name	Guru
director	Mani Ratnam
producer	Mani RatnamG. Srinivasan
story	Mani Ratnam
screenplay	Mani Ratnam
starring	Mithun ChakrabortyAbhishek BachchanAishwarya Rai BachchanVidya BalanMadhavan
music	A. R. Rahman
cinematography	Rajiv Menon
editing	A. Sreekar Prasad
distributor	Madras Talkies
released	January 12, 2007
country	India
language	Hindi
gross	81.24 crore }}

''Guru'' ( ; ) is a 2007 Indian biographical film co-written and directed by Mani Ratnam. It stars Mithun Chakraborty, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, R. Madhavan, Vidya Balan in the leading roles. The movie also has Mallika Sherawat in a guest appearance. The score and soundtrack for the film is composed by A. R. Rahman. Similarities between Gurukant and India businessman Dhirubhai Ambani have led to speculation that ''Guru'' is based on his life. The movie was dubbed and released simultaneously in Tamil as ''Guru'' and in Telugu as ''Gurukanth''. The film was released on 12 January 2007, and premièred at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, making it the first Indian film to have a mainstream international premiere in Canada.

Synopsis

The start of the film is set in 1951. In a small village of Idar in Sabarkantha District North Gujarat, a young man dreams of making it big some day. His father (Rajendra Gupta), the headmaster of the village school, tells him that dreams never come true. Gurukant Desai (Abhishek Bachchan) decides to go to Turkey and enters the spice trade and then later is promoted but refuses the job because he wants to work for himself and not another man.

Manik Dasgupta a.k.a. Nanaji (Mithun Chakraborty), who publishes a newspaper Swatantra, treats Guru as his son. Guru likewise looks to him as a father figure who gives him support during his early struggling days in Bombay. He also develops a strong friendship with his granddaughter, Meenu (Vidya Balan). Meenu develops multiple sclerosis as she grows up, and begins using a wheelchair later on in the film.

As Gurukant Desai's business grows into one of the largest in India, he ruthlessly pursues success. He smuggles in parts for his polyester mills, illegally creates goods, and manipulates stocks to make a higher profit. But when Manik Dasgupta learns that Guru's means of success are not always honest, he, along with a reporter of his newspaper, Shyam (Madhavan), decide to expose Guru's increasingly corrupt ways.

The stress of his battle with the newspaper causes Guru to have a stroke, and he is paralyzed on his right side. Meanwhile, Meenu (Vidya Balan), who is now married to Shyam, is slowly weakening from her illness, and eventually dies. In the end, Guru is brought before a government inquiry into his unethical actions, but he delivers a speech in front of the press that gets the government to clear him of most of the charges. He is charged with less allegations and is allowed to return to his company, and the film ends with Guru continuing to dream of the future, and even greater success for the Shakti company.

Production

''Guru'' was written and directed by Mani Ratnam, while Vijay Krishna Acharya wrote the Hindi dialogues. Shooting for the film took place in Mumbai, Turkey, Badami and Melkote (both in Karnataka), as well as in Chennai, Pollachi, Madurai, Chettinad region Tamil Nadu, and Athirapilly in Kerala. Much of the film was shot on the Express Estates, the former home of ''The New Indian Express'' and ''Dinamani''. During one musical number, Aishwarya Rai fell from a bicycle and received bruises on her hands and feet. Filming had to be suspended for a few hours while she received first aid and the number was cut from the film and eventually replaced with "Barso Re". The music is composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics by Gulzar. Cinematography for the film is handled by Rajiv Menon. Several scenes were deleted from the final theatrical version, including a scene in which Sujata first gives birth to a stillborn child and a scene in which Guru becomes angry with Sujata for visiting Manik Dasgupta.

''Guru'' has others involved in the production as a film that is reflective of a man's desire for ambition and success, and how times have changed from the period immediately after the country's independence to the present. Some reports have speculated that this film is a biopic of, one of India's biggest industrial tycoons, Dhirubhai Ambani. Like Guru, Ambani also had roots in Gujarat as the son of a schoolteacher, went abroad to work for the gas company Shell, and returned to India to import polyester. Ratnam has described ''Guru'' as inspired by stories both past and present.

Cast

Mithun Chakraborty as Manik Dasgupta

Abhishek Bachchan as Gurukant Desai

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Sujata Desai

R. Madhavan as Shyam Saxena

Vidya Balan as Meenakshi "Meenu" Saxena née Jalkukdi

Arya Babbar as Jignesh

Roshan Seth as Judge

Mallika Sherawat as Champa

Soundtrack

Response

Box office

''Guru'' opened well upon release, gaining momentum over time. In the United States, ''Guru,'' opening on a limited release, registered very good collections in its opening weekend, fetching 3 crores during this period, with a very high screen average. By its seventh week, the film has netted 41.65 crores in India, collecting 13 crores in the US and the UK. As of 23 February 2007 Guru, released 12 January has grossed more than 80 crores across the world and was declared as "Super Hit".

