Kids interview Aishwarya Rai
by Charactorium · Aishwarya Rai (1973 — ?) · Performing Arts · 5 min read
Two sixth-graders, on a class trip about world cinema, have the chance to meet a great star from India. A little intimidated, they take out their notebooks. She smiles at them and invites them to sit close by.
—What were you studying before you became famous?
You know, my child, before all this, I wanted to draw houses. I was studying architecture: I spent my days with a ruler and a pencil, sketching walls and roofs. I loved imagining solid buildings. And then, in 1994, my life changed overnight. Imagine you're quietly preparing for an exam, and in one evening, the whole country knows your face. That's what happened to me. I had to put away my architect's pencils. Deep down, I'm still building something — but characters now, not buildings.
I put away my architect's pencils to build characters.
—What was it like, the night you won Miss World?
It was very far from home, at Sun City, in South Africa. Imagine a huge hall, lights everywhere, and my heart beating so loud I could hear it. When they said “India,” I thought I was dreaming. I was the fifth girl from my country to win that crown. So on that stage, I said something simple: I wanted to use this title to help girls go to school and promote peace. It wasn't just a pretty dress, you see. A crown can also carry ideas.
A crown can carry ideas.
—Is it true you don't really sing in your films?
You're sharp! No, the voice you hear isn't mine. In India, we call it playback singing: real singers record the songs in a studio, and we actors lip-sync on camera. You have to pretend so well that you believe it. Imagine playing a huge emotion, tears in your eyes, but someone else lends their voice to your heart. It's teamwork. My first big role like that was in Iruvar, in 1997, where I even played two different characters. Two faces, one actress.
Someone else lends their voice to my heart, and you have to believe it.
—Were the costumes in your films heavy to wear?
Oh, you can't imagine! For a film like Jodhaa Akbar, in 2008, I played a princess from long ago. I wore silk saris and traditional jewelry called Kundan: stones set in gold. Sometimes, it weighed several kilos on my shoulders and in my hair. Imagine dancing all day with a heavy bag around your neck. By evening, you're exhausted. But when you look at yourself, dressed like a queen from centuries past, you forget the fatigue. The costume, my child, helps you become someone else.
The costume helps you become someone else.
—Which film made you the proudest?
It's hard to choose, you know. But I think of Devdas, in 2002. It was adapted from a very old Indian novel, a sad and beautiful love story. We showed it at Cannes, in France, in front of the whole world. Many people say it's one of the most beautiful films ever made in our country. On set, we started before sunrise, and makeup artists worked for hours on my face. Imagine preparing a huge cake: every detail matters, or it all falls apart. When the audience cried at that film, I knew the work was worth it.
—What was it like being on the jury at Cannes?
In 2002, I was invited to be on the jury of the Cannes film festival in France. A jury is a small group that watches all the competition films and chooses the best. The president was a great American director, David Lynch. And I was the very first actress from my cinema, what we call Bollywood, to sit in those seats. Imagine walking into a room where no one looks like you, and they still listen to you. I was proud, because I didn't just represent myself: I carried an entire cinema that was finally being looked at with respect.
I didn't just represent myself: I carried an entire cinema.
—Why did people say you were an ambassador of India?
That's a nice word, ambassador. Usually, an ambassador represents their country in another country. I did it with my films and my dresses. There are millions of Indians living far from India, in England, Canada, the United States: we call that the diaspora. Those families watched our films to remember home. And on the steps of Cannes, when I walked up in a sari, the whole world discovered a bit of our culture. Imagine carrying your village in your suitcase wherever you go. A country can charm others without weapons, just with its beauty and stories.
A country can charm without weapons, just with its stories.
—How do you become the face of a big brand like L'Oréal?
Since 2006, I've been an ambassador for L'Oréal Paris, a French beauty brand. That means my face appears on posters everywhere — in more than a hundred and fifty countries! Imagine the same photo of you, plastered on walls in Paris, Tokyo, New York, all at once. It's a bit dizzying. My job is to represent the brand with elegance and confidence. But I'll let you in on a secret: real beauty isn't a cream in a bottle. It's standing tall and believing in yourself. The rest is just makeup.
Real beauty isn't a cream in a bottle.
—How did it feel when they called you the most beautiful woman in the world?
An American magazine, Time, called me that in 2003. It's very flattering, but also a bit heavy to carry, you know. People talked mostly about my eyes, a rare blue-green color. But a face ages, it changes. Imagine being told “you're the most beautiful”: the next day, you're afraid to disappoint. So I learned not to believe it too much. What lasts isn't the color of your eyes, it's what you do with your life. I preferred that people remember my roles and my work, rather than my reflection in a mirror.
What lasts isn't your eyes, it's what you do with your life.
—Was your wedding really followed by so many people?
Oh yes, my child! In 2007, I married Abhishek Bachchan. His father, Amitabh Bachchan, is a huge star in our country, almost a legend. So our wedding was followed by millions of people, in India and wherever Indian families live. Imagine an entire city holding its breath for a single day. In our country, some film families are a bit like royal dynasties: when two stars unite, it's an event for the whole nation. It was a lot of attention, but deep down, it was above all my own love story.
—Do you live in a big star mansion?
I live in Mumbai, the city of Indian cinema, in a seaside neighborhood called Juhu. Many great actors live there, in beautiful homes next to each other. I live with my husband's family, the Bachchans, all together under one roof. In our culture, that's normal: several generations share the house. Imagine a big nest where grandparents, parents, and children cross paths every morning. Despite the fame, you know, what I prefer are these simple family moments, far from the cameras and lights.
This imaginary interview was generated by artificial intelligence from sources documented in Aishwarya Rai's profile. It dramatises what the figure might have said based on what we know about them, but does not constitute attested historical testimony. For primary sources and factual documentation, refer to the full profile.