Aishwarya Rai Bachchan 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?
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