Critical Reception

''Guru'' has generally received positive reviews from critics. Abhishek Bachchan received almost unanimous praise for his performance. The film has a rating of 90 percent at the review website ''Rotten Tomatoes''. ''The New York Times'' said of the film "You might think it would be difficult to fashion an entertaining account of the life of a polyester manufacturer, even a fictitious one. But the Tamil director Mani Ratnam, known for intelligent political dramas, has done so with “Guru,” an epic paean to can-do spirit and Mumbai capitalism." ''The New York Post'' gave it three out of four stars, and the ''Los Angeles Weekly'' called it the best Hindi film since ''Lagaan.'' ''Richard Corliss'' of TIME Magazine compared the film to Frank Capra's ''It's a Wonderful Life'' and said that one of the main highlights of the film was its climax. This Guru is more like a fine polyester. He further noted, "Ash's film eminence remains a mystery. No question she's pretty, but she's more an actress-model than a model actress. In Guru she's mainly ornamentation". The Hindustan Times reviewer gave it a three and half stars and noted " Ratnam and Bachchan Jr have given you a film that’s as close to life as say, business is to politics. For the discerning viewer, satisfaction is guaranteed.. and some more. Aishwarya Rai is marvellous, handling complex scenes with grace and empathy. Above all, the enterprise belongs to Abhishek Bachchan. He is astonishingly nuanced and unwaveringly forceful in his career-best performance after Yuva. " Critic Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama gave a four star rating and claimed in his review that "''Guru'' ranks as one of Mani Ratnam's finest efforts and one of the best to come out of Hindi cinema," and praised actors performances writing "Reserve all the awards for ''Abhishek''. No two opinions on that! His performance in GURU is world class and without doubt. From a sharp teenager in Turkey to the biggest entrepreneur of the country, Abhishek handles the various shades this character demands with adroitness."

Raja Sen from Rediff gave a three stars said that "Guru is fuelled by a slew of strong performances. Abhishek Bachchan owns the movie, forcing audiences to sit up straight as it begins and making us laugh and applaud as he carries on. He's impressive in every frame, as he ebulliently takes over an alien room by hopping onto a chair, or when he's trying to be ever so slightly slimy, polishing his spectacles and showing off his smarminess". Daily News and Analysis reviewer gave a three star rating and cited " Guru is a film that enthralls you for most of its running time as it traces the life of the uncannily forward seeing bumpkin from Gujarat who turns every disadvantage into an advantage. With Guru, Abhishek Bachchan has finally learnt the nuances of the grammar of cinema, in what will very likely be his defining film". Sify gave its verdict as "Very Good" and stated "Mani Ratnam’s Guru is undoubtedly a gutsy and outstanding film. Outstanding performance is extracted from everyone in the cast." The Hindu cited that "'Guru' is vintage Mani Ratnam. It encapsulates his characteristic canniness about human nature, specifically relationships. This is considered Abhishek Bachchan's role of a lifetime." ''Rajeev Masand'' of CNN-IBN gave four stars explaining "The beauty of Mani Ratnam's cinema is truly in its unpredictability. Few filmmakers can translate their personal vision onto screen the way Mani Ratnam can. So that's two thumbs up for Guru - it's a must-watch for all. Of the film's cast, ''Mithun Chakraborty'' playing the Gandhian newspaper baron, deserves mention for the dignity which he brings to the part, one that's clearly inspired by Indian Express founder Ramnath Goenka. The actor in this film who truly blew my mind, is Aishwarya Rai. There is a silent grace, quiet nobility to her performance,which I have to admit I've never seen before. Of course the film belongs to Abhishek Bachchan, the protagonist, Guru himself. And in all honesty, Abhishek rises to the challenge like never before. " The Sunday Times stated "It is certainly one of the best Bollywood movies you will see. Performances attract admiration: ''Bachchan'' does a De Niro, piling on the dosas to show the ageing and overweight Guru and he is, surprisingly, impressive. ''Rai'' sheds her usual doe-eyed expressions and is endearing as the supportive but fiery wife, who looks and dances like an angel. Chakraborty and Tamil superstar ''Madhavan'' shine equally brightly in underwritten supporting roles". BBC reviewer Jaspreet Pandohar gave it a three star rating and noted "Ratnam's absorbing screenplay ensures that Guru rises above the usual rags to riches story, by weaving in meaty subplots involving the protagonist's complex relationships with his loyal wife (Aishwarya Rai), friends and foes".

Awards

;Filmfare Awards

Winner - Best Art Direction - Samir Chanda

Winner - Best Background Score - A. R. Rahman

Winner - Best Music - A. R. Rahman

Winner - Best Choreography - Saroj Khan for "Barso Re"

Winner - Best Playback Singer (Female) - Shreya Ghoshal for "Barso Re"

Nominated - Best Film - Mani Ratnam

Nominated - Best Director - Mani Ratnam

Nominated - Best Actor - Abhishek Bachchan

Nominated - Best Actress - Aishwarya Rai

Nominated - Best Supporting Actor - Mithun Chakraborty

Nominated - Best Lyrics - Gulzar for "Tere Bina"

