rediff.com compiles a fact-file on Bollywood's dazzling superstar who turns 34 today.

* Ash was born on November 1, 1973 in Mangalore, Karnataka to parents Krishnaraj and Vrinda Rai. She has an elder brother, Aditya.

* Affectionately referred to as Ash by the whole world, the star is nick-named Gullu at home.

* The light-eyed stunner did her schooling in Mumbai's Arya Vidya Mandir and picked Jai Hind and later Ruparel College to pursue her further studies. At some point, Ash contemplated taking up medicine only to dabble with architecture before the modeling bug bit her hard and for good.

* First runner up at the Femina Miss India pageant in 1994 (she lost to Sushmita Sen), the Scorpio beauty went on to win the Miss World crown at Sun City, South Africa.

* Instead of opting for a regular girl-meets-boy big banner love story as her debut, Aishwarya took up a interesting double role in Mani Ratnam's Iruvar co-starring Mohanlal. Her first film in Bollywood was Rahul Rawail's Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya opposite Bobby Deol.

Text: Sukanya Verma

Also read: The most beautiful eyes in Bollywood

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