Claim: Aishwarya Rai placed second in a pageant.

Aishwarya Rai -LRB- born 1 November 1973 -RRB- , also known by her married name Aishwarya Rai Bachchan , is an Indian actress , model and the winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant . Through her successful acting career , she has established herself as one of the most popular and influential celebrities in India . Rai has received numerous awards and accolades , including two Filmfare Awards from eleven nominations , and she was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2009 . She has often been called `` the most beautiful woman in the world '' .   While in college , Rai did a few modelling jobs . Following appearances in several television commercials , she entered the Miss India pageant , in which she placed second . She was then crowned Miss World 1994 , after which she began receiving offers to act in film . 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 . Her first commercial success was the Tamil romantic drama Jeans -LRB- 1998 -RRB- , following which she achieved wider success and won two Best Actress awards at Filmfare for her performances in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam -LRB- 1999 -RRB- and Devdas -LRB- 2002 -RRB- .   Rai garnered critical appreciation for portraying a passionate artist in the Tamil romance Kandukondain Kandukondain -LRB- 2000 -RRB- , Tagore 's heroine , Binodini , in the Bengali film Chokher Bali -LRB- 2003 -RRB- , a depressed woman in the drama Raincoat -LRB- 2004 -RRB- , Kiranjit Ahluwalia in the British drama film Provoked -LRB- 2006 -RRB- , as a nurse in the drama Guzaarish -LRB- 2010 -RRB- and as a justise-seeking sister in the biographical drama Sarbjit -LRB- 2015 -RRB- . Rai 's greatest commercial successes have been the romance Mohabbatein -LRB- 2000 -RRB- , the adventure film Dhoom 2 -LRB- 2006 -RRB- , the historical romance Jodhaa Akbar -LRB- 2008 -RRB- , the science fiction film Enthiran -LRB- 2010 -RRB- , and the romantic drama Ae Dil Hai Mushkil -LRB- 2016 -RRB- .   Rai married actor Abhishek Bachchan in 2007 with whom she has one daughter . Her off-screen roles include duties as a brand ambassador for several charity organisations and campaigns . She is a Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS -LRB- UNAIDS -RRB- . In 2003 , she was the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival .