Birth date	November 01, 1973
Birth place	Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Birthname	Aishwarya Rai
Othername	Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Residence	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Spouse	Abhishek Bachchan (2007–present)
Occupation	actor, model
Yearsactive	1991–present
Signature	}}

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (born 1973) is an Indian film actress. She worked as a model before starting her acting career, and ultimately won the Miss World pageant in 1994. Rai has acted in over 40 films in Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali.

Often cited by the media as the "most beautiful woman in the world", Rai made her acting debut in Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Iruvar (1997), and had her first commercial success in the Tamil movie Jeans (1998). She gained the attention of Bollywood through the film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Her performance won her the Filmfare Best Actress Award. In 2002 she appeared in Bhansali's Devdas, for which she won her second Filmfare Best Actress Award.

After a setback in her career during 2003–2005, she appeared in Dhoom 2 (2006), which was her biggest commercial success in India. She later appeared in films like Guru (2007), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), and Enthiran (2010), which were commercially and critically successful. Rai has established herself as one of the leading actresses in Bollywood.

Rai's off-screen roles include duties as brand ambassador for various charity organisations and campaigns. She is married to fellow actor Abhishek Bachchan. In 2009 she was honoured with Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award given by the Government of India.

Early life

Rai was born into a Tulu-speaking Bunt family in Mangalore, Karnataka. Her father, Krishnaraj, was a marine biologist, while her mother, Brindya, is a housewife. She has one elder brother, Aditya Rai, who is an engineer in the merchant navy. He co-produced one of her movies, Dil Ka Rishta (2003).

The family moved to Mumbai, where Rai attended the Arya Vidya Mandir High School. Rai did her intermediate schooling at Jai Hind College for a year, and then joined DG Ruparel College in Matunga, securing 90 percent in the HSC exams. She trained in classical dance and music for five years during her teens. Her favourite subject was zoology, so she initially considered a career in medicine. With plans to become an architect, she enrolled at Raheja College, but later gave up her education to pursue a career in modelling.

Modelling career

One of her earliest modelling assignment was, when she was in the ninth grade, for Camlin Pencils. One of her professors at Jai Hind College took pictures of her which were published in a fashion magazine. In 1991 Rai took part in the Ford Supermodel Contest and also appeared in Vogue Magazine. She has been on the cover of Vogue three times.

Rai became popular after appearing in a Pepsi commercial with actor Aamir Khan. She modelled for Longines watches, Coca-Cola, Lakmé Cosmetics, Casio pager, Philips, Palmolive, Lux, and Fuji films. She continued to model while pursuing her studies in architecture. She was named the official brand ambassador for De Beers diamonds in India.

In the 1994 Miss India contest, she won second place, behind Sushmita Sen, and was crowned Miss India World. She went on to win the Miss World title the same year, where she also won the Miss Photogenic award. After winning the pageant, she gave up her studies and spent one year reigning as Miss World in London. Rai continued to pursue a career as a model until she became an actress.

Film career

Early career (1997–98)

Rai made her acting debut in Mani Ratnam's Tamil biopic film Iruvar (1997), where she worked alongside Mohanlal. The film was a critical success and won many awards, including Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival, and two National Film Awards. Rai appeared in dual roles, one of which was a depiction of political leader and former actress J. Jayalalithaa. Rai made her Bollywood debut in the film in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya, opposite Bobby Deol, which released the same year; the film was unsuccessful at the box office. Her third project, Jeans (1998), a high-budget Tamil film directed by S. Shankar, was a commercial success. The film included the song "Poovukkul", written by Vairamuthu, in which Rai's character is compared to the seven wonders of the world and described as the eighth. The film was India's official entry to the Academy Awards in that year.

Career (1999–2002)

In 1999 Rai starred in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, opposite Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan. The film had Rai playing Nandini, who is forced to marry Devgan despite being in love with another man (Khan). Her husband tries to help her locate her previous love, and his caring attention eventually wins her over. Rai's portrayal won her critical acclaim, with a review on Rediff.com stating, "Aishwarya looks beautiful as usual ... This film will most likely draw her accolades from all over, may be even get her recognised as an actress the way Manisha Koirala did in Khamoshi. In many scenes, there is no trace of makeup and she looks very fresh". The film was her first box office success in Bollywood, and earned her a Filmfare Best Actress Award.

In the same year she appeared in Subhash Ghai's Taal, in which she played Mansi, a young village woman who becomes a big pop star after being hurt by her lover, played by Akshay Khanna. The film was an average grosser in India but was a big success outside India, especially in the United States, where it became the first Indian film in the top 20 on Variety's box office list. Her performance was praised, with a reviewer from Rediff.com writing, "After being praised for her looks and acting talent in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Aishwarya has excelled in Taal. She looks ethereal and unlike the former film, has a very sober and soft role. Though she looks pained and tragic in most of the film, she does a good job of a woman who is very protective of her father and one who doesn't think twice before rejecting a lover who has insulted her father." She received another Best Actress nomination from the Filmfare Awards for her work in the film.

