In November, 1973, a rare and pretty flower was born, in a rather sleepy town of Mangaluru, in the south of Karnataka located on the western seaboard of India. This lovely flower was named ‘Aishwarya’ by her parents.
Urban Dictionary defines ‘Aishwarya’ as… “a sweet Indian girl with very high intellectual capability…”. The original meaning in Sanskrit is “prosperity and wealth”. Both the meanings are a true reflection of her being, and her parents couldn’t have named her better now than what they did some 47 years ago.
The inevitable passage of time witnessed this beautiful flower blooming into one of the most gorgeous, alluring, and loved women in the world, exuding an elegance and grace that could only be termed divine.
Like a true Aphrodite and diva of beauty, Aishwarya has blue green eyes, a colour that belongs to the sea. One look into those riveting, but dreamy eyes will leave you spell bound and transport you into a dream world of your own. Suffice to say you’re lovestruck.
Rise to Fame:
Aishwarya Rai initially wanted to pursue medicine as her favourite subject in school was Zoology. Later on, she planned to become an architect; ultimately giving in to her inner call of becoming a model. This was an obvious choice considering her stunning looks. Aishwarya was beginning to acquire quite a reputation due to her modelling and other assignments.
1993 was the year her fans would remember for an eternity. In an Advertisement for Pepsi, Aishwarya Rai appeared with then heartthrob Aamir Khan, and another model Mahima Chaudhry( Ritu Chaudhry) . Her single liner – “Hi, I’m Sanjana, ” cast an unbreakable spell on televiewers. The Ad was highly successful and Sanjana had become the new sensation. Most people then did not know her real name and believed Sanjana was her real name. Some, who knew, preferred to call her Sanjana, rather than Aishwarya. That is, until she hit the jackpot.
A year later, the nymph with the sea-green eyes was touted to win the Miss India pageant. Surprisingly, she came second to Sushmita Sen, who won the title out of the blue. An unexpected setback, but she was still in the radar and destiny beckoned.
That year representing India in the Miss World pageant, in South Africa, Aishwarya won the “Miss Photogenic” and “Miss World Continental Queen of Beauty – Asia and Oceania”. That was just an appetiser as she went on to win the coveted Miss World title.
Acting career:
Bollywood, never the one to miss a trick, was soon after her flooding with acting contracts. It is important to note that it is never an easy task for a model to get into acting as these professions require different emoting abilities. A model has to be poker faced at most times, whereas, an actor has to bring out all the delicate emotions to complement the character’s situation.As expected, Aishwarya’s acting histrionics were panned to the extent of being rude. Some called her a ‘plastic faced’ in regarding her acting ability, or the lack of it. The criticisms and taunts were all directed towards her as an actor. The majority, however, were unanimous in their praise of her extraordinary beauty.It took Aishwarya some time to pick up the rudiments of acting. She was already a good dancer, and lissome in her movements that were highly feminine and graceful. All she needed to survive in the cutthroat industry was to improve her acting skills.An intelligent person and a quick learner, she dwelled on her one weakness, emoting. It wasn’t long before she learned the tricks of the trade, and then mastered them.
Best Films:
After the initial hiccups, which every new comer has, and some forgettable movies; Aishwarya Rai, the actor, began to come into her own. With everything going for her, all she needed was commercial success and critical acclaim.
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam ( 1999) , Devdas ( 2002) , Tamil film Kandukondain Kandukondain ( 2000) , Bengali film Chokher Bali ( 2003) , Raincoat ( 2004) , British drama film Provoked ( 2006) , Guzaarish ( 2010) , Mohabbatein ( 2000) , Dhoom 2 ( 2006) , historical film Jodhaa Akbar ( 2008) , science fiction film Enthiran ( 2010) , and the romantic drama Ae Dil Hai Mushkil ( 2016) all not only brought her critical appreciation, but also, commercial success. She was no longer a struggling actor. Things began falling in place as she slowly, but surely, inched her way to become a Bollywood icon. She deserves more because she never comprised and was willing to put in the hard yards.
She is the proud daughter in law of an iconic Bollywood family, the happy wife of actor Abhishek Bachan, and the contented mother of a nine year old daughter.
Even at the age of 47, she is still regarded by many as the most beautiful woman in the world. Truly, a Miss World!
mbfarookh ©