Aishwarya Rai Bachchanber 1973), also known as , is an Indian film
actress and model. Rai has established herself as a leading contemporary
actress of Indian cinema and has become one of Bollywood's highest-paid
actresses. She has received several awards and nominations, including
two Filmfare Awards, and was awarded with the Padma Shri by the
Government of India in 2009, and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by
the Government of France in 2012. She is regarded as one of the most
popular and influential celebrities in India, and is often cited in the
media as the "most beautiful woman in the worldRai was the first
runner-up of the Miss India pageant, and the winner of the Miss World
pageant of 1994. She made her acting debut in the 1997 biographical
film, Iruvar and starred in the 1998 romantic drama Jeans. She earned
wide public recognition and Best Actress awards at Filmfare for her
leading roles in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 1999 melodrama Hum Dil De Chuke
Sanam and the 2002 period film Devdas. She gained critical appreciation
for her portrayal of Tagore's heroine Binodini in Rituparno Ghosh's
2003 film Chokher Bali, and a depressed woman in Ghosh's 2004
relationship drama Raincoat. Following a series of commercially
unsuccessful films, Rai featured in the 2006 blockbuster adventure film
Dhoom 2, the historical romance Jodhaa Akbar, and the science fiction
film Enthiran. She garnered wide critical acclaim for her work in
Bhansali's 2010 romantic drama?