Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is one of India's most celebrated film actresses and a global icon of Indian cinema. Crowned Miss World 1994, she went on to headline landmark films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas and Jodhaa Akbar, becoming a regular presence at the Cannes Film Festival and one of the first Indian stars to achieve genuine worldwide recognition.
From her crowning as Miss World to her Padma Shri honour and her acclaimed comeback in Ponniyin Selvan, this biography of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan covers her age, early life, career, major movies, awards and family.
Image: Photo: Bollywood Hungama, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Age & Early Life
She was born Aishwarya Rai on 1 November 1973 in Mangalore, Karnataka, which makes her 52 years old — she turns 53 on 1 November 2026. She belongs to a Tulu-speaking Hindu family. Her father, Krishnaraj Rai, was a marine biologist, and her mother, Vrinda, is a writer. She has an elder brother, Aditya, who works as a merchant navy engineer.
She was schooled at Arya Vidya Mandir in Mumbai and later attended Jai Hind College and D.G. Ruparel College. Trained for five years in classical dance and music, she initially enrolled to study architecture at Rachana Sansad before modelling offers changed the course of her life.
Miss World 1994
After being crowned Femina Miss India World 1994, Aishwarya represented India at the Miss World 1994 pageant in Sun City, South Africa, where she won the crown — and also the Miss Photogenic award. Her victory made her an overnight national sensation and opened the doors to a film career.
Film Career & Major Movies
She made her acting debut in Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Iruvar (1997) and her Hindi debut with Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya the same year. Her breakthrough came with Jeans (1998), Taal (1999) and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), in which she starred opposite Salman Khan (read Salman Khan's biography).
Her portrayal of Paro in Bhansali's Devdas (2002), co-starring Shah Rukh Khan (read Shah Rukh Khan's biography), earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress — her second, after Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (2000).
Other landmark films include Dhoom 2 (2006), Guru (2007), Jodhaa Akbar (2008) and Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022) and Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023). Across 40-plus films in Hindi, Tamil, English and Bengali, she has remained one of Bollywood's most successful leading ladies, alongside contemporaries such as Katrina Kaif (read Katrina Kaif's biography).
International Career
She crossed over to international cinema with Bride & Prejudice (2003), The Mistress of Spices (2005), The Last Legion (2007) and The Pink Panther 2 (2009). In 2003 she became the first Indian actress to serve as a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival, and she has since become a Cannes red-carpet icon.
Awards & Honours
Her honours include two Filmfare Awards for Best Actress, the Padma Shri — India's fourth-highest civilian award — in 2009, and France's Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2012.
Personal Life
In 2007 she married actor Abhishek Bachchan, the son of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan (read Amitabh Bachchan's biography). The couple's daughter, Aaradhya, was born in 2011.
Latest Work (Ponniyin Selvan)
Her most recent major work is Mani Ratnam's two-part epic Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022) and Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023), in which her dual role as Nandini and Mandakini Devi earned widespread critical praise and reaffirmed her standing as one of Indian cinema's finest performers.
Watch the Official Video
Watch the official lyrical video of "Dola Re Dola" from Devdas, featuring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, on Universal Music India's official YouTube channel:
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan?
Born on 1 November 1973, she is 52 years old and will turn 53 on 1 November 2026.
Who is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's husband?
She is married to actor Abhishek Bachchan. The couple married in 2007 and have a daughter, Aaradhya, born in 2011.
In which year did Aishwarya Rai win Miss World?
She won the Miss World crown in 1994, after being crowned Femina Miss India World earlier that year.
When did Aishwarya Rai Bachchan receive the Padma Shri?
She was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in 2009.
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