The Ash Birthday Bash!
- filmfare.com
Ever since she won the Miss World title in 1994, actress Aishwarya Rai has definitely come a long way. She, today, is not only an actress but also the brand ambassadress of her country in her own right. Having made it to the cover pages of several international magazines, hailed as one of the top 100 most influential and powerful personalities, being featured on high-profile shows like Oprah, and invited to be the jury at international film festivals, the ‘most beautiful girl in the world’ celebrates her 32nd birthday on November 1st. Indiatimes Movies jots down the turning points of her life.
November 19, 1994
At the Miss World Pageant at Sun City, South Africa, Aishwarya was crowned Miss World. On winning the crown, Ash said, “Elation hit me on my return to India when I realized what it meant to Indians. My homecoming drive in an open-car down Carter Road, Mumbai will remain one of my most memorable experiences of my life.”
January 14, 1997
This day saw the release of her first feature film - Iruvar, a Tamil film, directed by Mani Ratnam On her first film experience, she said, “Tamil was a foreign language and that meant re-rehearsing every line, every single day. It was tough. Since it was my first film, I had to discover cinema, acting, language, everything.”
August 15, 1997
Aishwarya’s first Hindi feature film - Rahul Rawail’s Aur Pyar Ho Gaya saw light of day. However, the movie didn’t do well and the actress received a lot of flak for her performance. In her defense, Rai said, ”Experience is of the utmost importance. I had received no formal training in acting and the film industry was no familiar terrain for me. No relatives of mine had ever been a part of this industry. I was far from being a ‘star-kid’.”
June 18, 1999
Her first hit came in the form of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. The movie was released on June 18, 1999. It won her her first Filmfare Award in the Best Actress category. It’s during the making of this film that Aishwarya got to know ex-beau Salman Khan. A happy Ash said, “It was a journey in commercial cinema with regards to acting, song-dance everything. The character of Nandini was everything I could’ve hoped for - intense and wonderful.”
August 13, 1999
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was followed by yet another hit - Subhash Ghai’s Taal. And Aishwarya was considered to be a ‘hot’ contender for the numero uno spot. Upbeat with the success, the light-eyed damsel said, ”The masses accepted mine and Akshaye’s (Khanna) pair well. It was fun doing the movie because it involved a lot of dancing.”
July 12, 2002
Magnum opus, Devdas was Ash’s next milestone. The film not only won her many awards but also marked the beauty’s presence on the international front. Devdas was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002. And ever since Rai attended the special screening, she has attracted a lot of international interest. About Devdas Ash said, ” When considering a role, I look at it this way: the role has to be inspiring, the co-stars have to be inspiring, the director has to inspire with his enthusiasm, with his belief in what he is doing and why he is doing it. In this project, I found all three.”
May 14, 2003
Ash is the first Indian to have made it to the jury of the Cannes Film Festival. On the occasion, she said, “It's very humbling and an honour to be a part of the international film festival at Cannes. It’s the Oscar of film festivals. But it’s also a huge responsibility and that I don't forget that for a even single minute.” However, in spite of the glam and glitter, the lady also got much flak for the outfit she wore on the special occasion. Described as ‘distasteful’ and ‘tacky’ by the Indian media, Ash retorted, “It’s sad that the media chose to concentrate more on the dress I wore than on the fact that I was representing India in such a big prestigious event.”
October 27, 2003
After Parveen Babi in 1977, Ash made it to the cover of Time Magazine. The headline of the article read: Indian leading lady Aishwarya Rai leads the charge as Bollywood bids for global dominance. In the interview, she said, “I am very happy with our cultural backdrop and the backdrop of our cinema and participating in a movement to project our cinema internationally. Cinema is cinema, but for some reason in the world arena, Indian cinema is slotted into its own small category. People are breaking the stereotype and it's good that Indian cinema is being recognized. Now is the time and there are actors like me who are willing to support that change.”
