Claim: Aishwarya Rai had her acting debut in an award-winning film by Mani Ratnam.
Evidence: She made her acting debut in Mani Ratnam 's 1997 Tamil film Iruvar and had her first Hindi film release in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya that same year.
The film was a critical success and won the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival and two National Film Awards.