Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has completed 21 years of winning the Miss World pageant and she says she feels "overwhelmed by this honour".

"To have the opportunity to hold the title, to wear the crown with pride... that was my one time to go out there and experience beauty with a purpose. I stand here overwhelmed by this honour. I thank Miss World Organisation for such an incredible honour that I have received," Aishwarya said in a statement.

In the two decades that have passed since she won the coveted beauty pageant, Aishwarya made a stellar career in Bollywood and also became an internationally known brand ambassador for top brands and a regular and feted presence at the Cannes Film Festival.

She married actor Abhishek Bachchan in April 2007 and gave birth to their daughter Aaradhya in 2011.

The actress was last seen on screen in the Sanjay Gupta directorial "Jazbaa", which was her comeback film after a five-year break.


She will next be seen in filmmaker Karan Johar's "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" and "Sarabjit", which are slated to hit the screens next year.

Omung Kumar, who is directing "Sarabjit", a biopic based on the life of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian convict who died in a Pakistani prison, has said that he is "thrilled" to work with her.

"Miss World got its true meaning after Aishwarya became Miss World, India became proud when she got the title, and after 21 years we still are so proud of her. And now I get the chance to work with in my new film. I'm super thrilled," Kumar said.