Nominated - Best Playback Singer (Male) - A. R. Rahman

References

External links

Category:2007 films Category:Indian films Category:Films set in the 1950s Category:Films set in the 1960s Category:Films set in the 1970s Category:Films set in the 1980s Category:Hindi-language films Category:Films directed by Mani Ratnam Category:Fictional Indian people Category:Films featuring an item number

de:Guru (2007) es:Guru (película) fr:Guru (film) hi:गुरु (2007 फ़िल्म) new:गुरु (सन् २००७या संकिपा) pl:Guru (film 2007) fi:Guru (elokuva) ta:குரு(திரைப்படம்) zh:古盧大兄

birth name	Madhavan Balaji Ranganathan
occupation	Actor, writer, producer, television presenter
birth date	June 01, 1970
birth place	Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India
years active	1994–present
spouse	Sarita Birje(1999–present)
nationality	Indian
alma mater	}}

R. Madhavan (, born 1 June 1970) is an Indian actor, writer, film producer and television host. Madhavan has received a Filmfare Award, an award from the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards alongside recognition and nominations from other organisations. He has been described as one of the few actors in India who is able to achieve pan-Indian appeal, appearing in films from eight different languages.

Madhavan began his acting career with television guest appearances, including a role on the Zee TV prime-time soap opera ''Banegi Apni Baat'' in 1996. After appearing in commercials and in small roles, he later gained recognition as the husband going through the traumas of his marriage in Mani Ratnam's successful romantic film ''Alaipayuthey'' (2000). Madhavan soon developed an image as a romantic hero with notable roles in two of 2001's biggest grossers, Gautham Menon's directorial debut ''Minnale'' and Madras Talkies' ''Dumm Dumm Dumm''. He worked with Ratnam again in the critically acclaimed 2002 film ''Kannathil Muthamittal'' playing the father of an adopted girl, whilst he enjoyed commercial success with his role in Linguswamy's action film, ''Run'' (2002). He was cast opposite Kamal Haasan in the 2003 drama ''Anbe Sivam'', which earned him two notable awards for supporting actor. In 2004 he gave critically acclaimed performances in the multi-starring drama ''Aayutha Ezhuthu'' and the film secured him his first Filmfare Award for the intense portrayal of a rogue. In the mid 2000s Madhavan also pursued a career in Hindi films, writing the dialogues for the comedy ''Ramji Londonwaley'', before appearing in supporting roles in two big-budget productions, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's ''Rang De Basanti'' and Mani Ratnam's biopic ''Guru''. He then won critical acclaim for his portrayal of angry man in his home production in 2007, ''Evano Oruvan'', whilst two years later he appeared in the successful bilingual horror film ''Yavarum Nalam''. He also played a critically acclaimed role in the 2009 blockbuster by Rajkumar Hirani, ''3 Idiots'', portraying a student with actors Aamir Khan and Sharman Joshi.

Madhavan has been a brand ambassador appearing in many commercials, whilst he has also played television hosts to Hindi television programmes, most notably ''Deal Ya No Deal'' in 2006. Before his breakthrough role as a romantic actor in 2000, he was married to Sarita Birje and has a young son. He has been a supporter of the PETA programme in India and has appeared in events organised for the group's promotion. Madhavan owns a production company named Leukos Films, who produced his 2007 film ''Evano Oruvan''.

Early life

Madhavan was born on 1 June 1970 in Jamshedpur, India, to a Hindu Tamil Brahmin family. His father Ranganathan was a management executive with Tata Steel whilst his mother, Saroja was a manager with the Bank of India. His sister, Devika, is a software engineer settled in the United Kingdom. He had a Tamil-speaking upbringing in Bihar.

In 1988, Madhavan was chosen to represent India as its cultural ambassador from Rajaram College, Kolhapur to Canada after his graduation in electronics. At 22, he was awarded the Maharashtra Best Cadet, allowing him to make a trip with three others as NCC Cadets to England. Because of this honour, he received training with the Royal Army, the Navy and the Air Force, which he previously planned to join. However he was rejected from the opportunity, as he missed the age cut-off by six months. After he lost out on the place, he began taking courses in public speaking which eventually helped him venture into the film industry. He won the Indian Championship for Public Speaking and was subsequently selected to represent India at the Young Businessmen Conference in Tokyo, Japan in 1992.

Acting career

Early work

In early 1996, Madhavan did a sandalwood talc advertisement for Santosh Sivan, who later recommended him to Mani Ratnam for a screen test for a role in ''Iruvar''. Later in the same year, Mani Ratnam called Madhavan for the screen test, but left him out of the project citing that he thought his eyes looked too young for a senior role. As his film career failed to take off, Madhavan went on to feature in Hindi television serials, appearing as a crook in his first venture ''Yule Love Stories''. He appeared in a leading roles in Zee TV's ''Banegi Apni Baat'' and later in ''Tol Mol Ke Bol''. He went on to as a captain in ''Sea Hawks'', as a convict in ''Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum'', and as an anchor in ''Tol Mol'' amongst others. His popularity on television, led to him securing his first film role in ''Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin'', where he made a cameo appearance in a song as a club singer.

