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Vashi
—  suburb  —
Sector 17, Vashi Sector 17, Vashi
Vashi
Coordinates: 19°05′N 73°01′E / 19.08°N 73.01°E / 19.08; 73.01Coordinates: 19°05′N 73°01′E / 19.08°N 73.01°E / 19.08; 73.01
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
District	Thane (Navi Mumbai)
Metro	Mumbai
Population
• Total	400,000
Languages
• Official	Marathi
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	400 703
Vidhan Sabha constituency	Vashi

Vashi is an upmarket residential as well as commercial township in the city of Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra, India and is better known as the 'king' of Navi Mumbai. It is a premier city in Navi Mumbai and was one of the first "nodes" developed by CIDCO.

Physical characteristics[link]

Populace[link]

Vashi's reputation of being organized, but not too large or crowded like "the big city", has led to the continued growth of its resident and commuter population. Vashi is among the top ten most developed zones in the Mumbai Metropolitan area.The estimate population of Vashi is around 600,000. Vashi is very similar in nature to the West Bengal town Bardharman, and the two are known as twin towns.

Geography[link]

Vashi is bordered by the Sion–Panvel Highway (plus the railway station) and Nerul to the south, the Thane-Belapur Road and Sanpada/Turbhe to the east, Khairane Channel and Kopar Khairane to the north, and Thane Creek to the west. It is one of two Navi Mumbai nodes that directly connect to Mumbai across Thane Creek (via the Mankhurd-Vashi Bridge), the other being Airoli to the north. The township center, arguably, would be Shivaji Chowk, a central square located on the Vashi-Turbhe road. It is the site of a large bronze statue of the Maratha warrior-king and folk hero Chhatrapati Shivaji on a horse, and of a scuplpted stone museum exhibit about him. The chowk is surrounded by Sector 17, the meghraj/meghdoot cineplex, the fire station and the bus depot.

Climate[link]

Being in close proximity to Thane Creek, Vashi is mostly humid and hot in summer and mildly pleasant during the winter months of November December, and January. Western Ghats run in parallel along the east of the town, resulting in relative heavier shower than Mumbai. Before the 2009 rains, NMMC states that all the pre-monsoonal work has been done but still here and there, potholes lie.^{[citation needed]}

Layout[link]

Unlike most other towns in the country, and in contrast to its older and larger neighbor Mumbai, Vashi was planned before being constructed, as was the city of Navi Mumbai itself. Like the rest of Navi Mumbai, Vashi is broken down into what are known as "Sectors", which are further divided into plots. As such, the address system is organized, and the township easy to navigate when compared to neighbouring Mumbai.

Economy[link]

Vashi is one of the oldest and most populated nodes in Navi Mumbai. Many companies from Mumbai and other parts of India have set up shop there. Sector 17, in turn, is the commercial heart of Vashi, hosting a dense concentration of small businesses, offices, clinics, banks, retail outlets, restaurants and franchise operations. Sectors 9 and 10 are also heavy with commercial activity, especially retail. A large APMC market, the biggest in Navi Mumbai for wholesale agricultural produce, is located in Sector 19 and part of Sector 18.^[1]

Infrastructure[link]

Power[link]

Vashi used to have near-continuous power supply. As of late 2005, however, one to two hours a day of scheduled load shedding has been enforced by MSEDC, cycling among various areas of the city, in order to cope with the rising population and power consumption.

But Vashi being a major revenue gainer and for its almost zero pending bills and low distribution losses is overdue to get rewarded with 24 hours uninterrupted supply for which MSEDC will procure electricity from private electricity generators in the area.

Also NMMC is looking at generating electricity using non-conventional methods of generating electricity like wind energy as Navi Mumbai is blessed with a long coastline and generating energy from waste which is collected throughout the node. Talks are going on for electricity to be generated at the Morbe dam in Navi Mumbai.^{[citation needed]}

Load shedding was stopped temporarily in 2008 when Tata Power started supplying power in Navi Mumbai. Power cuts have resumed in Navi Mumbai for about 1–2 hours once in a month.

