# Aishwarya Rai...are her eyes really that colour? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2005, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020 "2005-06-20T09:18:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sarah\_Woodruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sarah\_Woodruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarah_Woodruff)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/1 "2005-06-20T09:18:50Z")
She’s stunningly beautiful, and her eyes are also beautiful…but are they \*naturally that [light greyish-green colour](http://www.anupriyo.com/blog/archive/images/ashtaj2.jpg)? [Vasundhara Das](http://www.nrk.no/img/189146.jpeg), meannwhile, has green eyes. Contact lenses? Or natural? (In these particular cases, I mean - I know that a certain percentage of Indians have light-coloured eyes, particularly in the north. But it’s not exactly a common feature). ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/2 "2005-06-20T09:35:12Z")
I watched _Devdas_ recently and I think her eyes looked nothing like that but now that I look at the DVD cover they look kind of golden, I am betting contacts. ---
**Author:** ![sunfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sunfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunfish)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/3 "2005-06-20T09:55:01Z")
Her eyes have that quality of looking a bit different depending on lighting, her clothes, etc., but they definitely are a light grayish-green. [This](http://imdb.com/gallery/scrapbook/49/Sbk/49/rai1.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Rai,%20Aishwarya) [set](http://www.aishwarya-rai.com/closeups/cash21.jpg) of [photos](http://www.aishwarya-rai.com/closeups/cash17.jpg) shows them reasonably well. Her eyes have been her trademark since she won the Miss World pageant in 1994. I even remember seeing a commercial of hers for some eye foundation that, naturally, ending up focusing closely on her eyes. If the color was the product of contacts, you’d have heard about it by now. ---
**Author:** ![sunfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sunfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunfish)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/4 "2005-06-20T09:58:06Z")
Rats, my last two links are not working properly. Head on over to [http://www.aishwarya-rai.com/](http://www.aishwarya-rai.com/) and follow the “close ups” link. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/5 "2005-06-20T11:51:58Z")
She could easily be wearing contacts but it’s not an unusual colour for Indians to have. One of my grandfathers had hazel-green eyes like hers, the other one had green-grey. My mother has the weirdest colour I’ve ever seen-amber. Damn my dominant dark brown genes! I hope I kept them as recessive traits. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/6 "2005-06-20T13:10:57Z")
She’s stunning. That’s all I have to add. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/7 "2005-06-20T13:18:45Z")
How is her name pronounced? She is one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. Can anyone recommend a movie she has been in that might be good for someone completely unfamiliar with Bollywood conventions? ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/8 "2005-06-20T13:42:04Z")
She is undeniably gorgeous, but I don’t know, something about her appearance comes off as trying too hard. I mean, I wouldn’t toss her off the back of the bike, but she wouldn’t be my forst choice either. Maybe if she lightened up on the war paint, she’s certainly pretty enough to not need all that. Me, to her: “how you doin’??” ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/9 "2005-06-20T13:46:14Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > How is her name pronounced? She is one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. Can anyone recommend a movie she has been in that might be good for someone completely unfamiliar with Bollywood conventions? Either \*Bride & Prejudice \* or _Chokher Bali_ both of which received good reviews when released commercially in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![archmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@archmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/archmichael)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/10 "2005-06-20T14:51:31Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > How is her name pronounced? She is one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. Can anyone recommend a movie she has been in that might be good for someone completely unfamiliar with Bollywood conventions? Not much of a Bollywood fan, but I would recommend [Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam](http://www.rediff.com/entertai/1999/jun/17hum.htm). There is a story there, but it seems to get in the way of Aishwarya’s costume changes. Also keep in mind that in Bollywood, women can wear sexy outfits showing off their midriff and bump and grind their hips in the dance numbers, they just can’t kiss. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/11 "2005-06-20T16:35:29Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > How is her name pronounced? Just like it’s spelled. 😃 … Oh, okay. eye-schwa-Rhea rye If she were Bengali, it would have been pronounced oh-ee-shorr-jah rye but probably spelled the same ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/12 "2005-06-20T16:42:49Z")
> [@archmichael](#): > > Also keep in mind that in Bollywood, women can wear sexy outfits showing off their midriff and bump and grind their hips in the dance numbers, they just can’t kiss. This cracks me up. Some of those dances are just oozing sex…but no kissing! At least on the lips, cheeks seem to be OK. Oh, and Aishwarya Rai is the most beautiful woman on the planet. She makes me think unclean thoughts. And I like it. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/13 "2005-06-20T20:10:06Z")
