Best Acting by Aishwarya
by Sherazade | created - 02 Jul 2011 | updated - 16 Nov 2015 | PublicIn no particular order, these are her Most Laudable Performances from the start of her acting career in 1997 up until 2015...
My selections were based on:
1. Versatility (ability to disappear into each character without reminding you of the last role she played)
2. Performance (Acting)
3. Content (Character)
4. Screen Presence
5. Expression
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Provoked (2006)
Not Rated | 113 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Based on the true story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, a Punjabi woman, who was abused by her husband for 10 years. After killing her husband in self-defense, Ahluwalia is imprisoned as those close to her fight to set her free.
Director: Jag Mundhra | Stars: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Michael Watson, Miranda Richardson, Naveen Andrews
Votes: 2,234
Based on a true story of a woman who lights her husband on fire in the middle of the night after enduring years of physical and emotional abuse.
2. Umrao Jaan (2006)
188 min | Drama, Romance
J.P. Dutta's adaption of the Urdu novel "Umrao Jan Ada" by Mirza Haadi Ruswa (1905).
Director: J.P. Dutta | Stars: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Suniel Shetty, Abhishek Bachchan
Votes: 2,050
A re-telling of the 1981 Rekha vehicle of the same name. Critically acclaimed though a dud at the box-office.
3. Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000)
151 min | Drama, Romance
An Indian adaptation of Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility" focusing on two sisters of opposing temperaments.
Director: Rajiv Menon | Stars: Ajith Kumar, Tabu, Mammootty, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Votes: 3,587
An Indian adaptation of Jane Austen's novel 'Sense and Sensibility' with Aishwarya in the Marianne Dashwood role.
4. Bride & Prejudice (2004)
PG-13 | 122 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
A modern adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel, Pride and Prejudice, that features the lives of four unmarried daughters in an Indian family.
Director: Gurinder Chadha | Stars: Martin Henderson, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Nadira Babbar, Anupam Kher
Votes: 21,673 | Gross: $6.61M
Aishwarya's second Jane Austen character, here she plays the Elizabeth Bennet role in this Bollywood re-telling of 'Pride and Prejudice'.
5. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)
Not Rated | 188 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
Nandini has to choose between Sameer, the man who taught her to fall in love; and Vanraj, the man from whom she learnt how to abide and fulfill promises of love.
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali | Stars: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Zohra Sehgal
Votes: 19,773
Amazing love story about two young lovers whose relationship is tested by the confines of tradition.
6. Devdas (I) (2002)
Not Rated | 185 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
After his wealthy family prohibits him from marrying the woman he is in love with, Devdas Mukherjee's life spirals further and further out of control as he takes up alcohol and a life of vice to numb the pain.
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali | Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jackie Shroff
Votes: 46,964 | Gross: $3.50M
Two lovers who can never ever be together. This was the 'Titanic' of Bollywood.
7. Jodhaa Akbar (2008)
Not Rated | 213 min | Action, Drama, History
A sixteenth century love story about a marriage of alliance that gave birth to true love between a great Mughal emperor, Akbar, and a Rajput princess, Jodha.
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker | Stars: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonu Sood, Poonam Sinha
Votes: 34,613 | Gross: $3.44M
The love story between a Hindu Rajput Princess and a Muslim Emperor.
8. Dhoom 2 (2006)
Not Rated | 152 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Back in action DHOOM:2 reinvents the action comedy genre and propels it into the 21st century. Go on and enjoy the ride once again with Jai and Ali.
Director: Sanjay Gadhvi | Stars: Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Uday Chopra
Votes: 29,925 | Gross: $2.64M
One of her most commercially successful films to date which also marked her foray into the sexy avatar arena as she essayed the role of Sunehri, a cat burglar. The fact that Aishwarya (who had pretty much maintained a good girl image up until this film) could sashay around in ultra mini skirts and other skimpy clothing, engage in innuendo and not to mention lock lips with her co-star(Hrithik Roshan) made this the most talked about film of its time.
9. Guzaarish (2010)
126 min | Drama, Romance
Ethan, a magician rendered paralyzed in an accident, sets off a furor when he makes a petition to the court to end his own life.
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali | Stars: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shernaz Patel, Aditya Roy Kapoor
Votes: 19,739 | Gross: $1.02M
Amazing performances by the two leads; Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan in their third film together.
10. Raavan (2010)
Not Rated | 130 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A bandit leader kidnaps the wife of the policeman who killed his sister, but later falls in love with her.
Director: Mani Ratnam | Stars: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Govinda, Vikram
Votes: 4,786 | Gross: $0.71M
I've lost count of how many films she has done with her husband Abhishek Bachchan (yes, he's in this one too) more importantly, she has acted very well here as the kidnapped wife of a police officer(Vikram) by a local Robin Hood type goon(Abhishek Bachchan).