Water[link]

The municipal (NMMC)water supply is near constant (12–18 hours daily), and occasional shutdowns are often short enough to be borne through by the overhead water tanks in many apartments and the central water tower system. Delayed rains in the year 2009, large number of villages on the outskirts of Vashi face water shortage.^[2] Vashi has 24 hrs water supply

Roads[link]

Being a planned township, Vashi features many roads that intersect at right angles. Road maintenance is carried out by the NMMC. Roads in the township often get damaged by the monsoons, as potholes are simply patched up with mud that washes away with the next rainfall.^[3]

Telecom[link]

Communication has never been a problem in Vashi and almost all parts of Navi Mumbai as the city grew along with the rapid development of telecom sector in India as well as Greater Mumbai. the city has almost all the major telecom players of India naming a few ( Vodafone, Airtel, Loop Mobile, MTNL, Tata Indicom, Reliance Communications, Idea, Aircel, Virgin Mobile) Broadband and IT enabled services are available across the Node, helping in the economic development of the area making it one of the favourite destinations for IT Companies

Transport[link]

Autorickshaws provide the primary means of personal local transportation. Traveling to other nodes by autorickshaw usually entails the payment of one-and-a-half times the regular meter fare, or some other negotiated fare.

Yellowtop taxicabs operating from designated taxi stands provide the means to travel further to destinations such as Mumbai and Thane; a bridge toll may be charged in addition, where applicable. Luxury and standard long-distance bus services often stop at Vashi en route to other cities and towns across the country.

The orange NMMT public buses, Red and Grey BEST (BrihanMumbai Electric Supply and Transport) which are numbered 500 to 599 (connecting Mumbai and Navi Mumbai) and ST public buses serve as a much cheaper means of transportation. Buses starting from or passing through Vashi's own bus depot allow passengers direct and fast passage to destinations across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Some Mumbai-Vashi routes, however, drop in frequency or stop altogether at night.

Another option available is to travel by the various private buses that halt at Vashi on the Sion Panvel highway opposite Center One Mall (near Vashi Plaza).

The route numbers for some important bus destinations that can be reached from Vashi:

• 1, 4, 8, 11 - Thane NMMT
• 30, 31 - Uran NMMT
• 41. 42 - Dombivali
• 50,59 - Panvel NMMT
• 51 - Kalamboli NMMT
• 55 - Kharghar NMMT
• 81 - Mumbra[Kalyan Fata] [MIDC][Thane]
• 100 - Mahape Mulund
• 501 - Kurla Stn (E), Deonar Depot, Juhu Nagar, Koparkhairane, Rabale, Airoli Bus Stn.
• 505 - CBD Belapur, Sion, Bandra Stn (W)
• 504 - Sion, Matunga, Dadar TT, CBD Belapur, Kharghar
• 502,508 - Nerul Sec 46/48, Seawoods Stn, Nerul Stn (N), Jui Nagar Stn, Vashi Village, Mankhurd, Shivaji Nagar Junction, Sion, Matunga, Dadar TT, Wadala Depot.
• 503 - Kalamboli, Taloja Phata, CBD Belapur, Jui Nagar Stn, Vashi Village, Deonar Depot, Sion
• 506 - Sion, Matunga, Dadar TT, Nerul Stn, Belapur, Parel, Jijamata Udyan
• 507 - Nerul - APMC - Vashi - Mankhurd - Shivaji Nagar Junction - Ghatkopar Stn (E) - Kamani - AirIndia Colony - Vakola - Santacruz (E) Rly Stn.
• 517- APMC - Vashi - Mankhurd - Shivaji Nagar Junction - Ghatkopar Depot - Kamani - AirIndia Colony - Vakola -Santacruz(E) Rly Stn.
• 521 - Koparkhairane, Juhu Nagar, Deonar Depot, Sion, Matunga, Dadar TT, Dadar West (Plaza Theater), Shivaji Park, Prabhadevi, Worli, Haji Ali, A/C Market, End at Tardeo
• 520 - Airoli Bus Stn, Rabale, Koparkhairane, Juhu Nagar, Deonar Depot, Sion, Matunga, Dadar TT, Dadar West (Plaza Theatre), Shivaji Park
• 511 - Nerul Bus Stn, Shivaji Nagar Junction, Ghatkopar Depot, Mulund Stn (W)
• 510 - Ghatkopar (Barve Nagar), Ghatkopar Stn (E), Shivaji Ngr Junction, Juhu Nagar, Koparkhairane, Mahape.
• 512 - Mulund Stn (W), Fortis Hosp, Airoli Toll Naka, Rabale, Koparkhairane, Juhu Nagar, Nerul Bus Stn.
• 513 - Mulund Stn (E), Airoli Bus Stn, Rabale, Koparkhairane, Juhu Nagar, Vashi Stn.
• 523 - Dindoshi Depot, Jay Coach, Seepz Village, Powai, Bhandup (W), Fortis, Airoli Toll Naka, Rabale, Koparkhairane, Juhu Nagar, Vashi Market
• 524 - Borivali Stn (W) - Kurar Village - Jay Coach - Seepz Village - Powai - Vikhroli (W), Ghatkopar Depot, Shivaji Nagar Junction - Vashi Market
• 105(AC)-Belapur To Bandra via Vashi .
• 123(AC)- Kharghar To Borivali via Belapur. Vashi, Powai, Seepz .
• 518 - Shivaji Nagar Depot, Mankhurd, Juhu Nagar, Koparkhairane, Ghansoli Village.
• 519 - Deonar Depot, Mankhurd, Juhu Nagar, Koparkhairane, Ghansoli Village.
• AS524 (Express) - Borivali Stn (W) - Kurar Village - Jay Coach - Seepz Village - Powai - Vikhroli Village (E), Ghatkopar Depot, Shivaji Nagar Junction - Vashi Market.
• 533 - Vashi Market, Shivaji Nagar Junction, Ghatkopar Depot, Kamani, Saki Naka, J.B.Nagar, Jumbo Darshan, Andheri Stn (W).
• AS592 (AC) - L & T Infotech, Koparkhairane, Juhu Nagar, Deonar Depot, Sion, Matunga, Dadar TT, Dadar West (Plaza Theater), Shivaji Park, Prabhadevi, Worli, Haji Ali, A/C Market, End At Tardeo.
• AS(505)(AC) Cbd Belapur to Santacruz Bus depot via Daravi(ONGC)
• AS(515)(AC) CBD Belapur to Santacruz Bus Depot Via BKC( Bandra -Kurla complex) <It takes more time to reach.