In 2000 she appeared in Mansoor Khan's Josh alongside Shahrukh Khan and Chandrachur Singh, in which she plays a Catholic named Shirley who falls in love with the sibling of her brother's enemy. The film was a commercial success. Later that year she appeared in Satish Kaushik's Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai, opposite Anil Kapoor. It was a moderate success, and her performance earned her a Filmfare Best Actress Award nomination. Later that year she played a supporting role in Aditya Chopra's Mohabbatein, alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan. The second-highest grosser of the year, the film was a major commercial success, and earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award nomination. Later that year, she starred in the Tamil film Kandukondain Kandukondain, alongside Mammooty, Ajith Kumar, and Tabu.

In 2002 Rai appeared alongside Shahrukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas, an adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel of the same name. She played the role of Paro (Parvati), the love interest of the protagonist, played by Khan. The film received a special screening at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. It became the highest-grossing film of the year in India and overseas, earning a revenue of Rs domestically. Devdas won numerous awards, including 10 Filmfare Awards, and Rai received her second Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance.

Professional setback (2003–05)

In 2003 she acted in Rituparno Ghosh's Bengali film Chokher Bali, an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore's novel of the same name. She portrays the character of a young woman called Binodini, who is left on her own when her sickly husband dies soon after they are married. That year she appeared in the Bollywood film Dil Ka Rishta, with Arjun Rampal, and Rohan Sippy's Kuch Na Kaho, alongside Abhishek Bachchan, neither of which fared well at the box office.

In 2004 she appeared alongside Martin Henderson in Bride and Prejudice, Gurinder Chadha's Bollywood-style English adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. She played Lalita Bakshi, the film's version of Austen's character Elizabeth Bennet. Based on 131 reviews, the film has a rating of 64 percent at the review website Rotten Tomatoes. She played a negative role for the first time in Rajkumar Santoshi's Khakee, which also featured Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan, and Jayapradha. In the same year she worked with director Rituparno Ghosh for the second time, in Raincoat, where she starred alongside Ajay Devgan. The film was highly acclaimed by critics, with Rai receiving rave reviews for her performance.

In 2005 she appeared in Shabd, a film based on a love triangle, alongside Sanjay Dutt and Zayed Khan. The film was unsuccessful at the box office; it received average reviews from critics. Her next release was Paul Mayeda Berges's The Mistress of Spices, based on the novel of the same name by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, in which she starred alongside Dylan McDermott. The film received negative reviews from critics, and was a commercial failure. The same year she made a special appearance in a hugely popular seven-minute dance sequence for the song "Kajra Re", with Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, in Shaad Ali's Bunty Aur Babli.

Recent work (2006–present)

In 2006 Rai portrayed the title role in J P Dutta's Umrao Jaan, the story of a courtesan and poetess from 19th-century Lucknow. The movie is the second adaptation of the Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada (1905), by Mirza Hadi Ruswa. Rai's work received mixed reviews, and the film was a critical and commercial failure. Critics particularly felt the new version is poor when compared to the acclaimed 1981 version by Muzaffar Ali, which starred Rekha in the title role. BBC critic Poonam Joshi wrote, "While only Aishwarya could emulate the grace and poise of Rekha, she doesn't quite capture the intensity of Umrao's abiding melancholy", commenting that "her incandescent beauty and artistry... does indeed keep the audience watching, though not necessarily emotionally engaged." Later that year she appeared as a master thief, Sunheri, in the Yash Raj Films production of Dhoom 2, directed by Sanjay Gadhvi. The ensemble cast included Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, and Uday Chopra. The movie was a blockbuster, and became the highest grossing film of the year in India, earning revenues of over Rs domestically. A controversy arose regarding a scene containing a kiss between her and Hrithik Roshan. Rai's performance received mostly negative reviews, with a reviewer on Rediff.com writing, "Ash's character too is all gloss and no depth. You seldom feel any tension in her behaviour and expressions as she accompanies the master thief on potentially dangerous missions. Sunehri enters the film nearly 50 minutes after its opening in a disguise. In no time, she is wearing the flimsiest of clothes. Once she opens her mouth—and she does it two minutes after appearing in the film—she spoils the image. There is no sensuality any more, and half an hour later, one wonders what made the master thief fall for her." Nonetheless, her performance earned her a sixth nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award.