11. Guru (2007)
Not Rated | 166 min | Drama
A villager, Gurukant Desai, arrives in Bombay 1958, and rises from its streets to become the GURU, the biggest tycoon in Indian history.
Director: Mani Ratnam | Stars: Mithun Chakraborty, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Madhavan
Votes: 25,001 | Gross: $2.09M
Great music, great acting.
12. Sarkar Raj (2008)
Not Rated | 125 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An even more powerful gang emerges to wipe out Sarkar from the playground. A power plant proposal becomes a cause for greater political turmoil around him. What happens to the Family?
Director: Ram Gopal Varma | Stars: Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ravi Kale
Votes: 7,850 | Gross: $1.01M
Aishwarya goes corporate in this very politically driven film.
13. Shabd (2005)
140 min | Drama, Thriller
When a novelist seeks inspiration by urging his wife to have an affair, the line between his story and reality is blurred.
Director: Leena Yadav | Stars: Sanjay Dutt, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Zayed Khan, Aakash Pandey
Votes: 1,519
A writer (Sanjay Dutt) attempts to claim success for the second time in his career by writing a novel in which an extremely beautiful woman cheats on her husband with her co-worker. To get inspired, he encourages his own wife (Aishwarya Rai) to entertain the advances of a much younger male colleague (Zayed Khan) who has just arrived to teach art at her school.
14. Josh (2000)
Not Rated | 162 min | Action, Drama, Musical
Max, who lives with his twin sister Shirley in Goa, is enraged when he finds out that she has fallen in love with Rahul, his bitter rival Prakash's younger brother.
Director: Mansoor Khan | Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Chandrachur Singh, Sharad S. Kapoor
Votes: 11,024 | Gross: $0.43M
West Side Story...Bollywood Style. Aishwarya Rai and Shahrukh Khan play twins.
15. Khakee (2004)
Not Rated | 174 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A team of police force escorts an alleged terrorist from Chandangarh to Mumbai. However their trip turns into a deadly survival when an ex-cop tries to stop them to reach Mumbai.
Director: Rajkumar Santoshi | Stars: Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Votes: 16,613
An awesome cops and robbers style film with a twist you would never see coming. Great cast, great acting.
16. Mohabbatein (2000)
Not Rated | 216 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
A film about the battle between love and fear, between two stubborn men and their opposing beliefs and the outcome of the love stories of 3 couples.
Director: Aditya Chopra | Stars: Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Uday Chopra, Jugal Hansraj
Votes: 33,395
Great story about the power of love.
17. Taal (1999)
Not Rated | 179 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
Businessman Manav falls for aspiring singer Mansi, but their romance faces an uphill climb when Manav must depart and Mansi's suave manager moves in.
Director: Subhash Ghai | Stars: Akshaye Khanna, Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Alok Nath
Votes: 5,935
A very commercial film in every sense of the word, the script was a bit tedious but the acting was on point. Great music by AR Rahman and awesome dancing by Aishwarya Rai.
18. Raincoat (2004)
Not Rated | 117 min | Drama, Romance
All he wanted was to see her just once. Manu was from a village in the backwoods. Neeru was the girl next door, his lost love.
Director: Rituparno Ghosh | Stars: Ajay Devgn, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Annu Kapoor, Mouli Ganguly
Votes: 5,054
A nice little movie about unrequited love and keeping up appearances.
19. Choker Bali: A Passion Play (2003)
167 min | Drama
Binodini is a young widow who lives with a woman and her son, Mahendra, who had once refused to marry her. Their lives are thrown into disarray when there is deceit and adultery between Binodini, Mahendra, his wife and his friend.
Director: Rituparno Ghosh | Stars: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Prasenjit Chatterjee, Raima Sen, Lily Chakravarty
Votes: 1,825
The tale of a woman who is widowed shortly after her marriage to a much older man.
20. Raavanan (2010)
Not Rated | 128 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A bandit leader kidnaps the wife of the policeman who killed his sister, but later falls in love with her.
Director: Mani Ratnam | Stars: Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Priyamani
Votes: 4,589
The Tamil version of Raavan. I enjoyed this version better than the Hindi one and yes, Aishwarya is in both films, playing the same character.
21. Jazbaa (2015)
Not Rated | 119 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Tensions arise when the daughter of nation's best lawyer is kidnapped. Now she'll have to save a rapist from death sentence, as ransom, within 4 days.
Director: Sanjay Gupta | Stars: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Irrfan Khan, Shabana Azmi, Jackie Shroff
Votes: 3,671
her comeback film, a remake of the Korean action thriller 'Seven Days'
Tell Your Friends