Vashi is connected to Mumbai by the Vashi railway station on the Harbour Line of the Central Railway, part of the Mumbai Suburban Railway. Travelling to destinations in Mumbai by rail often involves taking a train to Kurla first. Another rail link connects Vashi to Thane (see Transport in Thane).

Resident life[link]

Vashi has a reputation for being a good place to live, while maintaining access to the city across the creek. Despite its proximity to Mumbai proper, it is self-sufficient in many regards, and has its own thriving atmosphere for residents, shoppers and fun-seekers.

Housing[link]

An evening sky at a residential area in Sector 17.

Vashi has grown to become the commercial heart of Navi Mumbai. Originally CBD(Belapur) was supposed to be a Central Business District a.k.a. Central business hub, but Vashi made it. In recent years, real estate prices in Vashi have risen, due in part to the creation of new businesses, and due to more businesses moving or expanding into Vashi from Mumbai. Residents almost always live in co-operative housing societies (abbreviated to CHS). Sector-17 Vashi is the most expensive locality. These housing colonies often contain a number of multi-storeyed apartment building wings, internal or external parking space, gardens or flower patches, and a surrounding wall with one or more gates. CHS residents form committees to collect and spend funds for common maintenance, social activities, and hiring of security guard services. Some sectors are endowed with public parks as well.

Sector 8 which is an upscale neighborhood in Vashi, lies towards the western edge of the town bordering the Thane Creek. It is a very charming locality with its large gardens, tree lined lanes and many independent bungalows built in the late 1970s and early 80s.

Shopping[link]

Each sector has its own cluster of shops called "mini-markets" that sell basic items such as rice, pulses, candy. Some bigger sectors have bigger "mini-markets" like Sector-9 Minimarket- that sell everything from garments to hair-cuts.There is a big stretch of market along the pavement starting from Sec-9 Milan Footwear to Sec-11 Juhu goan where one can find many jeweler shops, hawkers, chat walas, fruits and vegetable vendors and even Fish vendors. One can find almost everything from books to makeup.

Sector-17 is one of the large sectors of Vashi and is located near the highway which happens to be the entrance to Vashi. It's very close to Vashi Railway Station. Sector 9 is one of the major fruit and vegetable market for daily shopping of locals.It is home to Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church. Sectors 6, 7 and 8 in Vashi are home to Row Houses while Sector 8 also has bungalows.Sector 8 is located close to the place from where hovercrafts would land and take off.There is a fruit and vegetable market in sector-9 which is one the biggest retail market in navi mumbai where anyone can buy at a resonable price related to the other city's. Whereas sector 29, sector 12 & sector 28 are residential nodes in vashi.