In 2007 she appeared in Mani Ratnam's Guru as Sujata. Speculated to be based on the life of Indian businessman Dhirubhai Ambani, it is a rag to riches story about an ambitious small-town man who ends up as the owner of the biggest corporation in India. The film premièred at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto, Canada, the first Indian film to have a mainstream international premiere in that country. The film was critically acclaimed, and performed well at the box office. Critical reception for Rai was mixed. While Nikhat Kazmi from The Times of India wrote that she is "just okay, and fails to register the growth in her character", Rediff.com's Raja Sen described it as "arguably her finest performance, visible especially when she takes over the film's climax." Rai received her seventh Filmfare nomination for Best Actress for her performance. In the same year she starred alongside Naveen Andrews and Miranda Richardson in Jag Mundhra's British film Provoked, as Kiranjit Ahluwalia, an Non-resident Indian woman who kills her abusive husband after facing severe domestic violence. Rai received mostly positive reviews for her portrayal. It was screened in the Marché du Film Cannes Film Market during the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. Ahluwalia sat next to Rai during the screening, reportedly holding her hand and sobbing during the most violent scenes. In the same year Rai appeared as a warrior from Kerala named Mira in Doug Lefler's epic film The Last Legion, alongside Sir Ben Kingsley, Colin Firth, and Thomas Sangster. The film was a critical failure.

In 2008 Rai starred alongside Hrithik Roshan in Ashutosh Gowariker's historical drama Jodhaa Akbar. The story is a partly-fictionalised account of the life of Muslim Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, played by Roshan, and his Hindu wife Jodha Bai, played by Rai. The film was a critical and commercial success, earning revenues of over Rs domestically. Rai's performance in the film was praised by critics, with Rajeev Masand writing, "Aishwarya Rai is wonderfully restrained and uses her eyes expertly to communicate so much, making this one of her finest outings on screen". She earned her eighth nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards for her performance. Later that year she co-starred with husband Abhishek Bachchan and father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan in Ram Gopal Verma's Sarkar Raj, a sequel to his previous film, Sarkar. She plays the CEO of a major power company that is proposing a new power plant in rural Maharashtra. The film was a critical and commercial success.

In 2009 she appeared in Harald Zwart's spy comedy film The Pink Panther 2, playing the role of criminology expert Sonia Solandres. Like its predecessor, the sequel received negative reviews from critics, and did a moderate business of $34,590,360 at the U.S box office. In 2010 she collaborated with Mani Ratnam for a bilingual project, two films featuring Rai portraying a character based on the goddess Sita. The films were shot simultaneously, with Rai's role being one of the only roles which were played by the same performer in both versions. Upon release, the project received mixed reviews. Though both her portrayals of Ragini were praised, the Hindi version—Raavan, alongside Abhishek Bachchan—failed commercially, whilst the Tamil version—Raavanan—was successful. The Hindi version of the film got decent reviews in various US media, including the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, with the former saying, "Raavan has Bollywood glamour aplenty, with the lovely if occasionally dramatically challenged Aishwarya Rai Bachchan", and the latter describing Rai as a scene-stealer.

Rai paired with Rajinikanth in the science fiction Tamil film Enthiran (2010), directed by S. Shankar. The film—the most expensive ever made in India—was released worldwide in 2010, and is the highest-grossing Indian film when all its versions are totalled. She appeared in Vipul Shah's Action Replayy opposite Akshay Kumar, which received mixed reviews from critics. Rai's final release in 2010 was Guzaarish, her third collaboration with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Hrithik Roshan. The film tells the story of Ethan Mascarenhas (Roshan), a former magician who has been quadriplegic for twelve years; after years of struggle he files an appeal to the court for euthanasia. Rai played Ethan's strict, devoted, and supportive nurse Sophie D'Souza. The film opened to positive reviews, and Rai's portrayal was praised. According to Nikhat Kazmi, "Aishwarya is a stunning picture of fire and grace, walking away with certain scenes by her sheer vitality." In 2011 she received her ninth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. As of May 2011, she is set to appear in Rajkumar Santoshi's next film, Ladies and Gentlemen, along with Abhishek Bachchan, and in Madhur Bhandarkar's next directorial venture, Heroine. The shooting of both films was postponed, due to Rai's pregnancy.

Social work

In 1999 Rai participated in a world tour called the Magnificent Five, along with Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Akshaye Khanna, and Twinkle Khanna. In the same year, she was appointed as Longines Ambassador of Elegance. In 2003 she became the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2003 she became a global brand ambassador of L'Oreal, alongside Andie Macdowell, Eva Longoria, and Penelope Cruz. Rai is the brand ambassador for The Eye Bank Association of India's nationwide campaign to promote eye donation in India. In 2005 she became a brand ambassador for Pulse Polio, a campaign established by the Government of India in 1994 to eradicate polio in India. In the same year, Rai was appointed spokesperson for the International Year of Microcredit, raising awareness of the main goals and priorities of the United Nations' poverty alleviation efforts.

In February 2005 Rai performed alongside other Bollywood stars at the HELP! Telethon Concert, an event to raise money for the victims of the 2004 tsunami earthquake. Along with other members of the Bachchan family, she laid the foundation of a special school for underprivileged girls in Daulatpur village in Uttar Pradesh in 2008. Construction is being funded by the Bachchan family, and the school will be be named after Rai. She appeared along with various other Bollywood actors at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. The performance showcased Indian culture as a lead-up to India hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

In 2009 Rai was appointed as the first Goodwill Ambassador of Smile Train, an international charity that provides free Cleft lip and palate surgery to children in need. Her work with Smile Train will focus not only on India, but on 76 different developing countries around the world.

Personal life

In 1999 Aishwarya began dating Bollywood actor Salman Khan; their relationship was often reported in the media until the couple separated in 2001. Rai cited "abuse (verbal, physical and emotional), infidelity and indignity" on the part of Khan as reasons for ending the relationship. In a 2009 Times of India article, Khan denied ever beating her: "It's not true that I hit a woman."

Rai is married to actor Abhishek Bachchan, they met in 1997. Their engagement was announced on 2007 and later confirmed by his father, Amitabh Bachchan. The couple married on 2007 according to traditional Hindu rites of the Bunt community, to which she belongs. Token North Indian and Bengali ceremonies were also performed. The wedding took place in a private ceremony at the Bachchan residence, "Prateeksha", in Juhu, Mumbai. They have been described as a supercouple in the Indian media. Rai is very close to her family and lived with them in Bandra, Mumbai, until her marriage. Rai is Hindu and deeply religious.

It was revealed on 21 June 2011 by her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan, through his blog, that she is pregnant. It has since been revealed that the baby is due in November 2011.

Awards and honours

Aishwarya Rai is a two-time winner of the Filmfare Best Actress Award, and has been nominated for Filmfare Awards eleven times. She has won numerous times at the International Indian Film Academy Awards, Star Screen Awards, Zee Cine Awards, and others. In 2009 Rai was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest Indian civilian award, for her contributions to Indian cinema. In 2001 Forbes named Rai among the top five Indian movie stars. In a reader poll conducted by UK's Hello! magazine, she was voted "the most attractive woman of 2003". In the same year, Rai appeared in Rolling Stone magazine's annual "Hot List". In 2004 she was chosen by TIME magazine as one of the world's most influential people, and appeared on the cover of its 2003 Asia edition. In October 2004 a wax figure of Rai was put on display in London's Madame Tussaud's wax museum. She was the sixth Indian and the second Bollywood personality—after her father-in-law, Amitabh Bachchan—to get this honour. In 2007 the same figure was displayed at Madame Tussaud's Museum in Times Square in New York.

In 2005 she was the subject of a 60 Minutes profile on , which said that "at least according to thousands of Web sites, Internet polls and even Julia Roberts", she was "the world's most beautiful woman". The same year, a tulip in the Netherlands was named "Aishwarya Rai" after her. Also in 2005, Mattel released a limited edition of Barbie dolls of Aishwarya Rai in the United Kingdom. The British magazine Maxim ranked Rai first on their list of "Hottest Women of India".

Rai appeared on such shows as Late Show with David Letterman, and was the first Bollywood personality to appear on Oprah's "Women Across the Globe" segment. In 2005 Harpers and Queen's list of "Most Beautiful Women in The World" ranked her ninth. In May 2006 Aishwarya was featured in People Magazine as one of the "World's Most Beautiful People". The UK magazine Eastern Eye ranked her third in the list of "Asia's Sexiest Women" in 2006, and she was ranked eighth in 2009. In 2008 American television channel E!: Entertainment listed Aishwarya's eyes as the sexiest on their Sexiest Body Parts list. In 2009 she made appearances on Martha Stewart's show Martha and on the The Tyra Banks Show. In the same year Forbes listed Rai at 387th out of 1,411 actors on their list of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. She is the highest-ranked Indian actor on the list.

In 2009, Rai refused to accept the second-highest Order Of France, Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, as her father was suffering from a serious illness, and she wanted her whole family to attend the award ceremony. She is the fourth Indian actor—after Sivaji Ganesan, Nandita Das, and Shahrukh Khan—to be chosen for the award. Amitabh Bachchan was chosen for another Order Of France, the Legion of Honour. In June 2009 she was declared the Female Star of The Decade at the tenth International Indian Film Academy Awards, held in Macau. In December 2010 she was declared the "Actress of the Decade" at the BIG Star Entertainment Awards. In March 2011 Rai was honoured by Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa at World Kannada Meet (Vishwa Kannada Sammelana) for her contributions to the arts. Later that month she was presented with the "Decade of Global Achievement Honour" by FICCI. She attended the 83rd Academy Awards, along with her husband, Abhishek.

