SAINDIA MARCH 2017
The Premiere Indian News, Fashion, Lifestyle and Bollywood Magazine
The Premiere Indian News, Fashion, Lifestyle and Bollywood Magazine
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1. Ambassador (spokesperson) for Longines watches since 1999.<br />
2. In April 2003, she suffered an accident on the sets of the film Khakee<br />
(2004) when a car driven by a stuntman got out of control, hit her,<br />
took her down a crevice, and slammed her into a cactus plant. She<br />
broke a bone in one foot and suffered severe cuts, and she was<br />
rushed to a hospital. The incident rekindled the discussion about<br />
poor safety standards on Bollywood film sets.<br />
3. The first Indian actress to be on the jury of the Cannes International<br />
Film Festival.<br />
4. She featured in the 2004 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.<br />
5. In April 2003, L’Oréal signed her as its new international brand ambassador<br />
(spokesperson).<br />
6. The first Bollywood star to appear in Rolling Stone magazine. (Issue<br />
932, October 2, 2003).<br />
7. Aamir Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan are the only stars to advertise<br />
for both Coca Cola and Pepsi.<br />
8. After winning the title of Miss World in 1994, the host of the event,<br />
Richard Steinmetz, actually asked Aishwarya out. But being a professional,<br />
she refused right away.<br />
9. Has a puppy named Sunshine, which was given to her as a gift by<br />
friend Vivek Oberoi.<br />
10. Won the title of Miss Photogenic in the 1994 Miss World Pageant.<br />
11. Has won over 100 awards since 1994 when she was 20.<br />
12. Was listed in Time magazine as one of 100 most influential people in<br />
the world (The 2004 TIME 100).<br />
13. Ran the Olympic-torch relay in June 2004.<br />
14. Turned down a role in The Myth (2005) due to her touring schedule.<br />
The role was eventually given to Mallika Sherawat.<br />
15. Has refused to work with Salman Khan after their break-up, in spite<br />
of several offers.<br />
16. In 2004, Aishwarya became the first Bollywood and Indian actress<br />
to have her own statue at London’s Madame Tussauds museum.<br />
17. On January 2nd, 2005, she became the first Indian actress to be<br />
interviewed on 60 Minutes (1968).<br />
18. Voted #9 in Harpers and Queen magazine’s list of the 100 most<br />
beautiful women of today. (Harpers and Queen, June 6, 2005)<br />
19. A tulip produced in 2005 was named for her.<br />
20. Member of the jury at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.<br />
21. When Oprah Winfrey saw Aishwarya’s interview on 60 Minutes, she<br />
was so fascinated by her that she got a hold of Ash and invited her<br />
to be a guest on her show. On April 25, 2005, Aishwarya became<br />
the first Indian and South Asian actress to be featured on The Oprah<br />
Winfrey Show (1986).<br />
22. Turned down a small role as Breseis in the film Troy (2004).<br />
23. Director Andy Tennant offered her a small part in Hitch (2005), but<br />
she was busy filming Bride and Prejudice at the time.<br />
24. In the summer of 2005, Mattel released limited-edition Barbie dolls<br />
inspired by Aishwarya and her costumes. They were released only in<br />
Britain and sold out within minutes. These dolls are now considered<br />
rare collectibles among fans.<br />
25. Was voted number 12 on VH1’s 50 Sexiest Actresses of the Last 20<br />
Years. (December 2005)<br />
26. Roger Ebert has said he considers her the most beautiful actress in<br />
the world.<br />
27. Was voted as E’s 7th sexiest celebrity in the world.<br />
28. The first actress from India to get signed on with the American Library<br />
Association and also have a poster made of her for schools<br />
and library’s all across America.<br />
invited Aishwarya, along with Aamir Khan, to a luncheon. Aishwarya<br />
could not attend because she was in Brazil at the time filming for<br />
Dhoom 2 (2006).<br />
30. In mid 2001, Aishwarya started work on two films titled Radheshyam<br />
Seetaram and Hum Panchhi Ek Daal Ke. For reasons unknown,<br />
filming stopped on these films in February 2002. Filming was never<br />