I guess I’m the only person here who disagrees about her being attractivene. I haven’t seen her in motion, though, so maybe she’s just bleh in pictures. Not that I criticise your tastes or anything. I get the “you think she’s hot, dude?” question all the time. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/14 "2005-06-20T20:21:02Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > How is her name pronounced? She is one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. Can anyone recommend a movie she has been in that might be good for someone completely unfamiliar with Bollywood conventions? **Bride and Prejudice** is a _lot_ of fun – it’s a Dollywood take on Jane Austen. It was in the theaters a couple of months ago – don’t know if it’s out on video yet. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/15 "2005-06-20T20:29:16Z")
> [@anu-la1979](#): > > She could easily be wearing contacts but it’s not an unusual colour for Indians to have. One of my grandfathers had hazel-green eyes like hers, the other one had green-grey. My mother has the weirdest colour I’ve ever seen-amber. Damn my dominant dark brown genes! I hope I kept them as recessive traits. Yep, yep. My father has the hazel-green eyes. I got the brown ones, however. ---
**Author:** ![furthur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@furthur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furthur)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/16 "2005-06-20T20:55:05Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > **Bride and Prejudice** is a _lot_ of fun – it’s a Dollywood take on Jane Austen. It was in the theaters a couple of months ago – don’t know if it’s out on video yet. July 5, according to [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com): [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00094AS9U/qid=1119301612/sr=1-1/ref=sr\_1\_1/102-1010780-2536106?v=glance&s=dvd](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00094AS9U/qid=1119301612/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-1010780-2536106?v=glance&s=dvd) Mrs. Furthur ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/17 "2005-06-20T21:07:49Z")
Her eye color sure does change according to lighting and who-knows-what-else. [Light brown](http://www.aishwarya-rai.com/closeups/cash06.jpg) to [bright blue](http://www.aishwarya-rai.com/closeups/cash36.jpg). I strongly suspect the blue ones are contacts, just because I can’t imagine what would account for such a range, short of outright trick photography which would essentailly = contacts for the sake of the question “what color are her eyes really”. For comparison, my eyes are [naturally](http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/rhiannon_dreamsnake/detail?.dir=4efc&.dnm=8a0b.jpg&.src=ph) about the color of her blue eyed picture. Under a flash, they get more [turquoisey](http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/rhiannon_dreamsnake/detail?.dir=4efc&.dnm=f941.jpg&.src=ph). And, yes, people are always asking me if I wear colored contacts. (No, I don’t. You can see my gas permeables, especially in the flash picture, and my iris is the same color underneath it as outside it.) So, from the color blue itself, I’d say, sure, why not? My eyes are about that blue, it certainly happens. But it’s the very wide range of colors that makes me think she’s not blinking bareback. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/18 "2005-06-20T21:44:36Z")
On a minor related note, [Rutger Hauer](http://www.imdb.com/gallery/hh/0000442/HH/0000442/imdb01w.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Hauer,%20Rutger) and [Meg Foster](http://www.hera.aretias.de/html/they_live_4.html) play a married couple in _The Osterman Weekend_. Now, I’d’ve thought any children produced by these two would have totally white eyes, but their child was played by Christopher Starr, who has conventional brown eyes. Starr happens to be Foster’s son, with Ron Starr, and the blue-eye genes must’ve been recessived out. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/19 "2005-06-21T08:05:19Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Her eye color sure does change according to lighting and who-knows-what-else. [Light brown](http://www.aishwarya-rai.com/closeups/cash06.jpg) to [bright blue](http://www.aishwarya-rai.com/closeups/cash36.jpg). I strongly suspect the blue ones are contacts, just because I can’t imagine what would account for such a range, short of outright trick photography which would essentailly = contacts for the sake of the question “what color are her eyes really”. Not “trick” photography as such (in the sense that it’s not done intentionally to deceive) but there are a lot of factors in producing a likeness of someone (particularly a published one) that can account for a shift in eye colour. That second (blue eyed) photo, for instance. It would be taken in a studio, where the lighting and film chemistry would both have an effect on the shade that her eyes appeared (the same applies if it was taken on a digital camera – different cameras have different colour balances). If it’s film, it would be scanned, producing another shift in colour balance. Once in the computer, someone would alter the colour balance to try to remove the imbalances introduced earlier in the process, and convert it from RGB to CMYK for printing – there’s likely to be another colour shift at this point. Then the picture is used in a publication – a magazine by the look of it – and another imbalance can result from the printing process. Then someone’s scanned the picture from the magazine, adding another colour shift because of the bias of the scanner and the conversion from CMYK back to RGB, which they’ve probably tried to modify in Photoshop before cutting out the background, adding another and publishing it as a jpeg on the web. All done without any intention to deceive, but the result’s the same – new eye colour. ---
**Author:** ![Sarah\_Woodruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sarah\_Woodruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarah_Woodruff)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020/20 "2005-06-21T08:17:18Z")
I just found a photo of Aish Rai, taken when she was a schoolgirl, that seems to show her with [light-coloured eyes](http://www.dcealumni.com/picture_library/movies/aish2.jpg) (and a bad 80s perm, but that’s another story). So yes, it seems that the exotic colour is her own. _:Runs off to buy some green-tinted contacts:_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aishwarya-rai-are-her-eyes-really-that-colour/309020.md?page=2)