Filmography

scope="col"	Year	Title	Language	Role	Notes
1997	Iruvar		Pushpa / Kalpana
1997	Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya		Ashi Kapoor
1998		Tamil	Madhumita	Dubbed into Telugu and Hindi with the same title
1999	Aa Ab Laut Chalen	Hindi	Pooja
1999	Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam	Hindi	Nandini	Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award
1999	Ravoyi Chandamama			Special appearance
1999		Hindi	Mansi
2000		Hindi	Champakali	Guest appearance
2000	Kandukondain Kandukondain	Tamil	Meenakshi Bala	Dubbed into Telugu as Priyuralu Pilichindi
2000		Hindi	Shirley
2000	Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai	Hindi	Preeti Virat	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2000	Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke	Hindi	Sahiba Grewal
scope="row">2000	Mohabbatein	Hindi	Megha	Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
2001		Hindi	Sonia
2002	Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam	Hindi	Suman	Guest appearance
2002		Hindi	Komal Rastogi
scope="row">2002	23 March 1931: Shaheed	Hindi		Special appearance
2002		Hindi	Parvati (Paro)	Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2002		Hindi	Herself	Special appearance in song "Ishq Kamina"
2003			Binodhini
2003	Dil Ka Rishta	Hindi	Tia Sharma
2003	Kuch Naa Kaho	Hindi	Namrata Shrivastav
2004	Bride & Prejudice	English	Lalita Bakshi	Dubbed into Hindi as Balle Balle Amritsar to LA
2004	Khakee	Hindi	Mahalakshmi
2004	Kyun...! Ho Gaya Na	Hindi	Diya Malhotra
2004		Hindi	Neerja	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2005		Hindi	Antara Vashist/Tammana
2005	Bunty Aur Babli	Hindi		Special appearance in the song "Kajra Re"
2005		English	Tilo
2006		Hindi	Umrao Jaan
2006	Dhoom 2	Hindi	Sunehri	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2007		Hindi	Sujata	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress AwardDubbed into 2007		English	[[Kiranjit Ahluwalia">Tamil language
2007		English	[[Kiranjit Ahluwalia	Dubbed into Hindi with the same title
2007	The Last Legion	English	Mira
2008	Jodhaa Akbar	Hindi	Mariam-uz-Zamani>Jodhaa Bai	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress AwardDubbed into 2008	[[Sarkar Raj">Tamil language
2008	[[Sarkar Raj	Hindi	Anita Rajan
2009	The Pink Panther 2	English	Sonia Solandres	Dubbed into French as La Pantera Rosa 2
2010	Raavan	Hindi	Ragini Sharma
2010	Raavanan	Tamil	Ragini Subramaniam
2010	Enthiran	Tamil	Sana
2010	Action Replayy	Hindi	Mala
2010	Guzaarish	Hindi	Sofia D'Souza	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2012		Hindi
2012		Hindi	Mahi Khanna

See also

List of Indian film actresses

References

Further reading

External links

}} Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:Femina Miss India winners Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:Indian female models Category:Indian film actors Category:Indian Hindus Category:Mangaloreans Category:Miss World 1994 delegates Category:Miss World winners Category:Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Category:People from Mangalore Category:People from Mumbai Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri Category:Tulu people Category:University of Mumbai alumni Category:Tamil film actors

ar:أيشواريا راي az:Ayşvariya Ray bn:ঐশ্বর্যা রাই br:Aishwarya Rai bg:Айшвария Рай ca:Aishwarya Rai cs:Aishwarya Rai de:Aishwarya Rai dv:އައިޝްވާރިޔާ ރާއީ es:Aishwarya Rai eo:Aishwarya Rai fa:آیشواریا رای fr:Aishwarya Rai gu:ઐશ્વર્યા રાય hi:ऐश्वर्या राय id:Aishwarya Rai it:Aishwarya Rai he:אישווריה ראי jv:Aishwarya Rai kn:ಐಶ್ವರ್ಯಾ ರೈ ka:აიშვარია რაი ky:Айшвария Рай sw:Aishwarya Rai ku:Aishwarya Rai lt:Aishwarya Rai hu:Aisvarja Rai ml:ഐശ്വര്യ റായ് mr:ऐश्वर्या राय ms:Aishwarya Rai nl:Aishwarya Rai ne:ऐश्वर्या राय ja:アイシュワリヤー・ラーイ no:Aishwarya Rai pnb:ایشوریہ راۓ pl:Aishwarya Rai pt:Aishwarya Rai ro:Aishwarya Rai ru:Рай, Айшвария sa:ऐश्वर्या राय sq:Aishwarya Rai sr:Ајшварија Рај fi:Aishwarya Rai sv:Aishwarya Rai ta:ஐஸ்வர்யா ராய் (நடிகை) te:ఐశ్వర్యా రాయ్ th:ไอศวรรยา ราย tg:Айшвария Рай tr:Aishwarya Rai uk:Айшварія Рай vi:Aishwarya Rai wuu:阿西华丫 yo:Aishwarya Rai zh:艾西瓦娅·巴克罕

name	Priya Gill
birth date	}}

Priya Gill (born 9 December 1977) is an Indian actress. She has acted in Bollywood, Tollywood, Malayalam and Punjabi film.

Film career

She began her Bollywood career with the ABCL production Tere Mere Sapne (1996) along with Arshad Warsi and Chandrachur Singh. She was known more for her Indian appeal and simple girl-next-door looks. Her performance was applauded in the movie Sirf Tum which was one of the highest grossing films of the year 1999.

She worked with some of the top names of that time like Shahrukh Khan in Josh and Suniel Shetty. She is remembered for her portrayal of a naive South Indian Brahmin girl in Tere mere Sapne (1996), a smart witty waitress in Bade Dilwala (1999) and a Goan Catholic violinist in Josh (2000). She comes from a Punjabi Jatt Sikh family.

Selected Filmography

Tere Mere Sapne (1996) ...Paro

Sham Ghansham (1998) ...Geeta

Sirf Tum (1999) ...Aarti

Bade Dilwala (1999) ...Piya

Megham (1999) (Malayalam)

Josh (2000) ...Roseanne(Rosy)

Bagunnara (2000) (Telugu)

Rayalaseema Ramanna chowdhary (2000) (Telugu)

Jeetenge Hum (2000)

Red (2002) (Tamil)

Jee Aayan Nu (2002) ... Simar

LOC Kargil (2003) ...Charulatha

References

Category:Living people Category:Indian Sikhs Category:Indian actors Category:Punjwood film actors Category:1977 births

ml:പ്രിയ ഗിൽ ta:பிரியா கில்

name	Josh Koscheck
other names	Kos, Male Nurse, Q-tip head
birth name	Josh Koscheck
birth date	November 30, 1977
birth place	Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
nationality	American
height
weight lb	170
weight class	Welterweight (170 lb) Middleweight (185 lb)
reach in	73
style	Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Collegiate Wrestling, Kickboxing, Boxing
stance	Orthodox
fighting out of	Fresno, California
team	American Kickboxing Academy
rank	NCAA Division I Wrestling Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
years active	2004 – present
mma kowin	4
mma subwin	5
mma decwin	6
mma koloss	1
mma subloss	1
mma decloss	3
university	Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
school	Waynesburg Central High School
url	Official UFC Profile http://www.kosmma.com/
sherdog	9418
updated	May 12, 2011 }}

Josh D. Koscheck (born November 30, 1977) is an American mixed martial artist from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, a former collegiate wrestling champion and is currently fighting at welterweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He made his debut with the organization on the first season of the reality television show, The Ultimate Fighter. Koscheck has fought for the company a record 17 times since 2005. Koscheck is often ranked among the top ten welterweights in the world by leading mixed martial arts publications. MMA Weekly currently ranks Koscheck at No. 6 while Sherdog currently ranks Koscheck at No. 7.

Early life

Koscheck has a strong, well-documented base in collegiate wrestling, dating back to his years at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, where he attended the university on an athletic scholarship. In 2001, during his Junior season, Koscheck won all 42 of his wrestling matches and went on to become the NCAA Division I Champion in the 174 lb weight class.

In addition to being a four-time NCAA Division I All-American (placing 4th, 2nd, 1st and 3rd respectively), Koscheck is a three-time recipient of the PSAC Wrestler of the Year award and earned the Eastern Wrestling League Achievement Award twice.

He earned a Bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Edinboro University.

He spent a few months coaching at Erie Cathedral Prep and one and a half years as the assistant head wrestling coach at the University at Buffalo.

Koscheck appeared in the music video for Chevelle's song "I Get It", playing the man who beats up an employer.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Koscheck appeared on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter as a middleweight fighter. He defeated Chris Leben via unanimous decision to advance to the semifinals, where he was defeated by Diego Sanchez via split decision. Koscheck had his first official UFC fight on April 9, 2005, at The Ultimate Finale, where he defeated Chris Sanford with a first round knockout. Koscheck followed this victory with another win at Ultimate Fight Night over UFC veteran Pete Spratt in Koscheck's UFC debut at welterweight. Since then, Koscheck has amassed an additional three victories after experiencing his first career loss to Drew Fickett due to a rear naked choke. Koscheck then defeated Canadian welterweight standout Jonathan Goulet at UFC Fight Night 6 by submission due to strikes.

Since 2006, Koscheck has been training at the American Kickboxing Academy(AKA) in San Jose, California, to which he accredits his vastly improved kickboxing technique.

Koscheck's fight on December 13, 2006 was against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Jeff Joslin at UFC Fight Night 7 where he won by unanimous decision.

Koscheck was then scheduled to fight Diego Sanchez on April 7, 2007 at UFC 69. This was the second encounter between the two welterweight fighters. The first fight – which did not count towards Koscheck's official record due to the bout being considered an exhibition match for The Ultimate Fighter television taping – resulted in a split decision win for Sanchez. At the weigh-ins for the event, Sanchez shoved Koscheck during the traditional post-weigh-in staredown. Although Sanchez continued to shout at Koscheck, no conflict ensued. Koscheck later defeated Diego Sanchez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). Koscheck out struck Sanchez through three rounds and only initiated a wrestling takedown once. During the post-fight interview, Koscheck repeatedly exclaimed, "Nineteen-and-one," in reference to Sanchez' first mixed martial arts defeat (including the two fights from The Ultimate Fighter program). UFC President Dana White announced a few weeks after the fight that Diego Sanchez had an undiagnosed illness before and during the fight which turned out to be serious staph infection.

On August 25, 2007, at UFC 74 Koscheck was defeated by Georges St-Pierre at UFC 74 via unanimous decision. (30–27, 29–28, 29–28). St-Pierre's wrestling skills were displayed during the match by outwrestling Koscheck, scoring takedowns, stopping Koscheck's takedown attempts and maintaining top position throughout most of the fight. There was speculation before the fight that Koscheck would out-match St-Pierre on the ground due to his credentials, but St-Pierre was confident that he was a better wrestler and striker and was more well versed in submissions than Koscheck.

Josh made his return at UFC 82, defeating Dustin Hazelett by TKO due to strikes at 1:24 of the 2nd round.

He won his next fight, against Chris Lytle at UFC 86, winning by unanimous decision after cutting Lytle badly with "ground and pound" elbows.

Koscheck then agreed to step in and fight Thiago Alves at UFC 90 on just 2 weeks notice due to an injury suffered by Diego Sanchez. Koscheck lost the fight via unanimous decision. Alves landed powerful leg kicks and managed to drop Koscheck more than once during the fight.

On December 10, 2008, Koscheck fought Yoshiyuki Yoshida in the main event at UFC: Fight for the Troops and won by KO in the first round by landing two devastating straight right punches to Yoshida's head. The Japanese fighter remained on the canvas, while being tended to by commission doctors and was removed from the Octagon on a stretcher as a precautionary measure. He was later treated and released from a local hospital for a concussion. Koscheck received $60,000 bonus from the UFC for Knockout of the Night.

Koscheck fought promotional newcomer Paulo Thiago at UFC 95. Koscheck was defeated by the debuting Brazilian via first round KO. Thiago hit Koscheck squarely with a right uppercut and landed a left hook as Koscheck fell to the canvas in a stupor. After the bout was halted, Koscheck got up and argued that he was still alert and able to defend himself. Shortly after the stoppage, Koscheck was seen calmly offering his opinion of the stoppage to the referee: "Too early - just a little bit too early."

Koscheck was to fight Chris Wilson at UFC 98 but was forced to withdraw after suffering a foot injury in training. He returned at UFC 103 and defeated returning veteran Frank Trigg via TKO at 1:25 of the 1st round.

Koscheck was expected to face Mike Pierce on January 11, 2010, at UFC Fight Night 20, but instead went on to face Anthony Johnson on November 21, 2009, at UFC 106.

On November 21, 2009, Koscheck defeated Anthony Johnson by rear naked choke at 4:47 in the 2nd round. In the first round, Koscheck blocked a knee aimed at his head while he had two knees on the ground. Koscheck went to the ground holding his face, prompting the ref to step in. Johnson had a point deducted. Commentators accused Koscheck of faking the impact of the knee, which seemed to miss Koscheck's face on the replays. Koscheck has said in multiple interviews that he was reacting to an eye poke, not the knee. In round two, Koscheck poked Johnson in the eye twice leading to Johnson being given time to recover. In his post fight interview, he called out Dan Hardy, the #1 contender in the Welterweight Division.

Koscheck was scheduled to face Paulo Thiago at UFC 109, but was forced off the card with an injury and was replaced by AKA teammate Mike Swick.