As of the end of October 2008, there are five Shopping malls functioning in Vashi, named Center One, City Center, Raghuleela, Inorbit Mall and Palm Beach Galleria. Inorbit Mall is the largest shopping mall till date in Navi Mumbai. They host a variety of large and small retailers, including HyperCITY, Pantaloons, Big Bazaar, Globus, MAX, shoppers stop and Crosswords as well as a number of fast food joints and franchises.

Shopping in or strolling around Sector 17 is a popular activity for residents and visitors. The area is packed with retail outlets selling everything from furniture(the oldest and the most reputed is Panchali Furniture) and fixtures to clothing and electronics All major Bank's branches are situated in Sector 17. It hosts many restaurants and bars, mithai,Rajdhani sweets shops, fast food franchises like McDonald's, KFC, Domino's, Pizza Hut, Garcia's pizza, etc. popular vegetarian restaurants like Navratna,Golden Punjab, as well as franchises of Monginis, Birdy's, Corroisant, Café Coffee Day and the like. Sectors 9 and 10 along the main road are also major commercial and retail areas.

Educational institutions[link]

There are many schools and high schools in Vashi. Few of the well known schools are Father Agnel Multipurpose School who are also accredited with residential FIFA Academy in India,^[4] St. Marys High School, IES's Navi Mumbai High School[NMHS],Modern School, I.C.L. High School, St. Lawrence High School, and Sacred Heart High School . There are also a few schools like Ryan International that offer ICSE board education.

Vashi also hosts a number of colleges. St. Mary's Junior College, Father Agnel College (formally, Father Conceicao Rodrigues Institute of Technology, Agnel Polytechnic, ICLES Motilal Jhunjhunwala College, Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil College (formerly known as Modern College), Tilak College, ITM Institute of financial markets, Fr. Agnels Business School are among the well known colleges in the node.

Various training and coaching institutes have centers in Vashi. These include NIIT, Aptech and SSI for infotech training, with Career Launcher and Unitech while for GMAT, GRE, SAT, TOEFL & IELTS contact JAMBOREE INDIA.

The Mumbai Divisional SSC Board, one of the divisional boards of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary Education is headquartered in Vashi in Sector 16-A.

Entertainment[link]

The VishnuDas Bhave Auditorium is one of the famous landmarks which hosts a number of plays that are liked by many Navi Mumbaikars. This auditorium also serves as venue for hosting programs such as felicitation ceremonies,college fests or even regional cultural evenings.

The Meghraj/Meghdoot cinema halls one of the oldest and were the only large movie theater complexes in the node, until 2007 when Adlabs Cinemas opened a 4-screen Multiplex in the new Palm Beach Galleria mall.

Cinemax has also opened a 3-screen Multiplex, which has modern facilities such as recliner seats in City Center in a few months after Adlabs(now currently Big Cinemas)

Other cineplexes are due to open as part of the Inorbit Mall and Raghuleela mall. PVR Cinemas is planning to open one in Inorbit Mall. Recently, Fame Cinemas has opened up a 6-screen multiplex, the biggest in Vashi at Raghuleela mall.

Clubs at the Marine Centre, Abbot Hotel, Vashi Gymkhana etc. host dances and shows.

• NMSA - Navi Mumbai Sports Association is a CIDCO owned enterprise providing various Sports Facilities like Tennis, Carrom, Badminton, Chess, Swimming, Squash. Membership is offered in categories like Patron, Life, General and Student Membership.
• NMMG - Navi Mumbai Merchants Gymkhana. From luxurious well maintained rooms to spacious restaurant, banquet halls, pool, gymnasium, NMMG caters to both business and entertainment needs of the city. Being a one stop shop is a great responsibility and NMMG has proved to be the best of the league.
• RCNB - Rotaract Club of New Bombay is an active Youth Club in New Bombay. It is a youth wing of Rotary Club of Navi Mumbai. Individuals between age 18-30 can be a part of this organisation. Rotaractors generally meet every Saturday 6pm at Rotary Center, Sector-6, Vashi.

Law and order[link]

Vashi has its own police station in Sector 3, but shuts down for the most part by 10 p.m. Of late Vashi has seen terrorists seeking refuge in the nearby suburbs. Some bars are even operating beyond permissible hours.

