Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Aishwarya Rai was born on November 1, 1973, in Mangalore, Karnataka, to an architect father and writer mother. While pursuing architecture studies, her radiant screen presence catapulted her into international modeling. In 1994, she won the Miss World pageant in Sun City, South Africa, universally captivating audiences worldwide with her grace, intellect, and timeless elegance.

She made an unforgettable acting debut in Mani Ratnam's Tamil classic 'Iruvar' (1997) before delivering career-defining performances in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' (1999) and 'Devdas' (2002), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. She crossed cultural boundaries to headline international Hollywood productions including 'Bride and Prejudice' and 'The Pink Panther 2'.

Beyond cinema, Rai has served as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNAIDS and Smile Train, funding cleft lip surgeries for thousands of underprivileged children worldwide. In 2009, the Government of India conferred upon her the Padma Shri, and the French government honored her with the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters.