Has appeared on more magazine covers worldwide than any other Bollywood or Indian star.

Listed #3 by UK magazine Eastern Eye one of "Asia's Sexiest Women" (Sept/ 2006).

In mid 2001, Aishwarya started work on two films titled Radheshyam Seetaram and Hum Panchhi Ek Daal Ke. For reasons unknown, filming stopped on these films in February 2002. Filming was never completed and the films have now been shelved. The only glimpse of the movies that exist for the public to see are photographs from the sets and publicity shots.

Her favourite film is Casablanca.

Is fluent in the languages English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, and Urdu.

Was cast with a small role in Lajja (2001), but was dropped because there were already too many major stars in the film.

Was voted number 12 on VH1's 50 Sexiest Actresses of the Last 20 Years. (December 2005)

The first Bollywood star to appear in Rolling Stone magazine (Issue 932, October 2, 2003)

When Karan Johar asked Aishwarya on his talk show which film she wishes she could have been a part of, she responded _Khamoshi: The Musical (1996)_.

Is the second of five Indian women to win the Miss World title. The first was Reita Faria, who won in 1966. Others include Diana Hayden who won in 1997, Yukta Mookhey in 1999, and Priyanka Chopra in 2000.

Made her first commercial for Camlin pencils when she was in the 9th grade.

Has refused to work with Salman Khan after their break-up, in spite of several offers.

Is a trained classical dancer. She learnt classical dance and music for five years while in her teens.

Turned down a role in San wa (2005) due to her touring schedule. The role was eventually given to Mallika Sherawat.

Is featured in the 2004 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.

Dated Salman Khan.

Was originally intended for the role of Priya in the film _Chalte Chalte (2003)_.

Caused a day long traffic jam in Dubai, United Arab Emirates while filming a soap commercial. People would stop for hours just to catch a glimpse of their favorite actress. (September 5, 2006)

In 2005, Hugh M. Hefner attempted to create and Indian version of Playboy for India, which would feature South Asian women and Indian pop culture articles, but no nudity. He wanted to have Aishwarya on the cover of the first issue. The magazine was rejected.

In April 2003, she suffered an accident on the sets of Khakee (2004) when a car driven by a stuntman got out of control, hit her, took her down a crevice, and slammed her into a cactus plant. She broke a bone in one foot and suffered severe cuts, and she was rushed to a hospital. The incident rekindled the discussion about poor safety standards on Bollywood film sets.

Sued the magazine Star and Style for a sum of Rs 20 million (2 crore) for printing an article claiming that actress Raveena Tandon had caught her and Akshay Kumar in a compromising position at the poolside of a five- star hotel.

Ran the Olympic-torch relay in June 2004.

Wanted to study medicine, but circumstances prevented her.

When Oprah Winfrey saw Aishwarya's interview on "60 Minutes" (1968), she was so fascinated by her that she got a hold of Ash and invited her to be a guest on her show. On April 25, 2005, Aishwarya became the first Indian and South Asian actress to be featured on _"Oprah Winfrey Show, The" (1986)_.

Listed as number 3 of 'Top Bollywood Actresses' of 2006. (rediff.com, 8-25- 2006)

The first Indian actress to be on the jury of the Cannes International Film Festival.

Has gained a cult following in Pakistan.

Member of the jury at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.

Director Brett Ratner is a fan of Aishwarya's and he wanted her to be cast in Rush Hour 3 (2007), but she turned down the offer.

Twice turned down the lead in the Hindi version of Chandramukhi (2005).

Turned down the lead in Corporate (2006) because she didn't have any dates available for filming. The role was given to Bipasha Basu.

Her favorite Western designer is Giorgio Armani. Whenever she is in London, clothes are taken to her hotel for her to choose from.

Has made over 50 music videos in only seven years.

Won the title of Miss Photogenic in the 1994 Miss World Pageant.

Has been in six movies with Abhishek Bachchan, more than with any other actor.

Favorite subject in college was Zoology.

Has achieved iconic status all over South Asia.

Her wax statue at Madame Tussauds Museum in London was borrowed by the museum in New York for six weeks. The statue was flown to New York and made its debut on August 15, 2007, making her the first Indian actress in the American version of the museum.

Was invited in 2005 to be a presenter at The 77th Annual Academy Awards (2005) (TV), but was unable to attend because she was busy filming for The Mistress of Spices (2005).

Got her education at Arya Vidya Mandir and DG Ruparel College, both in Bombay, India. She was also accepted into Raheja College of Architecture in Bombay, but never went.

Is a Bunt, like fellow actors Shilpa Shetty and Sunil Shetty. The Bunts are a South Indian community who mainly speak Tulu, which is Aishwarya's mother tongue.

Receives at least two movie offers every day.

In 2004, Aishwarya became the first Bollywood and Indian actress to have her own statue at London's Madame Tussauds museum.

Is often referred to as "the most beautiful woman in the world".

Came in #1 in BollySpice.com Magazine's list of "Top 10 Actresses of 2006".

Featured in People Magazine as one of the 100 Most Beautiful People in the World. (Issue May,8,2006)

Was offered Rani Mukherjee's role in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998).

She was the first choice for the role of Jane Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), but she turned it down due to filming conflicts.

Has a puppy named Sunshine, which was given to her as a gift by friend Vivek Oberoi.