This suburb was called the oasis in the desert when it was unaffected during the 1992 Mumbai riots.

Other[link]

Vashi has a number of health and fitness clubs such as Talwalkars and the newly opened Gold's Gym in Raghuleela mall. Many clinics and hospitals take care of the residents' healthcare needs, such as Lakshdeep Hospital, NMMC Hospital and MGM Hospital. Places of worship for Hindus, Muslims, Jains and Christians are located around the township, as are cultural centers of the various ethnicities of immigrants from other parts of India.

A strip of land in Vashi along the coast of Thane creek has been developed as a park and is popularly known as the "Mini Seashore" or "Seaside Park". The park is separated from the creek by a large holding pond, which is surrounded by a path that is used as a walking/jogging track. Residents of Vashi and nearby nodes frequent this area for recreation, relaxation and exercise. Hundreds walk or run along the track and over the embankment of the holding pond everyday. Local laughter clubs and tennis enthusiasts can be seen utilizing the park in the mornings. Paddle boats are rented out for use within the outer pond. Children's rides, horseback riding and vendors of chaat or other refreshments are a common sight along the Mini Seashore in the evenings, which is when families tend to visit and the overall footfall is at its peak. very good place to visit Vashi.

International Infotech Park[link]

The large and spacious Vashi railway station was built into and under the International Infotech Park, to ISO 9002 quality standards.^[5] Constructed over the Vashi railway station, seven broad white towers form the International Infotech Park (IIP), a massive office complex developed by CIDCO for the purpose of supporting the information technology industry in Vashi. IIP features over 600,000 square feet (60,000 m²) of built-up space, and was inaugurated on the 14th of June, 1998. V2Solutions[5], Inter-connected Stock Exchange of India (ISE), Iris Business Services, Cyquator, 3i Infotech, Tracmail, Satyam, Patni and Sify are among the companies who have set up offices there.^[6][7]

Well known landmarks in Sector 17 include Big Splash and Vashi Plaza.

Inorbit Mall at Sec-30, Opp. Vashi Railway Station. If one needs to go to Andheri from Vashi there are direct trains available from Vashi and Andheri but they are on limited to office hours only.

Other business districts of Mumbai[link]

• Fort (Mumbai precinct)
• Nariman Point
• Colaba
• CBD Belapur
• Worli
• Nerul
• Airoli

References[link]

External links[link]

• Vashi,CBD,Nerul-Small scale business search
• The Vashi City : 21st Century City
• Forums : The Vashi City
• http://www.meghrajmultiplex.com
• Mankhurd - Belapur Railway project
• Harbour Railway Train Timetable
• Express India (2008)
• Mumbai Mirror (2008 q2)
• Mid Day (2008 July)

Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai in Cannes film festival 2012
Born	Aishwarya Rai (1973-11-01) 1 November 1973 (age 38)[1] Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Residence	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India[2]
Other names	Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Occupation	actor, model
Years active	1991–present
Spouse	Abhishek Bachchan (2007–present)
Children	Aaradhya Bachchan
Signature	150px

Aishwarya Rai, known also as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan after her marriage^[3] (Tulu pronunciation [əjɕʋərjaː rəj]; born 1 November 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 featured in films in various languages including Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali.

Often cited by the media as the "most beautiful woman in the world",^[4][5][6] Rai made her acting debut with Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Iruvar (1997), and had her first commercial success in Jeans (1998). She found success in Bollywood with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) and Devdas (2002) and eventually won two Filmfare Awards in the Best Actress category.

After a series of unsuccessful films during 2003–2005, she appeared in the blockbuster action thriller Dhoom 2 (2006) and subsequently featured in such films as Guru (2007), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), and Enthiran (2010). She gained critical acclaim for her performances in offbeat, independent films such as Chokher Bali (2003), Raincoat (2004), and Provoked (2007).^[7][8] Rai has thus established herself as one of the leading contemporary actresses of Indian cinema.^[9][10]

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

Early life and background[link]

Rai was born into an ethnic Bunt^[11] family in Mangalore, Karnataka.^[12] Her father, Krishnaraj, was a marine biologist, while her mother, Brindya, is a housewife.^[1] 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).^[13]