In 1997, Madhavan appeared in his first film role as an Indian police officer in Fred Olen Ray's ''Inferno'' alongside Don Wilson. His first chance in Indian movies came in the form of ''Shanti Shanti Shanti'', a Kannada film, in which he acted in the second lead role to Abbas, an established actor. However, the film failed to make an impact and went unnoticed. During the period, Hindi film director Vinod Pandey launched Madhavan as a Bollywood hero, with a project titled ''Lakheli'', however the film was abandoned by the producers soon after production began and the film was cancelled.

1999-2003

In 1999, director Mani Ratnam called Madhavan back after his unsuccessful audition for ''Iruvar'' to feature in his Tamil romantic film, ''Alaipayuthey'', which consequently went on to become a blockbuster, earning positive reviews from critics. In ''Alaipayuthey'', Madhavan paired with actress Shalini and portrayed the role of Karthik, a young husband experiencing difficulties with his marriage. Madhavan's performance was well-received by critics and the film became a cult hit, leaving way to several spoofs of his character. A critic from The Hindu, described that Madhavan "sails through the litmus test with ease", whilst another review cited that Madhavan was a promising debutant into the film industry. After the success of his first Tamil film, the producers of his previous Kannada film, ''Shanti Shanti Shanti'', dubbed the film into Tamil and released it as ''Relax'', to capitalize on Madhavan's new found success. Madhavan's second lead role was in the romantic film ''Ennavale'' featuring Sneha. The film garnered poor reviews, although Madhavan's portrayal was praised as the "mainstay of the film", with claims that the film for him was a "merely a prosaic exercise".

In 2001, Madhavan enjoyed success starring opposite Reemma Sen in Gautham Menon's directorial debut, ''Minnale''. The film opened well due to the popular soundtrack by Harris Jayaraj and the marketing as a Valentine's Day release, and won favourable reviews from critics which led to commercial success. He collaborated with Mani Ratnam for the second time by appearing in his production house, Madras Talkies' romantic comedy ''Dumm Dumm Dumm'' alongside Jyothika. The film won positive acclaim and became a success, with Madhavan establishing himself as a bankable actor in South India. Madhavan next starred in ''Parthale Paravasam'', the hundredth venture of veteran director, K. Balachander. Madhavan, in the film, acted as a husband in a troubled marriage again after ''Alaipayuthey''. Despite being highly anticipated, the film failed at the box-office, with critics citing that Madhavan looked "rather bored" with the proceedings. Similarly his first lead role in a Hindi film, ''Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein'', a remake of his ''Minnale'', was also was unsuccessful at the box office, with the film and Madhavan's performance receiving mixed reviews.

Following ''Parthale Paravasam'', Madhavan again starred opposite Simran Bagga in his third Mani Ratnam production, ''Kannathil Muthamittal''. He portrayed the role of the father of an adopted child, who wishes to return to her native homeland amidst the Sri Lankan civil war. The film was critically acclaimed and went on to win six National Awards as well as over ten awards at various International Film Festivals around the world. Madhavan gained acclaim for his portrayal with a critic citing "he lived the role of the character he portrays". Madhavan's next large success came in ''Run'', a film recognized for its screenplay, with Madhavan appearing in an action film for the first time in his career. Despite another unsuccessful Hindi venture with ''Dil Vil Pyar Vyar'', the success of his previous films helped him secure the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor for 2002, being jointly recognized for both films.

After the success of ''Run'', several of Madhavan's films were critically acclaimed but failed to succeed at the box office. ''Anbe Sivam'' featuring and written by Kamal Haasan, won critical acclaim but failed to become a grosser. Portraying a young frustrated filmmaker with capitalist beliefs who travels with a handicapped communist played by Kamal Haasan, Madhavan's performance was described as a "milestone in his career" and that "his portrayal will remain with the viewer for long" by a critic from The Hindu. During the period he went on to feature in Kamal Haasan's home production, ''Nala Damayanthi'' as a Brahmin cook lost in Australia and in Vikraman's ''Priyamana Thozhi'' as a budding cricketer, however both films were average grossers though Madhavan's performances were appreciated by reviewers. He appeared in guest role as a teacher in ''Lesa Lesa'' directed by Priyadarshan, and then featured in Saran's ''Jay Jay'' alongside Priyanka Kothari and Pooja , where his performance won mixed reviews.

2004-2008

Madhavan played an impostor gangster in K. S. Ravikumar's comedy ''Aethiree'' before being selected to feature in his fourth Mani Ratnam production. ''Aayutha Ezhuthu'' featured an ensemble cast of Suriya, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, Esha Deol and Trisha Krishnan and featured music from A. R. Rahman. Madhavan portrayed the character of Inba Sekhar, a hitman living in the slums of Chennai who eventually is taken under the wings of a politician. His role also featured him in a struggling marriage with Sasi, played by Meera Jasmine, who desperately tries to claw him away from his profession. Madhavan has since stated that the role was his hardest to date and the one which he enjoyed the most. He received praise from critics, claiming he outplayed Abhishek Bachchan's interpretation of the character in the Hindi version of the bilingual, ''Yuva''. Madhavan won the South Indian Filmfare Award for the Best Supporting Actor, whilst a critic from The Hindu cited that he "sparkles as an anti-hero" and that the "character ought to find a very special place in his repertoire".

