Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Despite being on maternity leave for a large part of the year, Ash managed to stay in the spotlight. She had a celebrity visitor in the form of American TV queen Oprah Winfrey in January. She also received some very unwanted attention after she was pictured at a party held at the Ambani residence in May. Ash's full-faced appearance caused a huge debate about her failure to lose the post-pregnancy kilos, with many criticising her and others jumping to her defence. In May, she went to the Cannes film festival in the wake of the weight-debate and thumbed her nose at critics in a grey Elie Saab gown on the red carpet. The dress clung to every plus-size curve and Ash wore it with a big smile. The message was clear – she wasn't going to be thin for anyone. Cannes was also the setting for a year-long public obsession with her baby daughter Aaradhya after photographers captured a first glimpse of the tiny tot at Nice airport.

In August, Ash emerged from her maternity break with a jewellery campaign for Kalyan Jewellers. In September, she was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for UNAIDS, and was also announced as one of the guests to be interviewed by eminent British journalist Sir David Frost.