Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's birthday: Some interesting unknown facts about former Miss World

Ever since actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was crowned Miss World in 1994, she became a household name in India. With over 40 films and numerous accolades to her name, the actor who ringed in her 48th birthday, is known to keep her private life on the down-low. From iconic films like Guru (2007), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), and more, the actor has left a mark in the cinema with her acting skills.

From the story of her romantic proposal to her first-ever advertisement, here are some interesting facts about Aishwarya Rai Bachchan that every fan should know. For the unversed, it was on 20 April 2007, when Aishwarya had added Bachchan to her name after she had tied the knot with actor Abhishek Bachchan. Four years later, Aishwarya and Abhishek welcomed a little angel in their paradise, embracing parenthood with a baby girl, Aaradhya Bachchan, on 16 November 2011.

Her first commercial in the ninth standard

Before even venturing into films, the actor featured in a TV commercial and featured in an ad for the Camlin Pencils when she was in 9th grade. However, it was a popular advertisement for Pepsi back in 1993—co-starring Aamir Khan—that put her in the spotlight. 

Her wish to pursue a career in medicine

Fans of the actor will be puzzled to know that before modelling and trying her luck in acting, Aishwarya Rai wanted to pursue a career in medicine. Reportedly, her favourite subject was Zoology. Her father Keishnaraj Rai was an Army biologist. However, after some years, she dropped the idea of pursuing medicines and enrolled herself as an architect student.

First Indian actor to be on Cannes Film Festival Jury

With many critically acclaimed projects in her filmography, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan became the first-ever Indian actor to be on the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2003. Apart from this, after her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan, she was the second Indian actor to have a wax statue of herself at Madame Tussaud's in London. 

Romantic story behind her proposal

The actor who is married to Abhishek Bachchan has confessed earlier that she has a very romantic proposal story. During their post-wedding appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Abhishek Bachchan revealed how he proposed to Aishwarya. He said that while he was shooting for a film in New York, he used to stand on his hotel balcony and wish that he will one day get married to Aishwarya. So he took her to the same balcony and asked her to marry him. Bachchan had even gifted her the same ring she wore in Guru where the two had felt the thing for each other. 

Flower named after Aishwarya Rai in the Netherlands

Back in 2005, Hans van Driem, the Managing Director of the Netherlands Board of Tourism, had announced that he had named a special variety of tulips in the country's famous, Keukenhof Garden, after famous Indian actress, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The Managing Director had then revealed that this is just a token of love and a small gesture from the country to celebrate Aishwarya Rai's beauty.

Image: PTI