In 2005, Madhavan went on to feature in Rajiv Anchal's crossover film ''Nothing But Life'', also filmed simultaneously in Malayalam as ''Made in USA'' with the film being shot in a single schedule in Las Vegas and Albuquerque. Portraying an orphaned youth with suicidal tendencies being treated by a Malayali psychiatrist in the USA, the film and his portrayal received mixed reviews. He appeared in another marriage drama film, ''Priyasakhi'', co-starring Sadha - with the pair playing an estranged husband and wife. The film received praise for the lead pair's performances with Madhavan being praised as "top class", while it also became the first Tamil film to be dubbed into Zulu. Madhavan made a return to Hindi films by writing the dialogues and starring in the comedy ''Ramji Londonwaley'', a remake of ''Nala Damayanthi''. However despite critics despite his performance as "a master stroke", the film fared averagely at the box office due to other big budget films releasing during the period. Madhavan's three releases in 2006 were commercial successes with ''Rang De Basanti'', ''Thambi'' and ''Rendu''. His appearance in vital cameo role as a pilot in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's ''Rang De Basanti'' earned him his first major hit in Hindi films, with the ensemble cast including Aamir Khan being described as "near perfect". ''Thambi'' directed by Seeman was shot for over a year and faced a delayed release, but became a major success in town and village centres. Madhavan's portrayal of a rustic do-gooder, received positive reviews from critics though it was claimed he was "unable to shed off his classy looks". In ''Rendu'', a Sundar C comedy, Madhavan appeared in dual roles for the first time in his career and was cast opposite Reemma Sen and Anushka Shetty.

Madhavan appeared in his fifth film under Mani Ratnam's Hindi production, ''Guru'' in 2007 featuring in the biopic with Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Vidya Balan. His role of Shyam Saxena was inspired from the life of real-life journalist S. Gurumurthy, who was a challenger to business tycoon, Dhirubhai Ambani, whose role drew allusions with Bachchan's role. The film became a blockbuster and won critical acclaim, with a reviewer citing that Madhavan acts with "extreme, believable sincerity" dubbing him as "truly a poster boy for India", whilst another claimed he performed " a weak role with elan". After appearing in guest roles as himself in the Hindi film ''Delhi Heights'' and in Sudhish Kamath's English film ''That Four-Letter Word'', he featured in the long-delayed romantic comedy ''Aarya'' which gained poor reviews. Madhavan wrote the dialogues, produced and featured in the lead role in Nishikanth Kamat's ''Evano Oruvan'', where he played a middle class bank employee, Sridhar Vasudevan, who becomes so disgusted with the corruption he faces in his day to day life that he loses it one day and become a vigilante. After setting up his production house, Leukos Films, he helped promote the film in international film festivals before the theatrical release in December 2007. Though the film only became an average grosser, critics called the film a "must watch" with The Hindu dubbed the film as "Madhavan's best performance" and he went on to win the ITFA Best Actor Award. In January 2008, he appeared in the unsuccessful ''Vaazhthukal'' with Bhavana, although his performance was described as the "only thing which kept the film engaging" by a critic. Madhavan's final release of the year was the docudrama ''Mumbai Meri Jaan'', based upon the 2006 Mumbai Bombings. The film, which pitted him with Soha Ali Khan, Irrfan Khan and Kay Kay Menon became a critically acclaimed venture with Madhavan's portrayal of a man with a post-traumatic stress disorder being appreciated.

2009 - present

Madhavan won positive acclaim for playing the lead role of an engineer experiencing eerie events in Vikram Kumar's bilingual horror films, ''Yavarum Nalam'' and ''13B''. The film, which became a commercial and critical success upon release resulted in critics claiming "he carried the film on his shoulders" while he was nominated for the Vijay Award for Best Actor. His following two films, the romantic comedy ''Guru En Aalu'' and the action film ''Sikandar'' in which he played a supporting role of an army officer, both fetched average reviews and failed financially. Madhavan went on to appear as Farhan Qureshi, the narrator, in Rajkumar Hirani's ''3 Idiots'' alongside Aamir Khan and Sharman Joshi. The film, a critical and commercial blockbuster, went on to become the highest grossing Indian film of all time, with Madhavan's portrayal earning him nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor and for the IIFA Best Supporting Actor Award. Critics described his performance as "incredible", and Madhavan claimed that the film changed how he was viewed as an actor in Hindi films for the better. His role alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Ben Kingsley in ''Teen Patti'' as a young professor won him mixed reviews with critics citing he was "excellent" whilst other suggested his "energy and zest from ''Guru'' is missing", but the film went on to become a colossal failure at box office. His two guest appearances in the year also received mixed feedback with his performance in the Telugu anthology film ''Om Shanti'' being praised, whilst a role in the John Abraham starrer ''Jhootha Hi Sahi'' drew him criticism. Madhavan then re-collaborated with Kamal Haasan and K. S. Ravikumar in the romantic comedy, ''Manmadan Ambu'', playing a wealthy businessman whose suspicious nature makes him hire a spy to follow his actress girlfirend, played by Trisha Krishnan, on an European cruise tour. The film opened to rave reviews and became a profitable venture commercially, with Madhavan's performance being described as "excellent" and that he is the "scene stealer".

