Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: 7 best performances of the gorgeous actress that deserve more praise

This year marks the two decades of the beautiful Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the film industry. She made her movie debut in 1997 with Tamil film Iruvar, directed by Mani Ratnam, and the same year she made her Bollywood debut with Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya.

In her career spanning over two decades, Aishwarya Rai, who is hailed as one of the most beautiful women, has given some memorable performances and that includes movies in which her performance deserved more appreciation than she got.

Take a look at these movies below:

Raincoat: Directed by Rituparno Ghosh, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan portrays the character of Neeru from Kolkata, who meets her long lost love on a rainy day. Critics praised her performance as a depressing woman in the film.

Provoked: A biographical drama, Provoked is loosely based on the story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, who killed her abusive husband. Aishwarya portrayed Kiranjit's character convincingly. She also received positive reviews from critics for her performance.

"Aishwarya Rai plays the battered wife in what is undoubtedly one of her best performances to date. Rai convincingly goes through the various stages of shock, bewilderment, remorse and finally vindication," Critic Indu Mirani from DNA said.

Chokher Bali: Her performance in Rituparno Ghosh's Bengali film Chokher Bali is one of her best performances till date. Released in 2003, Aishwarya plays the role of Binodini, a young widow who is rejected by friends.

Raavan: Aishwarya's performance in Mani Ratnam directorial Raavan was the highlight of the movie. Her sita-esque character was brave, courageous, and well portrayed.

Devdas: Her role as Parvati (Paro) in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directorial Devdas is one of her best performances and for that, she also won Filmfare Best Actress Award. She even won Star Screen Awards Best Actress, IIFA Awards Best Actress and Zee Cine Awards Best Actress Awards. Not only her performance is the memorable one, the film is also one of the biggest hits of the time. Times Magazine even named Devdas, also starring Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit Nene, as one of the 10 Greatest movies of the Millennium.

Guru: Aishwarya's role of a supporting housewife in Mani Ratnam's directorial Guru was essayed with such ease. She was excellent as Gurukant "Guru" Desai's (Abhishek Bachchan) wife Sujata Desai. "Aishwarya Rai is marvellous, handling complex scenes with grace and empathy," a Hindustan Times reviewer said after the movie release.

Jodhaa Akbar: Aishwarya played the role of Rajput Princess Jodhaa bai with simplicity. The gorgeous actress looked every bit of the princess and yet she managed to portray the fierce side of the princess with skill.

Apart from these seven movies, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has also given memorable performances in Guzaarish, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Taal, Kandukondain Kandukondain and Josh.