Diamond Girl

Former Miss World and current Indian film actress Aishwarya Rai reacts at a news conference to launch a new Nakshatra collection of diamond jewelry from Diamond Trading Corp. in Mumbai, India, Oct. 3, 2006. Rai, brand ambassador for DTC, unveiled the collection, which was inspired by the "cosmic constellation."

Born Nov. 1, 1973, Rai was an architecture student before she became a model and started appearing in TV commercials.

Rai was 21 when she was crowned Miss World in November 1994.

Rai has found much success in movies in India. She earned especially good reviews for her portrayal of a rape victim in a film titled "Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai" (2000), which carries the tag line "Where the heart is."

"Bride & Prejudice," released in 2004, was Rai's first English-language film. That same year, she became the first Indian female to be immortalized at Madame Tussaud's wax museum in London.

Rai poses with a soundtrack CD at the music release of her upcoming Hindi film, "Umrao Jaan," in Mumbai, India, Sept. 30, 2006. She has the title role in the film.