When Aishwarya Rai was asked how she knew English, if Indians are educated: ‘Shocked at how ill-informed…’

She said, “It shocked me how ill-informed so many parts of the world were about current India. And I’m so blessed that I had the opportunity to dispel some very, from my perspective, unbelievable misconceptions about us as a country.” Asked for an example, she continued, “Basic things, like the fact that I spoke English comfortably, to begin with. They’d be like, ‘Are you educated in India? You speak English really well’. And I’m like, ‘Well, we do learn English in India’. This is really simple.”

She added, “Yes, when I’m on the world platform, I do tend to speak with a little more of a pronounced accent. My accent does get a little more Westernised. Having said that, my English is plain and simple. I’ve studied in India, and that’s it.”

In her famous appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, the host asked Aishwarya, “Do you live with you parents, is that true? And, is it common in India for children to live with their parents?” She’d replied, “It is fine to live with your parents because it is also common in India that we don’t have to make appointments with our parents for dinner.” As the audience applauded, Letterman responded, “I think we’ve learned a little something here tonight.”