25 Hollywood and Bollywood celebs on why Aishwarya Rai is the ultimate global icon
PHOTO: FILE
Known for her unparalleled beauty and brilliant acting prowess, Mrs Junior Bachchan has always made sure to leave her mark wherever she went.
As the former Miss World turns 44 today, complied from Cosmopolitan, here is what celebrities from Hollywood and Bollywood have said about her:
1.Julia Roberts:
"Aishwarya Rai is the most beautiful woman in the world."
2. Gurindra Chadha:
"I think she's going to be very particular about showing her body and about any kind of physical, intimate scenes. Because she's a good Indian girl at heart."
3. Martin Henderson (Her Bride and Prejudice co-star) :
"I have a soft spot for her. It's not because of her beauty, though she is very beautiful. I like the side that isn't seen. The real Ash is a sweet girl. I was lucky to spend time with her and get to know the other side of her which is a really sweet, very sensitive, and really lovable. She actually giggles a lot!"
4. Keira Knightley:
"I've heard that Aishwarya Rai is the most beautiful woman in the world!'
5. Will Smith:
"She has a powerful energy. She doesn't have to say anything, she doesn't have to do anything. Whatever she wants to make, I'm there. I really wanted to work with her in Hitch but she was shooting for Bride and Prejudice at the time and she couldn't do it. She's the mould that God made the first woman from."
6. Sabyasachi Mukherjee:
"If Aishwarya Rai walks down the ramp in a certain sari, you'd have one million web requests the next day for the very same sari. It's juvenile not to accept that."
7. Sir Ben Kingsley:
"It was a pleasure working with Aishwarya in The Last Legion, and her fans are in for a big surprise. She is an excellent and outstanding actor. She is a shining example of beauty from India and I'm sure we will be seeing her in more Hollywood movies real soon."
8. Jay Sean:
"Of course there are some very beautiful Indian girls like Aishwarya Rai [of Bride & Prejudice]. She's a stunning girl."
9. Dev Patel:
"I have a crush on all Bollywood actresses, especially Aishwarya Rai and Deepika Padukone. I am too star struck."
10. Freida Pinto:
"The only Bollywood film person they know of there is Aishwarya Rai. She is very famous."
11. Hugh Jackman:
"I've met Aishwarya Rai. She is really beautiful."
12. Meryl Streep:
"Well, in Bollywood, Aishwarya Rai is quite famous. She is elegant and gorgeous."
13. Halle Berry:
"She looked stunning when she was on Oprah and also in Pink Panther. But unfortunately, I haven't seen any of her Indian films. I haven't met her but I would love to. She looked pretty on the show in a sari."
14. Catherine Zeta Jones:
"Michael (Douglas, Zeta Jones' husband) recently met Aishwarya. I saw the pictures and she is just as he described her, beautiful!"
15. Abhishek Bachchan:
"I was dreading this flight to Mauritius.We were going to shoot the title song Kuch Na Kaho. I said, 'Oh God, please don't let me sit next to her. She was right next to me and I said, 'this is it, I am finished. The woman sleeps like a Ms World as well, I mean she sleeps perfectly.
I couldn't sleep the entire flight because I was petrified that she is going to wake up in the middle of the night for some water and I'm going to be awful. She is never going to want to romance me after that in the song. The next time she sees me like in a romantic scene she is going to see this troll sleeping next to her!
There are so many things I love about Aishwarya. She's very human and unaffected and down-to-earth , a simple little girl who is always smiling and that's very endearing."
16. Rekha:
"Among the models I admire, I find Aishwarya is the best. I disagree with the media that she is 'plastic'. I find her very expressive. I will fight for her like a tigress if need be. My heart goes out to Ash. She's been around for so long and yet not been there. She doesn't need to go to Hollywood to prove herself. She's our own. Why Bride & Prejudice? Who are these people from outside trying to tap Ash's potential? She's our treasure. It's time we acknowledge her."
17. Shah Rukh Khan:
"It's sad that things didn't work out with Ash in Chalte Chalte. But believe me, I bear no ill will towards her. I feel very proud of the fact that when you go to London, France, Germany, the only two Indian names people recognise are Aishwarya Rai and Amitabh Bachchan. Amitabh has been there for so many years and he's wonderful. But Aishwarya is our contemporary, younger than many of us. She's perhaps done less work than me and to still be the international face of Indian cinema is great."
18. Sushmita Sen:
"I think there is definitely a very huge price to pay when you are as beautiful as Aishwarya is. There is huge price to pay when your entire projection has always been that of perfection. It is just like that the world is expected out of Aishwarya . She is just a girl, she will take her time and I am sure she will come out of it. I am proud of her. She has given every Indian a reason to be proud."
19. Vivek Oberoi:
"Of course she has a beautiful face but she's even more beautiful inside. In her soul. I also admire the dignity and strength with which she lives her life."
20. Priyanka Chorpa:
"Aishwarya Rai is the ultimate face of India. Look at her beauty and popularity! It crosses geo-political boundaries. I've a long way to go before I can be considered the face of India. God must have taken a vacation to make her. We mortals were made in a day."
21. Hrithik Roshan:
"I've just started working with Ash. She's looking stunning. It's very nice working with someone who is so beautiful, talented, down-to-earth and easy to talk to. Let's hope we can live up to the expectations."
22. Kangana Ranaut:
"I just can't stop looking at her. She's gorgeous. I wonder how anyone can be so beautiful. I'm loved her in Umrao Jaan. What a fabulous birthday gift she has received from J P Dutta."
23. Deepika Padukone:
"From the female lead, only Aishwarya Rai at the moment is dominating in Bollywood having come from the modeling background. Ash is someone I definitely look up to. She is someone I've really learnt a lot from and I used to watch her endorsements, her films and her modeling career right from the time she started off when I was very little and young. I also remember watching her when she won the Miss World. If my career goes the same way as Aishwarya's, it's going to be a huge compliment for me."
24. Aamir Khan:
"Aishwarya is going to be successful in the global market. She is talented, good-looking and professional."
25. Jaya Bachchan:
"Amitabh Bachchan could barely hold himself for the first four months but once the doctor said it was okay to make the announcement, he broke the news on Twitter. Aaradhya looked a lot like Abhishek when she was born. She has his features and body structure but now she's more like her mother."
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