His first release in 2011 was the romantic drama film, ''Tanu Weds Manu'' alongside Kangana Ranaut, which saw him play the role of a sensible doctor hoping to get an arranged marriage with a girl who has as dramatically diverse personality to him. Prior to release, the film's promotion created anticipation and upon release, the film became a large success at the box office. Madhavan's portrayal of Manoj "Manu" Sharma won predominantly positive acclaim, with a reviewer citing that his performance was "real, restrained, yet forceful" and another claiming he was "perfectly cast". Madhavan has signed up to appear as a police officer in Linguswamy's Tamil film ''Vettai'', an action entertainer featuring an ensemble cast of Arya, Amala Paul and Sameera Reddy, while the producers of that film have confirmed his appearance in Vikram Kumar's trilingual tentatively titled ''Adhirstasaali''. He has also signed up to appear in ''Shaadi Fast Forward'', a Hindi romantic comedy film shot in Greece also featuring Bipasha Basu.

Other projects

Film and television work

Madhavan has appeared as host for television programmes on Hindi channels, while he has also been a host at film award functions. He was announced as the host of Sony Entertainment Television's ''Deal Ya No Deal'', the Indian version of the American game show ''Deal Or No Deal'', in October 2005. However, Madhavan quit as the lead anchor of the show in January 2006 claiming he was "unhappy with the way the shoot schedules were handled by the production house". According to the actor, when he took on the show, he had "made it clear that he would continue with his South film assignments, and as the show was being filmed in Mumbai, he had found it hard to keep travelling throughout India from Chennai to film the ten days a month he had signed up for". The ever-changing look of the show meant Madhavan had to constantly rehearse. Madhavan added that he was restricted by the producers to spend one day rehearsing technically, which left him with fatigue. Mandira Bedi replaced Madhavan as the anchor in February for Series 2 of the game show. In June 2010, Madhavan made a comeback to the game show format by accepting a contract with Imagine TV's Big Money show, signing on to host a single season. Furthermore he has been a guest judge, in the Indian television show, Fame Gurukul. He was the host of the 55th Filmfare Awards South in Chennai in 2008 alongside Sindhura Gadde.

Madhavan secured the rights to remake his Tamil film ''Nala Damayanthi'' into Hindi as ''Ramji Londonwaley'', and played an active role in determining the crew of the movie. Moreover, Madhavan also wrote the dialogues for the film. In October 2007, Madhavan founded the production company, Leukos Films, and consequently bought the rights of his film, ''Evano Oruvan'' from producers Abbas-Mustan and K. Sera Sera. Securing sponsorship deals with HSBC and Santoor, Madhavan premiered the film across North America and the Middle East before theatrical release which became the first of its kind promotion in Tamil cinema. However since the relative failure of the project, Madhavan has downplayed any future involvement in production ventures. The film which Madhavan referred to as a "part of his life", saw him write the dialogues for the film along with Seeman, translating lines from the original version in Marathi.

Madhavan has enjoyed considerable success as a brand ambassador for a wide range of products in India. His early work involved advertisements for prominent brands like Bajaj, Ponds, Fair and Lovely and TVS, before signing a major endorsing deal with Pepsi and marketing company, IMG. Madhavan signed a contract with mobile phone network, Airtel for promotions in South India before being promoted as the pan-Indian ambassador for it a year later. His advertisements with Vidya Balan for the brand won critical acclaim, and brought in film offers for the pair. In June 2010, marketers from Arun Excello promoted a housing project in Oragadam, Chennai as like a film would be promoted with Madhavan being featured as the face of the project. The teaser advertisement campaign attracted huge curiosity and the project became a success. His long-term work with jewellery, Joy Alukkas, led to the company creating life size wax models of him to place in their showrooms from January 2011.

Humanitarian causes

Madhavan, who is a vegetarian, endorses the brand, PETA. Since joining them after starring in his first film, he has appeared voluntarily in several advertisements and released an E-Card for the brand. In July 2006, Madhavan was voted the "cutest male vegetarian" by an online poll conducted by the NGO, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), while Kareena Kapoor won the female award respectively. In turn he cited that his success in the competition was due to his "healthy vegetarian diet". In October 2010, he wrote a letter to the CEO of Kentucky Fried Chicken, on behalf of PETA, urging them to stop mistreatment of birds by the fast-food industry outlets and the killing of animals. He requested the boycott of KFC in India over animal welfare and conditions and was joined by Raveena Tandon and Rakhi Sawant in supporting the work of PETA in India.

He has lent his support for the Chennai-based charity, The Banyan, and appeared in the charity musical Netru, Indru, Naalai directed by Mani Ratnam for the cause. He appeared as a guest cook and newly launched restaurant in Chennai and cooked dosas for auction for the charity, helping raise forty five thousand rupees. He has been a part of an AIDS awareness programme initiated by Richard Gere in India and helped advertise the ''A Time for Heroes'' campaign appearing in a short film. Similarly he featured in a four minute film produced by Agaram Foundation, ''Herova? Zerova?'' campaigning for educational awareness alongside Surya, Vijay and Jyothika. In 2010, along with his cast and crew from ''3 Idiots'', he helped raise Rs.25 lakh for the renovation of the school in Leh, which was damaged by flash floods. Madhavan laid bricks and tiles at the London Business School in July 2011, building a symbolic house to represent the 100,000 houses that will be built in India by 2015 as a part of Habitat for Humanity's campaign to improve substandard houses in India.

