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Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya RaiBorn: 1-Nov-1973
Birthplace: Mangalore, Karnataka, India

Gender: Female
Religion: Hindu
Race or Ethnicity: Asian/Indian
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Actor

Nationality: India
Executive summary: The Queen of Bollywood

Aishwarya Rai is one of the highest-paid actresses in India's prolific movie industry. She began modeling at 14, appeared as the gorgeous new neighbor in Indian Pepsi commercials, and won the Miss World beauty pageant in 1994.

Rai made her film debut in 1991's forgettable Mamagaru. Her other early films included bombs like Iruvar and Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya, and even the Tamil-Telugu hit Jeans which was disastrously received by India's Hindi audiences. By 1998, critics were carping about Rai's lack of talent and "three stock wooden expressions". Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, of course, changed everything, and Rai's spirited performance as the emotionally complex Nandini made her a star instead of a joke. Her other triumphs include Mohabbatein, Chokher Bali, and the epic Devdas.

In more than two dozen movies, Rai has never been kissed on screen. It simply isn't done in Bollywood. Instead, when an on-screen scene reaches that moment, characters typically burst into song-and-dance sequences intended as metaphors for steamy passion. Rai has, however, attempted to broaden her fame by appearing in the English film Bride and Prejudice with Martin Henderson, a comedic singing-and-dancing adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and she co-starred in The Last Legion with Ben Kingsley.

Rai is no stranger to controversy, having dated movie star Salman Khan -- he is Muslim, she is Hindu. When Rai appeared at an Indian awards ceremony sporting a black eye, there were rumors that Khan had beaten her, but Rai explained otherwise. "For some perverse reason, no one wants to believe me, that I fell down the stairs. First the media calls me the woman of the millennium, a woman of substance. Then how can the same media make me out to be such a doormat? I'm a self-respecting woman, I don't take nonsense from anyone. No one tries caveman tactics on me. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger can fall and get hurt, so why should I be any different?"

After they eventually broke up, there were reports that Khan stalked her, and Rai admitted that there "were times when Salman got physical with me." Her family filed a police complaint against Khan, when he showed up drunk and started pounding on her door and screaming late one night.

In 2003, Rai was injured on the set of Khakhi when a driver lost control of his Jeep and ran into Rai, who landed on a cactus. She has a long-term endorsement deal with L'Oreal, but has refused to be associated with its skin whitening products, and threatened to sue Elle magazine after a 2010 cover photo was altered to make her appear white.

Father: Krishnaraj Rai (biologist, d. 18-Mar-2017)
Mother: Vrinda
Brother: Aditya Rai (producer)
Boyfriend: Salman Khan (actor)
Boyfriend: Vivek Oberoi (actor, together 2005 according to Deccan Herald)
Husband: Abhishek Bachchan (actor, m. 20-Apr-2007)

    Beauty Contest Miss World 1994
    Endorsement of Coca-Cola (2006-09)
    Endorsement of Longines Watchworks (1999-)
    Endorsement of L'Oreal (2003-)
    Endorsement of Pepsi (1987-93)
    Indian Ancestry

    FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
    Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (27-Oct-2016)
    Guzaarish (16-Nov-2010)
    Action Replayy (5-Nov-2010)
    Enthiran (30-Sep-2010)
    The Pink Panther 2 (6-Feb-2009) · Sonia
    Sarkar Raj (5-Jun-2008)
    Jodhaa Akbar (13-Feb-2008)
    The Last Legion (19-Apr-2007)
    Guru (12-Jan-2007)
    Dhoom 2 (23-Nov-2006) · Sunehiri
    Umrao Jaan (2-Nov-2006)
    Provoked: A True Story (18-May-2006)
    The Mistress of Spices (11-Sep-2005)
    Bunty Aur Babli (27-May-2005)
    Shabd (4-Feb-2005)
    Bride and Prejudice (6-Oct-2004)
    Kyun! Ho Gaya Na (11-Aug-2004)
    Raincoat (9-Jul-2004)
    Khakee (23-Jan-2004)
    Kuch Naa Kaho (26-Aug-2003)
    Chokher Bali (9-Aug-2003)
    Dil Ka Rishta (17-Jan-2003)
    Shakti: The Power (20-Sep-2002)
    23rd March 1931: Shaheed (7-Jun-2002)
    Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin (31-May-2002)
    Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam (24-May-2002)
    Devdas (23-May-2002)
    Mohabbatein (27-Oct-2000)
    Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke (29-Sep-2000)
    Josh (9-Jun-2000)
    I Have Found It (4-May-2000)
    Taal (3-Aug-1999)
    Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (18-Jun-1999)
    Aa Ab Laut Chalen (15-Jan-1999)
    Jeans (15-May-1998)
    Iruvar (14-Jan-1997)

Official Website:
http://www.aishwaryaworld.com/


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