Shahrukh Khan recommended her to play Kaurwaki in the film Asoka (2001). But the director wanted to cast someone who hadn't already been paired with Shahrukh as a leading lady.

Turned down the part of Malvika Talwar in Baabul (2006).

Is active in various charities and often visits orphanages.

her Pepsi ad with Aamir Khan was shot in one night during the infamous Bombay riots.

On January 2nd, 2005, she became the first Indian actress to be interviewed on "60 Minutes" (1968).

In the summer of 2005, Mattel released limited-edition Barbie dolls inspired by Aishwarya and her costumes. They were released only in Britain and sold out within minutes. These dolls are now considered rare collectibles among fans.

Created a frenzy at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival when she arrived at the premiere of her film _Devdas (2002)_ in a coach and wearing a beautiful yellow-orange-embroidered sari.

Runner up, Miss India 1994

About 15 kilos of henna was special ordered from Sojat in Rajasthan for the henna ceremony before her wedding.

Was the Coca Cola Girl for the Middle East and south Asia.

When President George W. Bush visited India in March 2006, he invited Aishwarya, along with Aamir Khan, to a luncheon. Aishwarya could not attend because she was in Brazil at the time filming for Dhoom:2 (2006).

Has over 17,000 Web sites dedicated to her.

Is the second Indian actress to appear on the cover of TIME magazine in 2003. The first was Parveen Babi in 1976.

Voted #9 in Harpers and Queen magazine's list of the 100 most beautiful women of today. (Harpers and Queen, June 6, 2005)

Was considered for the role of Kalyani in Water (2005).

In April 2003, L'Oréal signed her as its new international brand ambassador (spokesperson).

In a poll conducted by Hello magazine, she was voted the number-one attractive woman of 2003, beating actresses such as Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Was considered for the role of Priya in Krrish (2006).

Is very popular in many Arab countries.

Was listed in Time magazine as one of 100 most influential people in the world (The 2004 TIME 100).

Sister of Aditya Rai

Turned down the role of Anna in Barsaat (2005).

Roger Ebert has said he considers her the most beautiful actress in the world.

Good friends with fellow Indian superstar and icon, Madhuri Dixit. The two worked together in the super-hit and widely acclaimed Devdas.

Has won over 100 awards since 1994 when she was 20.

Director Andy Tennant offered her a part in _Hitch (2005)_, but she turned it down because she was so busy with other films.

The first actress from India to get signed on with the American Library Association and also have a poster made of her for schools and library's all across America.

Loves collecting watches.

Gained 20 pounds for Bride & Prejudice (2004) because she didn't want her character to look like a supermodel and also felt that it would add a sense of realism to the character.

After winning the title of Miss World in 1994, the host of the event, Richard Steinmetz, actually asked Aishwarya out. But being a professional, she refused right away.

The first movie star she ever met was Rekha. Aishwarya was still in high school at the time and was a model. While at a grocery store with her mother, Aishwarya was tapped on the shoulder by none other than Rekha herself. Rekha recognized Aishwarya from her modeling ads. She complimented the young Aishwarya on her good looks and wished her all the best.

Was voted as E's 7th sexiest celebrity in the world

Was considered for the part of Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale (2006).

Despite the fact that she is adorned with jewelry in her music videos and movies, she is apparently not too fond of it.

She secured 90% marks in HSC at Ruparel college in Mumbai.

A tulip produced in 2005 was named for her.

Turned down the part of Sandhya in _Saamna (2006)_.

Miss World 1994.

Turned down the lead in Munnabhai M.B.B.S. (2003). The role was given to Gracy Singh.

Her wedding invitations were embossed with two entwined As and delivered along with a box of chocolate meringues. Within the invitation was also a poem about new beginnings written by Amitabh Bachchan's father and renowned poet Harivash Rai Bachchan.

Turned down the role of Mastani in the film _Bajirao Mastani (2005)_.

Was originally cast in the role of Jwala in the film _The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey (2005)_, but dropped out before filming started due to contract problems. The role was later given to Amisha Patel.

Before she was famous, she auditioned to do voice-dubbing for a television serial and was rejected.

In January 2007, she announced that she has accepted a marriage proposal from current boyfriend, actor Abhishek Bachchan.

Is good friends with actress Preity Zinta.

Is the most photographed woman in India.

Performed to an audience of 85,000 in Melbourne, Australia at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games with 800 backup dancers. (March 2006)

Her wedding ceremony lasted a total of three days. It was the most awaited and talked about wedding in years and the press followed it like Princess Diana's wedding.

Ranked #30 in TIME magazines issue of '100 Most Influential People of the Year'. This is her second time making the list, her first being in 2004. (The Time 100, 2007).

For her 34th birthday, she went to go see Beyonce Knowles in concert in Mumbai.

Aamir Khan and Aishwarya Rai are the only stars to advertise for both Coca Cola and Pepsi.

Was originally signed on to play the part of Simmi in Bluffmaster! (2005), but was replaced without any notice by Priyanka Chopra. Director Rohan Sippy then gave Aishwarya a "special thanks" in the end credits as an apology.

Turned down the role of Helen in the film Troy (2004).

Is the highest paid actress in Bollywood.

During the filming of the song 'Dola Re Dola' from the movie _Devdas (2002)_, Aishwarya's ears were bleeding because to the heavy earrings she had to wear, but she continued to perform anyway.

Ambassador (spokesperson) for Longines watches since 1999.

Daughter of Vrinda Rai