completed and the films have now been shelved. The only glimpse<br />
of the movies that exist for the public to see are photographs from<br />
the sets and publicity shots.<br />
31. Is the second Indian actress to appear on the cover of TIME magazine<br />
in 2003. The first was Parveen Babi in 1976.<br />
32. Featured in People Magazine as one of the 100 Most Beautiful People<br />
in the World. (Issue May,8,2006)<br />
33. Listed as number 3 of ‘Top Bollywood Actresses’ of 2006. (rediff.<br />
com, 8-25- 2006)<br />
34. Listed #3 by UK magazine Eastern Eye one of “Asia’s Sexiest Women”<br />
(Sept/ 2006).<br />
35. She was the first choice for the role of Jane Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith<br />
(2005), but she turned it down due to filming conflicts.<br />
36. Has been in seven movies with now husband Abhishek Bachchan,<br />
more than with any other actor.<br />
37. Was invited in 2005 to be a presenter at The 77th Annual Academy<br />
Awards (2005), but was unable to attend because she was busy filming<br />
for The Mistress of Spices (2005).<br />
38. Her favorite Western designer is Giorgio Armani. Whenever she is in<br />
London, clothes are taken to her hotel for her to choose from.<br />
39. Aishwarya is the second of five Indian women to win the Miss World<br />
title. The first was Reita Faria, who won in 1966. Others include Diana<br />
Hayden who won in 1997, Yukta Mookhey in 1999, and Priyanka<br />
Chopra in 2000.<br />
40. Aishwarya has appeared on more magazine covers worldwide than<br />
any other Bollywood or Indian star.<br />
41. Director Brett Ratner is a fan of Aishwarya’s and he wanted her to be<br />
cast in Rush Hour 3 (2007), but she turned down the offer. Aishwarya<br />
was considered for the part of Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale (2006).<br />
42. Her wax statue at Madame Tussauds Museum in London was borrowed<br />
by the museum in New York for six weeks. The statue was<br />
flown to New York and made its debut on August 15, 2007, making<br />
her the first Indian actress in the American version of the museum.<br />
43. Her wedding invitations were embossed with two entwined as and<br />
delivered along with a box of chocolate meringues. Within the invitation<br />
was also a poem about new beginnings written by Amitabh<br />
Bachchan’s father and renowned poet Dr Harivash Rai Bachchan.<br />
44. Incidentally had she pursued medicine she would have also been<br />
called Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – she incidentally is the only Rai<br />
Bachchan in her family after Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan.<br />
45. Her wedding ceremony lasted a total of three days. It was the most<br />
awaited and talked about wedding in years and the press followed it<br />
like Princess Diana’s wedding.<br />
46. Forbes listed her in the 387th position out of 1,411 actors as the most<br />
bankable Indian star in Hollywood. (February 2009).<br />
47. Aishwarya Rai is the youngest actress to receive the Padmi Shri<br />
award, the fourth highest civilian honor, from the Government of India<br />
for her contribution to cinema.<br />
48. Aishwarya is the first goodwill ambassador for Smile Train, a charity<br />
that works worldwide for children with cleft lip.<br />
49. Due to her popularity, a second wax statue of Aishwarya was added<br />
to Madame Tussauds in Blackpool, UK in October 2011.<br />
50. In 2004 she was going to produce a Hollywood movie along with<br />
Zachary Coffin (an actor in India). The film was titled Windfall and<br />
was based on the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984. Aishwarya Rai was<br />
playing the role of Jasmine Singh, a NRI who returns to India to<br />
search for her father. Her father was the factory plant manager the<br />
night the massacre occurred. The film was shelved after announcement.<br />
Another film Bhopal starring Raajpal Yadav co-starring Hollywood<br />
legend Martin Sheen was made and released in 2015.<br />
29. When President George W. Bush visited India in March 2006, he<br />
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