It was her first time at Ascot so Aishwarya Rai knew she had to get her outfit spot on. And the Indian actress and former Miss World, who had arrived in Britain the night before the Ascot , didn't disappoint, with a look that combined her beauty and elegance to perfection.

"It's such a British tradition - the dressing tip," says Aishwarya, 35, wearing a grey silk suit topped with a spectacular feathered black hat. "The ladies are so spirited and the men in the top hats are wonderful."

A formidable force not only in Bollywood but also in world cinema, her global image has never been stronger. Nor, it seems, her personal life happier. Two years ago Aishwarya married fellow actor Abhishek Bachchan. A superstar in his own right, he was born into an Indian film dynasty - his father Amitabh is an acting legend while his mother, Jaya, was a huge name in cinema before moving into politics. Aishwarya now lives with her 33-year-old husband and parents-in-law and is loving every minute.

"It's amazing how I feel this intensity and love for these people now," she says. "Even though I have only been part of the family for two years, I feel the same emotions I have for my own parents. It's been an incredible experience, but of course, you have to be selfless and give a lot."

After a luncheon hosted in her honour by Longines, for whom she's been a brand ambassador for ten years, Aishwarya in an interview spoke about life as one half of Bollywood's most powerful couple, what family means to her and the importance of keeping it real...

"The two aspects I always hear about are the presence of the royal family and, of course, the hats. I was concerned I wouldn't have time to put an outfit and a hat together in time as I only arrived last night. But we got it bang on, with the Armani drew and jacket, and the hat was an immediate yes. Ilda DiVico's design is lovely and so glamorous; elegant but not overbearing - very me!"

"I just see me. The kind of love and adoration that people give you is truly overwhelming, very humbling and also it's very personal." You had a fairly normal upbringing - were you intimidated marrying into such a famous family?

"I knew of the family very well. But was I intimidated? No, because once you've experienced celebrity and fame, it can't be any different. My family and I experienced this from when I was 19, so, many years into it, you don't have stars in your eyes. It's just a way of life.

"I now live with my husband's family, which is a normal thing to do in Indian families. In spite of Abhishek being born into a world of fame and film, we have a very real atmosphere at home. It's wonderful that I've come into a family where being on a public platform is just normal, it's just the way of life. It was almost natural."

"When we first met as colleagues we immediately grew close as friends - probably because of our backgrounds and the way we'd been bought up. There was an immediate connection. We both have the ability to laugh at ourselves and at the same time we have an intense, serious side where we were always old for our years. We love life and we live it."

"We have both been free actors who have dared to make very different choices from the conventional, safe route. He is the son of a superstar and he could have chosen to do very safe, commercial work, popcorn entertainment, become a teen idol. But he made choices to work with different directors and do some noir characters, which is something I have done as well. We enjoy our world, our jobs, but we also love spending time at home. We enjoy a party and dancing, but on a day off we like to spend time with the family, watching movies and eating. We're both real foodies."