The family moved to Mumbai, where Rai attended the Arya Vidya Mandir High School.^[1] Rai did her intermediate schooling at Jai Hind College for a year,^[14] and then joined DG Ruparel College^[15] in Matunga, securing 90 percent in the HSC exams.^[1][16] She trained in classical dance and music for five years during her teens.^[16] Her favourite subject was zoology, so she initially considered a career in medicine.^[16] With plans to become an architect, she enrolled at Raheja College, but later gave up her education to pursue a career in modelling.^[14]

Modelling career[link]

One of her earliest modelling assignment was, when she was in the ninth grade, for Camlin Pencils.^[16] One of her professors at Jai Hind College took pictures of her which were published in a fashion magazine.^[17] In 1991 Rai took part in the Ford Supermodel Contest and also appeared in Vogue Magazine.^[15] She has been on the cover of Vogue three times.^[18]

Rai became popular after appearing in a Pepsi commercial with actor Aamir Khan.^[16] She modelled for Longines watches, Coca-Cola,^[19] Lakmé Cosmetics, Casio pager, Philips, Palmolive,^[17] Lux, and Fuji films.^[20] She continued to model while pursuing her studies in architecture.^[1][17] She was named the official brand ambassador for De Beers diamonds in India.^[20]

In the 1994 Miss India contest, she won second place, behind Sushmita Sen, and was crowned Miss India World.^[21] She went on to win the Miss World^[22] title the same year, where she also won the Miss Photogenic award.^[23] After winning the pageant, she gave up her studies and spent one year reigning as Miss World in London.^[21] Rai continued to pursue a career as a model until she became an actress.^[24]

Acting career[link]

Early work (1997–98)[link]

Rai made her acting debut in Mani Ratnam's Tamil biopic film Iruvar (1997), where she worked alongside Mohanlal.^[25] The film was a critical success and won many awards, including Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival,^[26] and two National Film Awards.^[26] Rai appeared in dual roles, one of which was a depiction of political leader and former actress J. Jayalalithaa.^[27] 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.^[28] 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.^[29][30] The film was India's official entry to the Academy Awards in that year.^[31]

Success (1999–2002)[link]

In 1999 Rai starred in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, opposite Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan.^[32] 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".^[33] The film was her first box office success in Bollywood, and earned her a Filmfare Best Actress Award.^[34]

In the same year she appeared in Subhash Ghai's Taal,^[35] 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.^[36] 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."^[37] She received another Best Actress nomination from the Filmfare Awards for her work in the film.^[38]

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.^[39] The film was a commercial success.^[40] 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.^[41] 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.^[41][42] 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.^[43] Directed by Rajiv Menon, the movie was a successful venture commercially.^[7][44]

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.^[45] 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.^[46] It became the highest-grossing film of the year in India and overseas, earning a revenue of Rs 390 million domestically.^[47][48] Devdas won numerous awards, including 10 Filmfare Awards, and Rai received her second Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance.^[49]

Professional setback (2003–05)[link]

In 2003 she acted in Rituparno Ghosh's Bengali film Chokher Bali, an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore's novel of the same name.^[50] She portrays the character of a young woman called Binodini,^[51] who is left on her own when her sickly husband dies soon after they are married.^[52] Rai's performance in the film was well-received by critics, with "Derek Elley" from Variety writing, "Rai dominates the film with her delicately sensual presence and physical grace".^[53] The film was critically acclaimed and did well at the box office,^[54][55] That year she appeared in the Bollywood film Dil Ka Rishta, with Arjun Rampal, and Rohan Sippy's Kuch Na Kaho, alongside Abhishek Bachchan,^[56] neither of which fared well at the box office.^[56][57]

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.^[58] 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.^[59] 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.^[60] The Hindu commented "Raincoat can easily be Aishwarya Rai's best performance, and as Neerja, the former beauty queen appears to have shed her inhibitions about looking unglamorous. What is more, she seems to have made an earnest effort to emote, using less of her body and limbs and more of her face, and eyes in particular".^[61]

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.^[62] Her next release was Paul Mayeda Berges's The Mistress of Spices, based on the novel of the same name by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni,^[63] in which she starred alongside Dylan McDermott.^[64] The film received negative reviews from critics,^[65] and was a commercial failure.^[66] 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.^[67]

Recent work (2006–present)[link]

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."^[68] 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 770 million domestically.^[69] A controversy arose regarding a scene containing a kiss between her and Hrithik Roshan.^[70] 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."^[71] 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.^[72][73] The film was critically acclaimed, and performed well at the box office.^[74] 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."^[75][76] 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.^[77] 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.^[78]

