involving classical dance forms composed by the choreographer Saroj Khan, she showcased her classical training and innate grace. The film Taal (1999) featured choreographer Shiamak Davar’s contemporary style, in which Rai integrated modern dance moves with traditional elements.
Enduring successes
Rai successfully collaborated with director Rituparno Ghosh in the family drama Chokher Bali (2003; Choker Bali: A Passion Play), based on the eponymous novel by Rabindranath Tagore. Her portrayal of the young Bengali widow Binodini was beset with challenges: Rai had to suffuse her character with the specific linguistic, behavioral, and social attributes of the Bengali community. Moreover, the character she played demanded immense emotional investment, which she made with the help of Ghosh. Rai also starred in Ghosh’s romantic drama Raincoat, opposite Ajay Devgn, in 2004. Later that year she appeared in Bride and Prejudice, a modern adaptation of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice directed by Gurinder Chadha. As Lalita Bakshi, the Indian equivalent of the strong-willed Elizabeth Bennet, Rai brought her star power and radiant beauty to her first major English-language film.
Rai’s next Bollywood blockbuster was Dhoom 2 (2006), in which she starred opposite Hrithik Roshan. In the 2007 film Guru, she played Sujata Desai, the devoted wife of the ambitious Gurukant Desai, played by Abhishek Bachchan, who would become Rai’s husband. Directed by Mani Ratnam, the film draws inspiration from the life of Indian business magnate Dhirubhai Ambani, delving into themes of ambition, entrepreneurship, and the ensuing challenges on the path to success.
In April 2007 Rai married Abhishek Bachchan, her frequent costar and the son of Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan. She then starred in the Arthurian tale The Last Legion (2007), as a warrior alongside Colin Firth and Ben Kingsley. Rai Bachchan’s next groundbreaking success came with Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar (2008), a lush historical romance that recounts the love story of Akbar, the greatest Mughal emperor, and Jodhaa Bai, a Rajput princess. Rai Bachchan’s other films of the time include The Pink Panther 2 (2009), in which she performed alongside the comedian Steve Martin, and the action romance Enthiran (2010; Robot), in which she performed opposite Rajnikanth. In Guzaarish (2010), she portrayed the nurse of a quadriplegic magician who wishes to legally end his life. After giving birth to a daughter in 2011, Rai Bachchan took a hiatus from acting.
- Miss World (1994): Winning the title while representing India, Rai brought international recognition to her modeling career.
- Filmfare Award for best actress (2000): Rai won this, one of Bollywood’s most prestigious acting awards, for her performance in the film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
- Filmfare Award for best actress (2003): Rai received this award for her portrayal of Paro in the film Devdas. Her performance was critically acclaimed for its intensity and grace.
- Padma Shri (2009): This, one of the highest civilian honors in India, was bestowed on Rai Bachchan in recognition of her contributions to the arts. In particular, it acknowledged her influence and achievements in the Indian film industry.
Return to the screen
Rai Bachchan returned to work in 2015, appearing in Jazbaa (“Passion”), a crime drama in which she played a criminal attorney whose daughter is kidnapped. The following year, she starred in the biopic Sarbjit, about Sarabjit Singh, an Indian man held in a Pakistani prison on charges of terrorism and espionage.
Rai Bachchan’s career came full circle when she reunited with Mani Ratnam for Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022; “The Son of Ponni”) and Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two (2023). She won the 2024 South Indian International Movie Award (SIIMA) for best actress in a leading role for her dual performances as Nandini and Mandakini in the latter film. The two films are adaptations of Kalki Krishnamurthy’s classic Tamil novel of the same name, set during the Chola dynasty. Ponniyin Selvan: Part I achieved momentous box office success, with worldwide receipts of $21.89 million. Rai Bachchan’s performances in these works has reaffirmed her standing as a leading actress in the industry.