Indian actress Aishwarya Rai poses as she arrives to attend the opening ceremony and the screening of Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles' film 'Blindness' at the 61st edition of the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 2008 in Cannes, southern France. The 61st edition of Cannes, whose jury is led by Sean Penn, has a strong Latin American contingent, with Brazil's twice Oscar-nominated Fernando Meirelles opening the festival with a philosophical thriller titled "Blindness.

Born on 1 November 1973 at Mangalore, Karnataka, India, Aishwarya Krishnaraj Rai into a traditional south Indian family, she started modeling at a young age. This green-blue-eyed beauty appeared in advertisements for many prestigious firms. Crowned Miss India 1994 runner-up, she was a hot favorite in the run for Miss World title, which she won. She then stormed into the Indian movie industry, where she has proven herself a brilliant & genuine actress. Aishwarya was an architecture student before she entered modeling as her part-time job.