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 590 million 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".^[79] 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.^[80] 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.^[81][82]

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,^[83] and did a moderate business of $34,590,360 at the U.S box office.^[84] 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.^[85]

Rai paired with Rajinikanth in the science fiction Tamil film Enthiran (2010), directed by S. Shankar.^[86] 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.^[87][88][89] 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."^[90][91] 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,^[92] and in Madhur Bhandarkar's next directorial venture, Heroine.^[93] The shooting of both films was postponed, due to Rai's pregnancy.^[94][95] She will not appear in Heroine, which is going forward with Kareena Kapoor.^[96]

Social work[link]

In 1999 Rai participated in a world tour called the Magnificent Five, along with Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Akshaye Khanna, and Twinkle Khanna.^[97] In the same year, she was appointed as Longines Ambassador of Elegance.^[98] In 2003 she became the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival.^[99] In 2003 she became a global brand ambassador of L'Oréal, alongside Andie MacDowell, Eva Longoria, and Penélope Cruz.^[100][101] Rai is the brand ambassador for The Eye Bank Association of India's nationwide campaign to promote eye donation in India.^[102] 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.^[103] 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.^[104][105]

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.^[106] 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.^[107] 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.^[108]

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.^[109][110]

Personal life[link]

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.^[111] In a 2009 Times of India article, Khan denied ever beating her: "It's not true that I hit a woman."^[112]

Rai is married to actor Abhishek Bachchan, they met in 1997.^[18] Their engagement was announced on 14 January 2007 and later confirmed by his father, Amitabh Bachchan.^[113] The couple married on 20 April 2007 according to traditional Hindu rites of the Bunt community, to which she belongs.^[114] 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.^[114] They have been described as a supercouple in the Indian media.^[115][116] Rai is very close to her family and lived with them in Bandra, Mumbai, until her marriage.^[117][118] Rai is Hindu and deeply religious.^[4]

Rai gave birth to a baby girl on 16 November 2011.^[119] Her daughter became quite popular by the name of "Beti B" which was christened by the fans and the media, since the couple took over four months to name their daughter. The baby girl was finally named as Aaradhya Bachchan in March 2012.^[120]

Awards and honours[link]

Aishwarya Rai is a two-time winner of the Filmfare Best Actress Award, and has been nominated for Filmfare Awards eleven times.^[41][121] 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.^[122] In 2001 Forbes named Rai among the top five Indian movie stars.^[123] In a reader poll conducted by UK's Hello! magazine, she was voted "the most attractive woman of 2003".^[124] In the same year, Rai appeared in Rolling Stone magazine's annual "Hot List".^[125] 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.^{[126][127][128]} In October 2004 a wax figure of Rai was put on display in London's Madame Tussaud's wax museum.^[129] 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.^[130]

Aishwarya Rai with her husband, Abhishek Bachchan, at the IIFA Awards (2007)

In 2005 she was the subject of a 60 Minutes profile on 2 January, 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".^[4] The same year, a tulip in the Netherlands was named "Aishwarya Rai" after her.^[131] Also in 2005, Mattel released a limited edition of Barbie dolls of Aishwarya Rai in the United Kingdom.^[132] The British magazine Maxim ranked Rai first on their list of "Hottest Women of India".^[133]

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.^[134] In May 2006 Aishwarya was featured in People Magazine as one of the "World's Most Beautiful People".^[135] The UK magazine Eastern Eye ranked her third in the list of "Asia's Sexiest Women" in 2006,^[136] and she was ranked eighth in 2009.^[137] In 2008 American television channel E!: Entertainment listed Aishwarya's eyes as the sexiest on their Sexiest Body Parts list.^[138] In 2009 she made appearances on Martha Stewart's show Martha and on the The Tyra Banks Show.^[139][140] 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.^[141][142]

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.^[143] 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.^[144] In June 2009 she was declared the Female Star of The Decade at the tenth International Indian Film Academy Awards, held in Macau.^[145] In December 2010 she was declared the "Actress of the Decade" at the BIG Star Entertainment Awards.^[146] 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.^[147] Later that month she was presented with the "Decade of Global Achievement Honour" by FICCI.^[148] She attended the 83rd Academy Awards, along with her husband, Abhishek.^[149]

Filmography[link]

See also[link]

• List of Indian film actresses

References[link]