Down Memory Lane: When Aishwarya Rai Was Crowned Miss World

Industry big wigs reminisce Aishwarya Rai’s big win at the 44th Miss World pageant, and her journey since.

Aishwarya Rai smiles for the cameras after being crowned Miss World (Photo: Reuters)

November 19th, 1994 was the day when Indian beauty Aishwarya Rai was declared as the most beautiful woman in the world. She took the world by storm, by bringing home the glorious Miss World crown. Not much has changed in the last 21 years. She’s still considered to be one of the most gorgeous women on the planet.

We reminisce her journey from then to now, through the eyes of those who have given it their all, to make Aishwarya the diva that she is today.

Miss India Aishwarya Rai sits on her throne after being crowned Miss World on November 19th 1994 (Photo: Reuters)

Remember the sizzling Sanju in that Pepsi TV commercial from the 90s? The famous ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar gave Aishwarya Rai the much needed visibility, before she bagged the crown. Here’s what the man who ‘discovered’ Aishwarya Rai says about the gorgeous lady-

<b>She looked stunning the very first time I saw her and she’s looked stunning every time I’ve seen her since then. Her eyes just make you drown in them, those eyes! She looked so gorgeous to me that I knew she had the potential to be an extremely fine actress even then.</b>

<b>- Prahlad Kakkar, Ad Filmmaker</b>

Sanju aka Aishwarya’s magic left the entire country spellbound (Source: Youtube/cupidsk)

<b>I found something strikingly similar in her and Smita Patil and that attracted me to her. She had these unshakeable middle class values. They were so strong that they have stayed with her till today. That makes her very special.</b>

<b>- Prahlad Kakkar, Ad Film Director</b>

There’s something about the master makeup strokes that bring out her refined and chiselled beauty. Ojas Rajani, a makeup artist and hairdresser who Aishwarya swears by, has been the man behind her sizzling looks in Robot, Guzaarish and Jodha Akbar. He first met the diva 15 years ago on the sets of an ad film, and still remembers that day vividly.

<b>I have always been enamoured by beauty and when it comes to Aishwarya, beauty comes to her naturally. Working on her face to add glamour is like icing on the cake, because her features make it much easier. I do think what I brought to Aishwarya is that I changed her plain Jane look to that of a glamorous diva.</b>

<b>- Ojas Rajani, Makeup artist and hairdresser</b>

There are still some more special geniuses who are on Aishwarya’s thank-you list. How can we forget makeup maestro Mickey Contractor? He’s been by her side on several film projects, ad films, launch events and fashion shows. Talking of fashion, designer duo Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla’s creations are what Aishwarya is seen in most often.

Aishwarya arrives at one of the events during the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival in a Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla creation (Photo: Facebook/AbuJaniSandeepKhosla)

Aishwarya Rai has come a long way since she won the 1994 Miss World pageant, and still has a strong hold in the film industry. She has also emerged as Bollywood’s most favourite brand ambassador to international events. Still phenomenally beautifully, here’s applauding her grace and her achievements.