On 19th November 1994 a little known 21-year-old architecture student, Aishwarya Rai won the Miss World title in the pageant held at Sun City, South Africa and she did it beating other beauties from 87 countries around the world.  A throwback pic of Ash eating a humble and simple meal with her mom Brindya Rai with the Miss World crown on her head has gone viral now after two and a half decades.

Just minutes earlier she was winning the crown but the photo shows Aishwarya as a simple girl sitting on the floor and having her meal like any other girl in India which has won the hearts of millions.

On that eventful day Aishwarya was asked what qualities a Miss World should embody and the answer is what set her apart.  She said "The Miss Worlds that we have had up to date, have been proof enough that they have had compassion. Compassion for the underprivileged and not only for the people who have status and stature. We have had people, who can look beyond the barriers that man has set up - of nationalities and colour. We have to look beyond those and that would make a true Miss World. A true person, a real person.".

Aishwarya Rai will soon be seen in Tamil in Mani Ratnam's multistarrer epic 'Ponniyin Selvan' costarring Vikram, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Jayaram, Prabhu, Sarathkumar, Aishwarya Lekshmi and Trisha.