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"Sexy in India is not considered positive. But, with today's crop of fresh faces in the modeling arena, being sexy is an asset." Aishwarya Rai should know, as she's often been called the most beautiful woman in the world by the media. She's among India's most influential and popular celebrities, and has been honored by the Government of France and the Government of India. But where did Rai get her start, and what has happened throughout her career? Where will she be headed now? She's gone from a model to a successful actress, and has also now become a wife and mother. Here's what you need to know about the lovely and talented actress, her work, and the family she treasures. Read on to find out more.

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An Indian Model Becomes an Actress

Rai was born to a homemaker and a biologist, and has an older brother. They moved to Mumbai, India before Rai attended high school. She completed high school there, and then went to college where she achieved high grades. During her teenage years, she also studied music and classic dance. She also enjoyed zoology, and considered a medical career. She dabbled in architecture, and then gave that up to pursue a modeling career. In 1991 she won a contest looking for an international supermodel. That got her featured in Vogue in the United States, which was the start of launching her career. She was in a Pepsi commercial in 1993, and then won second place in 1994's Miss India pageant.

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Rai stayed with her modeling career for some time, as she was working toward becoming an actress. She wanted to do both things, but she didn't want to give up her modeling career on the chance of being an actress. Instead, she decided that continuing to work as a model would make sense, and once she established herself as an actress she could quit modeling if she wanted to. Her break into acting came in 1997, when she had a role in the film Iruvar. It was a success critically but didn't perform well commercially. That same year she was in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya, which also faired poorly at the box office. But it was her first Bollywood film, and that got her noticed by more than just a few critics who didn't seem to like her acting. From there, she had more options.

Acting, Marriage, and Motherhood

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In 1999, Rai started her rise to stardom. It was the turning point that changed everything for her, and she became in demand for movie roles. She has been in everything from horror movies to Bollywood films to adaptations of books and American movies. While very popular in India, Rai also received international recognition for movies such as Hum Kisise Kum Nahin. At that point, she started making more Bollywood films but also worked in more mainstream Hindi movies, too. Rai has seen both critical success and a surge of fans who want to follow along with what she's doing. But she's also had her share of critics, who argue that her beauty isn't enough and some of her performances are lacking. In general, her fans don't agree with that assessment.

Rai is much more than an actress and model. She's become a wife to a fellow actor and a mother to one child. About her personal life and how it changed and affected her professional life, Rai has said, "Even prior to marriage and motherhood, it's always been about prioritizing and focusing on what you can commit to. That's been my approach to every aspect of my life, be it my relationships or my professional commitments." In short, Rai understands that it's important to commit to the things that matter the most and to let other things go. Making too many commitments can cause problems, and that's true whether those commitments are professional acting roles, modeling jobs, chores around the house, or playdates for the children.

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In addition to everything else she does, Rai also spends a lot of time on social and humanitarian work. She has been on the stage, as well. She promotes the eradication of polio, eye donation in India, and more. Her charitable work is important to her, and she supports the protection of animals as well as people. As one of the most popular celebrites in Bollywood, and as the wife of another popular actor, Rai is noticed in India and throughout the world. But she remains very grounded and she lived with her family until her marriage. Despite her career, she's traditional in many ways and wants to make sure her good name remains that way. Fans and critics haven't seen the last of Rai, and it's going to be interesting to see what she does next.