Aishwariya Rai Bachchan rang in her birthday yesterday. The actress turned 36 and is believed to have a spent a quiet day with husband and family at Amby Valley on Lonavala. This has been a very hectic year for Ash, who is a part of many prestigious projects.

The actress has by now reached a very fulfilling stage of her life. She has a thriving career and a loving husband. So many years ago, she may have lost the crown to Sushmita Sen, but today the script of her life has opened out beautifully. Ash had her initial lows and rough patches, when films didn't work out for her and neither did her relations, first with Salman Khan and then with Vivek Oberoi. But destiny had bigger things in mind for her and soon enough, the actress was part of the big league and hobnobbing with international stars at Cannes. It was not just her brand value which gained in strength due to some good PR but also the quality of the films that she did. Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has had a major role to play in defining and shaping her career. Her first major hit, 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' was directed by him. He then gave her 'Devdas'. And currently, the director is working with her in 'Guzaarish'. Ashutosh Gowariker and his 'Jodhaa Akbar' further cemented her image as an actress. Besides, Bhansali's next, the actress has many other films in her kitty, like Mani Ratnam's 'Raavan' and Vipul Shah's 'Action Replay'. Life seems to be just getting better and better for this Bachchan bahu.