Welterweight contendership

Koscheck then signed to fight Paul Daley at UFC 113 in Montreal. Koscheck used his wrestling to earn a unanimous decision victory. After the final bell and the fighters had been separated by the referee, Daley threw a punch at Koscheck, hitting him in the face. In an interview at the conclusion of the event, Dana White announced that Daley would never fight in the UFC again. White was quoted as saying, "He will never come back, I do not care if he's the best 170-pounder in the world. He's never coming back here. There's no excuse for that. You never hit a guy like that after the bell." Via Twitter, Koscheck expressed a desire to face Tito Ortiz at a catchweight after his fight with Daley, in large part because Ortiz poked fun at Mark Coleman after he was defeated at UFC 109.

Koscheck faced Georges St-Pierre at UFC 124 for the UFC Welterweight Championship. UFC 124 was heavily hyped due to Josh' well known animosity towards Georges St-Pierre stemming from his loss via decision in their fight at UFC 74. In the year 2010 Koscheck was a coach on The Ultimate Fighter season 12. The season 12 finale aired on December 4, 2010 with the main event consisting of two fighters Michael Johnson and Jonathan Brookins from team Georges St-Pierre. St Pierre defeated Koscheck winning by unanimous decision.

Koscheck suffered a broken orbital bone on the right side of his face in the fight with St-Pierre. Unable to fly because of air pockets that formed around Koscheck's right eye, the UFC arranged for him and his trainer to drive to Boston where Koscheck received the corrective surgery. He is expected to be out of action until mid 2011. He has recently stated he wants to move up to middleweight to fight fellow Ultimate Fighter Season 1 Alumni Stephan Bonnar.

Championships and awards

Amateur wrestling

National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA Division I 174 1b - 4th place out of Edinboro University (1999)

NCAA Division I 174 1b - Runner-up out of Edinboro University (2000)

NCAA Division I 174 1b - Champion out of Edinboro University (2001)

NCAA Division I 174 1b - 3rd place out of Edinboro University (2002)

As a senior at Waynesburg Central High School, Koscheck finished second in the 1997 Pennsylvania State Wrestling Championships.In 2001, he went 42-0 and was the NCAA Division I National Champion in the 174-pound weight class. Koscheck was also a four-time Division I All-American (4th, 2nd, 1st, and 3rd) and the 11th four-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Champion. He was honored as the PSAC Wrestler of the Year three times and was twice named the Eastern Wrestling League Wrestler of the Year.

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship

*Knockout of the Night (One time)

*Submission of the Night (One time)

*Fight of the Night (Two times)

Mixed martial arts record

		TBA						San Jose, California
Loss		Georges St-Pierre	Decision (Unanimous)					Montreal, Quebec	For UFC Welterweight Championship, Fight of The Night
Win		Paul Daley	Decision (Unanimous)					Montreal, Quebec
Win			Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)					Las Vegas, Nevada	Won Submission of the Night and Fight of the Night
Win		Frank Trigg	KO (Punches)					Dallas, Texas
Loss		Paulo Thiago	KO (Punch)					London, England
Win		Yoshiyuki Yoshida	KO (Punch)	UFC: Fight For The Troops				Fayetteville, North Carolina	Knockout of the Night
Loss		Thiago Alves	Decision (Unanimous)					Rosemont, Illinois
Win		Chris Lytle	Decision (Unanimous)					Las Vegas, Nevada
Win		Dustin Hazelett	TKO (Head Kick and Punches)					Columbus, Ohio
Loss		Georges St-Pierre	Decision (Unanimous)					Las Vegas, Nevada
Win		Diego Sanchez	Decision (Unanimous)					Houston, Texas
Win		Jeff Joslin	Decision (Unanimous)	UFC Fight Night: Sanchez vs Riggs				San Diego, California
Win		Jonathan Goulet	Submission (Punches)	UFC Fight Night 6				Las Vegas, Nevada
Win		Dave Menne	Decision (Unanimous)					Las Vegas, Nevada
Win		Ansar Chalangov	Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)					Las Vegas, Nevada
Loss		Drew Fickett	Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)					Las Vegas, Nevada
Win		Pete Spratt	Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)					Las Vegas, Nevada
Win		Chris Sanford	KO (Punch)	The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale				Las Vegas, Nevada
Win		Luke Cummo	Decision (Unanimous)	Ring of Combat 6				Elizabeth, New Jersey
Win		Cruz Cachon	Submission (Neck Crank)	King of the Rockies				Fort Collins, Colorado

References

External links

Official UFC Profile

Koscheck's profile at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:African-American mixed martial artists Category:Mixed martial artists from Pennsylvania Category:American sport wrestlers Category:People from Greene County, Pennsylvania Category:People from Fresno, California Category:Welterweight mixed martial artists Category:Edinboro University of Pennsylvania alumni Category:American practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

fr:Josh Koscheck ja:ジョシュ・コスチェック pt:Josh Koscheck sv:Josh Koscheck