Aishwarya Rai in Dhoom 2 (2006)

Aishwarya Rai, 33, in her sexiest avatar, in Dhoom 2 (2006). Stunning.

After years of appearing as a picture perfect all-Indian screen Goddess, in her "racy" look (as she oft said in her pre-film release interviews), she surprised and gained a lot of fans.

There have been many hot gals in the Dhoom franchise, none more gorgeous and breathtakingly beautiful than the one and only, Aishwarya Rai!

Aishwarya Rai

Some magical shots of Aishwarya Rai by Dabboo Ratnani.

Rekha

Rekha with Shabana Azmi and Sridevi.

Aishwarya Rai

Aishwary Rai shot by Dabboo Ratnani.

Salman Khan with Aishwarya Rai: Rare pics

Salman Khan with Aishwarya Rai, two of the most ridiculously good looking Bollywood stars of ALL TIME!

Pages and pages written about their scandalous coupling that ended in such a fiasco, a movie could be written about how they met, got together and fell apart within a short span of time - in an almost Grecian tragedy.

Aishwarya's legendary beauty met Khan's famed temper. No third person unwound this pair, their own undoing was caused by... hubris. 

Thankfully, there's the gorgeous flick Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam to remember them by - and how prescient was the film that even in the movie the two didn't get together in the end?! 

There was no happily ever-after written in Salman Khan's tumultuous life. 

Here are a few snapshots of Bollywood's ultimate 'it' couple of the 90s. They were surprisingly quiet about the whole affair, rarely seen together in public, there are a but a handful of images and public appearances together, fewer quotes, fewer confessions, hell, there was barely an acknowledgement by either party. 

 

The rare occasions when Rai and Khan were seen outside a film set. Plus, Rai bonding with Salman Khan's sister-in-law Seema Khan (wife of Salman's youngest brother Sohail).

Gotcha! The peck on the cheek and the exchange between the two caught unguarded was the photo coup of the decade. Salman Khan and Aishwarya were not known to show any PDA (public displays of affection) so this sold like hotcakes back in the day - it was manna for tabloids.

Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999): Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Khanna in New York for Bollywood

Shot extensively in New York, the expensive RK film (and flop!) Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Khanna on the sets of Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999). 

When the images of the two stars on the sets of the film were published in Stardust, Aishwarya and Akshay stated that the images were such that people would write stories of their alleged affair - and when the magazines started insinuating as much, both laughed out loud. 

Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya Rai. Divine