Aishwarya Rai
Often referred to as Ash, Aishwarya Rai shot to fame when she won the 1994 Miss World title. Acknowledged as one of the world’s most beautiful women, Aishwarya has starred in some of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters, including 'Taal', 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', and 'Hamara Dil Aap Ke Paas Hai'.
She was born in Karnataka on November 1, 1973, and speaks four languages: English, Hindi, Tamil, and Kannada.
Aishwarya excelled at schoolwork, but one of her biggest teenage disappointments came when she sat the Indian Council for Secondary Examination (ICSE) exams. She was certain of coming first in class but was bitterly disappointed when she was placed 14th.
She didn’t let that hold her back and enrolled for a science course at college, before starting architecture studies. But photographers were already starting to discover the emerald-eyed beauty, and Aishwarya soon gave up juggling studies and work to focus on a full-time modelling career.
At 21, Ash was named runner-up in the Miss India pageant, following a neck-and-neck contest with Sushmita Sen. This made her eligible for the 1994 Miss World title, which propelled her to worldwide stardom.
Directors had been eager to cast the beauty queen for some time, but were forced to wait until 1995, when Aishwarya had completed all her Miss World commitments. She soon signed on to 'Iruvar', directed by Mani Ratnam, and Rahul Rawail’s 'Aur Pyar Ho Gaya'.
Despite both films’ disappointing showing at the box office, Aishwarya kept her spirits high and found critical success with 'Taal' and 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'. She hasn’t looked back since!
Probably her most controversial relationship has been her love affair with fellow Bollywood star Salman Khan. After years of speculation Ash finally admitted Salman had physically abused her, and she is now linked to Vivek Oberoi.