In the media

Madhavan is one of the few actors in India who receives pan-Indian appeal, with his success in establishing himself in the North and the South helping him receive offers as a brand ambassador. Furthermore, it has led to producers offering him lead roles in bilingual films with ''Nothing But Life'' and ''Made in USA'' being shot in Malayalam and English, ''13B'' and ''Yavarum Nalam'' being shot in Hindi and Tamil and ''Vettai'' and ''Veta'' in Tamil and Telugu. Moreover, most of his Tamil films are dubbed into Telugu, where he has created a box office market without appearing in a straight Telugu film. Madhavan has also been active in keeping in contact with fans, maintaining a fan email account, a Facebook fan page and a Twitter account as well as being one of the first actors of Tamil films to turn blogger with entries in the year 2000.

He has appeared at functions as a special guest, and has enjoyed particularly close links with technology company, Sify, who he signed on as his media partner for all his future releases after expressing satisfaction at the website they created for ''Rendu''. Madhavan sat amongst a six man jury for the selection of CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2006. He inaugurated the Chennai International Film Festival in 2007, taking the opportunity to deliver a message on preserving the environment.

A gaming company, Paradox Studios Limited, launched a new game compatible with mobile phones in July 2006, with Madhavan as the lead character. The company released two mobile game titles featuring Madhavan as their lead character. The first of the two games, ''Madhavan's MIG'', featured the actor making a reprise of his Rang De Basanti pilot's role. In the other game titled ''Madhavan'', the player had to help the actor get to the premiere of his latest movie evading the paparazzi. In 2007, prominent entrepreneur N. R. Narayana Murthy requested Madhavan to be his interviewer at the India-Singapore Exposition and Madhavan went on to claim that the experience was "unforgettable" as Murthy was an idol to him.

Personal life

Madhavan's parents are Ranganathan and Saroja. Despite Madhavan's ambition of wanting to join the army, his parents insisted he went to management school and pursue a degree in electronics. After completing the degree, he went on to teach communication and public speaking at workshops around India. At the Maharashtra workshop, he encountered his wife Sarita Birje in 1991, an air hostess, who attended his class. After completing the course, the pair began dating and married in 1999, before Madhavan entered mainstream films. The pair's successful marriage has been covered by the media, with Madhavan citing that advise from his mentor Mani Ratnam was useful. Sarita has worked as a costume designer in a few of Madhavan's films, most notably for ''Guru En Aalu'' (2009) when she worked along with Erum Ali, the wife of Madhavan's co-star, Abbas, for their respective husbands. Their first son, Vedant was born in August 2005, which eventually led to relocating towards to the boat-club area in Chennai from Kilpauk. Madhavan's parents lived with him as did his parents-in-law. In 2009, he relocated to Kandivali, Mumbai with his wife and son, as he pursued a career in Hindi films ahead of films in the South Indian industries.

Madhavan, since his debut, has received significant following from female fans. Madhavan has maintained close links with fellow actors in the Hindi and Tamil film industry with his close links with director Mani Ratnam and actors Kamal Haasan, Aamir Khan and Surya. He has also helped out actresses Reemma Sen, Sadha and Nisha Kothari by signing them on for roles in his films, when they were going through a barren spell.

Madhavan took a sabbatical from films from September 2010 announcing an eight month break from films citing he would take the time off to visit London, go on a European motorcycle ride, lose weight, play golf, take treatment for his knee injury and spend time with family. Though he kept away from starting new projects, during the period he was involved in heavy promotions of two of his releases, ''Manmadan Ambu'' and ''Tanu Weds Manu''. He has been a keen golf player, appearing in a celebrity charity event in 2007 and has played alongside actor Amitabh Bachchan and director Mani Ratnam. His experiences flying Cessna planes when he was with National Cadet Corps, also led to a passion for aero-modelling, claiming it justified his decision to pursue a degree in electronics.