November 13, 2003
Rai also featured in the annual ‘Hot List’ of Rolling Stones magazine. On being asked for her reaction, she said, “Yes, I think they have called me the hottest thing from India since Chicken tikka (laughs). Well, it’s a very hip magazine and it feels good. But I’m just me. People have varied perceptions of me and I’ve never succeeded in thwarting what they have in their imaginations.
January 15, 2004
Ash was voted the most attractive woman of 2003 in a vote conducted by Hello magazine, beating personalities like Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta Jones, Gwyneth Paltrow, Keira Knightly, Cindy Crawford, Kate Hundson… Her profile read: "I am just an ordinary woman with ordinary concerns," says India's favourite daughter Aishwarya Rai. But in reality "Aishu", as she is known, has become much more than an ordinary woman. Indeed many would argue she's also more than an ordinary star, because international fame has made her an unofficial ambassador for her home country's burgeoning film industry.
April 26, 2004
The beauty is hailed as one of the 100 most powerful and influential people thee world over by Time Magazine. Ash opined, “It's undoubtedly an honour. It feels great that I was a part of this remarkable group.”
August 11, 2004
The film Kyun… Ho Gaya Na, which was released on this day, may not have gone down too well with the masses. But it’s during the making of this movie that Aishwarya got to know her current ‘alleged’ beau, Vivek Oberoi.
She opines, “Vivek is a very good friend. We share a very special relationship. He has always been supportive and helpful and has stood by me in every crisis I have faced of late. It's an honest relationship. We respect each other and enjoy our association. I usually don't talk about my personal life. But, at the same time, I have never attempted to conceal my relationship with Vivek. He is sensitive, respectful, and honest. Yes, we do go to parties together. We are supportive of each other and respect each other.”
September 30, 2004
Aishwarya found a place at the famous Madame Tussauds museum in London. She’s the first Indian lady and the second Indian film personality (after Amitabh Bachchan) to be bestowed this honour. The damsel, amidst peals of giggles, said, “It is difficult to put down what I'm feeling in words. But I am thankful to God and people who love me for what's happening to me. My journey to this position has been very enriching.”
October 8, 2004
This day saw the release of the beautiful damsel’s first English film - Gurinder Chadha’s Bride & Prejudice. Ash described this experience as, “Enriching! I was more excited than scared, at the opportunity to work in an English movie and to work with Gurinder. I love her work, and I love her even more now. The instant we met it was perfect, it seemed almost karmic.”
November 1, 2004
Ash turned 31 and ‘beau’ Vivek Oberoi presented her with 31 gifts on this special day.
January 2, 2005
Bob Simons interviewed Aishwarya on ’60 Minutes’, and introduced her as the ‘world’s most beautiful woman’. It was the first time in the history of ’60 Minutes’ that they featured an in-depth one-on-one profile with an Indian actor. In the interview, Ash said, “"I am really OK with the way I look, it’s fine. All this is transient. I mean, it's really, you know, it changes with time, and that's the external."
April 25, 2005
Aishwarya Rai became the first Indian actress to feature on the No.1 talk show in America - the 'Oprah Winfrey Show'. She was introduced as the most beautiful woman on the planet and the number one box office film star in the world. About her experience, the doe-eyed beauty said, “I was extremely happy to be on her show. I absolutely admire and adore Oprah. I never thought I'd actually be meeting her... and that too on her show. It's so strange, but prior to our meeting during my visit to the US for the premiere of "Bride & Prejudice", I had some afternoons off and watched Oprah. I thought how wonderful it'd be to be in her show. And within a month I was on her show. She put me in the Woman Of The World section.”
June 9, 2005
A Dutch tulip was named after the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai in Amsterdam. The orange and yellow edged tulip is one of the Netherlands' most enduring symbols. At the occasion, a modest Ash said, “I am touched by the gesture. I am humbled and honoured. Thank you!”
November 1, 2005
Ash turns 32.
