Aishwarya Rai at Cannes

 

Aishwarya Rai as a young model for Saris

Early days, I remember cutting out Garden sari ads to have this perfect face on my walls. 

The staggeringly beautiful young Aishwarya Rai as India's youngest supermodel. 

Aishwarya Rai on the red carpet

 

Aishwarya Rai in her first Hindi film Aur Pyar Ho Gaya

 

Aishwarya Rai in her first Hindi film Aur Pyar Ho Gaya 

Aishwarya Rai in Taal (1999)

 

Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai: Bollywood's favourite unrequited love story

In real life and in reel life, they just weren't meant to be. She gave him class, he gave her sex appeal } remember reading that phrase?! 

Salman Khan was 8 years older than Aishwarya Rai. Their on and off screen magic was something else. Just wasn't meant to be... 

Aishwarya Rai attends Neeta Lulla's store opening

Aishwarya Rai attends Neeta Lulla's store opening

 

Aishwarya Rai appears on the Tyra Banks show: TBT to 2009

 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, 36,  appears on the Tyra Banks show: TBT to 2009!

The perfection of Rekha in Silsila

 

 

Released on the summer of 1981, 14 August to be precise, Rekha, then 26, was at the absolute peak of her prowess and peacock-ian beauty when the affairs-of-the-heart, musical melodrama Silsila released.

Empowered by fellow aesthete producer/director Yash Chopra, with the camera work of Kay Gee capturing Rekha in all her polished glory, no leading lady commanded screen space with such ease and elegance. Not a strand of hair out of place, her impeccable fashion (which deteriorated dramatically by the time Khoon Bhari Maang and Geetanjali released!), has to be studied as one does an unholy book of haute Hindi film fashion. 

Rekha when reigned in by writers and directors she admired -- Yash Chopra, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Gulzar -- didn't go completely off the rails. Lesser men who didn't have the courage to edit Re' fell folly to her over-the-top sartorial shenanigans. Yash Chopra had a more deft hand; be it Silsila or Faasle, Rekha looked polished, refined... just damn near perfect.

Rekha with Yash Chopra on the sets of Faasla - a rare pic 

Aishwarya Rai's iconic pose for Taal

Stephen Fry mentioned in an interview he hates the word 'iconic' being used incorrectly. Well, over used. And I see it pop up just about everywhere. And he's so right.

However, this shot - is truly iconic. One look and you know instantly, its Aishwarya Rai in a career-defining role in Taal.