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" " border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Language ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- |rowspan="1"| 1996 ||''Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin'' || Singer in club || Hindi || Uncredited role |- |rowspan="1"| 1997 ||''Inferno'' || Ravi || English || |- |rowspan="1"| 1998 || ''Shanti Shanti Shanti'' || Siddharth || Kannada || |- |rowspan="2"| 2000 || ''Alaipayuthey'' || Karthik Varadharajan || Tamil || |- | ''Ennavale'' || James Vasanth || Tamil || |- |rowspan="4"| 2001 || ''Minnale'' || Rajesh Shivakumar || Tamil || |- | ''Dumm Dumm Dumm'' || Aditya || Tamil || |- | ''Parthale Paravasam'' || Madhava || Tamil || |- | ''Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein'' || Madhav Shastri || Hindi || Nominated, Zee Cine Award Best Male DebutNominated, Star Screen Award for Most Promising Male Newcomer |- |rowspan="3"| 2002 ||''Kannathil Muthamittal'' || Thiruchelvan || Tamil ||Winner, Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor also for ''Run'' and ''Anbe Sivam'' |- | ''Run'' || Siva || Tamil || Winner, Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor also for ''Kannathil Muthamittal'' and ''Anbe Sivam'' |- | ''Dil Vil Pyar Vyar'' || Krish || Hindi || |- |rowspan="5"| 2003 || ''Anbe Sivam'' || Anbarasu || Tamil || Winner, ITFA Best Supporting Actor AwardWinner, Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor also for ''Kannathil Muthamittal'' and ''Run'' Nominated, Filmfare Best Tamil Supporting Actor Award |- | ''Nala Damayanthi'' || Ramji || Tamil || |- | ''Lesa Lesa'' || Deva Narayanan || Tamil || Guest appearance |- | ''Priyamana Thozhi'' || Ashok || Tamil || |- | ''Jay Jay'' || Jegan || Tamil || |- |rowspan="3"| 2004 || ''Aethiree'' || Subramani || Tamil || |- | ''Aayutha Ezhuthu'' || Inba Shekar || Tamil || Winner, Filmfare Best Tamil Supporting Actor Award |- | ''Nothing But Life'' || rowspan="2" |Thomas Roberts || English || |- |rowspan="3"| 2005 || ''Made in USA'' || Malayalam || |- |''Priyasakhi'' || Sandhana Krishnan || Tamil || |- | ''Ramji Londonwaley'' || Ramji Tiwari || Hindi || Also writer |- |rowspan="3"| 2006 || ''Rang De Basanti'' || Ajay Rathod || Hindi || Guest appearance |- | ''Thambi'' || Velu Thondaiman || Tamil || |- | ''Rendu'' || Sakthi,Kannan || Tamil || |- |rowspan="5"| 2007 || ''Guru'' || Shyam Saxena || Hindi || |- | ''Delhii Heights'' || Himself || Hindi || Cameo appearance |- | ''Aarya'' || Aarya || Tamil || |- | ''That Four-Letter Word'' || Himself || English || Cameo appearance |- | ''Evano Oruvan'' || Sridhar Vasudevan || Tamil || Winner, ITFA Best Actor AwardNominated, Vijay Award for Best Story, Screenplay WriterAlso producer and writer |- |rowspan="3"| 2008 || ''Vaazhthugal'' || Kathiravan || Tamil || |- | ''Mumbai Meri Jaan'' || Nikhil Agarwal || Hindi || |- | ''Tipu Kanan Tipu Kiri'' || Himself || Malay || Cameo appearance |- |rowspan="5"| 2009 || ''Yavarum Nalam'' || rowspan="2" |Manohar || Tamil || Nominated, Vijay Award for Best Actor |- | ''13B'' || Hindi || |- | ''Guru En Aalu'' || Guru || Tamil || |- | ''Sikandar'' || Rajesh Rao || Hindi || |- | ''3 Idiots'' || Farhan Qureshi || Hindi || Nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Supporting ActorNominated, IIFA Best Supporting Actor Award |- |rowspan="4"| 2010 || ''Om Shanti'' || Maddy || Telugu || Guest appearance |- | ''Teen Patti'' || Shantanu Biswas || Hindi || |- | ''Jhoota Hi Sahi'' || Kabir || Hindi || Guest appearance |- | ''Manmadan Ambu'' || Madanagopal || Tamil ||Nominated, Filmfare Best Tamil Supporting Actor AwardNominated, Vijay Award for Best Supporting Actor |- |rowspan="2"| 2011 || ''Tanu Weds Manu'' || Manoj Sharma (Manu) || Hindi || |- |''Vettai '' || Thirumoorthy || Tamil || Filming |- |rowspan="2"| 2012 || ''Shaadi Fast Forward'' || || Hindi || Pre-production |- |''Adhirstasaali '' || || Tamil || Pre-production |}

References

External links

|- ! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" | Filmfare Awards South |- |-

Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:Tamil actors Category:Indian game show hosts Category:Indian vegetarians Category:Tamil people Category:Kannada film actors Category:Indian television actors Category:Indian film actors Category:Indian television presenters Category:People from Jamshedpur Category:People from Tamil Nadu Category:Indian screenwriters Category:Indian film producers Category:Indian actors Category:Hindi film actors Category:Tamil Brahmins

de:R. Madhavan es:R. Madhavan fr:Madhavan it:R. Madhavan ml:ആർ. മാധവൻ mr:आर. माधवन pl:R. Madhavan ta:மாதவன்

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 (''née'' Aishwarya Rai, , pronounced əjɕʋərjaː rəj; 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 contemporary 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. Rai plays Tabu's younger sibling, a dreamer at heart, whose hopes come crashing down when she discovers she's been cheated by her lover. Directed by Rajiv Menon, the movie was a successful venture commercially.

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. The film was critically acclaimed and did well at the box office. 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. The film was a box office success. 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. She will not appear in ''Heroine'', which is going forward with Kareena Kapoor.

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 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.

Rai gave birth to a baby girl on 16 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	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)	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

See also

List of Indian film actresses

References

Further reading

External links

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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

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