Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has sashayed down many a red carpet with poise and pizzazz, moving from embodying a stereotype to completely shattering it at the most glittering global showbiz events. She represents a benchmark for ageing gracefully and happily, far removed from any Peter Pan-esque beauty standards. She demonstrated this once more at Cannes, becoming the focal point of a furious debate about why women are held to impossible standards and expected to look exactly the same year after year, completely ignoring the natural vagaries of life and time.
As cosmetic giant L'Oreal's brand ambassadors, Alia Bhatt and Aditi Rao Hydari, made their way to the film festival, one question was repeatedly asked: Where was the original L’Oreal girl, Aishwarya Rai? A regular fixture at the movie gala for 24 years, her look is meticulously dissected every single year. The 52-year-old model and actor, who remains one of India’s most recognisable faces, appeared towards the end of the festival in a sculpted blue gown.
Almost immediately, photographs and videos flooded social media, and the conversation predictably turned to her weight, sparking a wave of trolling and body shaming. Among those who spoke out was journalist Mrinal Pande. The Padma Shri winning writer, known for her feminist perspective, commented on X that the natural beauty had diminished this time, noting that the cheeks appeared somewhat more puffed up. This observation quickly spiralled into a massive online debate. When questioned about her remarks, Pande defended her critique by arguing that celebrities are judged by a different metric.
She explained that because the actor has been promoted globally as an iconic beauty and brand ambassador since winning her beauty contest in 1994, any dimming of that aura would naturally be pointed out using the exact criteria set by the beauty pageant industry. Some of her more critical posts were later pulled down. This is hardly the first time Aishwarya has faced online hostility. Unlike many of her contemporaries, the 'Devdas' actor appeared entirely comfortable with her post-pregnancy weight following the birth of her daughter, Aaradhya, in 2011.
Clinical psychologist Shweta Sharma suggests that the criticism surrounding her appearance speaks volumes about how society perceives beauty. She notes that a similar reaction occurred when the actor gained weight after childbirth. However, the real issue lies in a concept of beauty that has been deeply corrupted by rigid societal standards. While people admire her, there is a collective refusal to accept that celebrities have every right to age naturally, change physically, or simply look human— realities that she accepts with grace.
Actor Kangana Ranaut was among the first from within the film industry to school the trolls, telling them on Instagram to get used to seeing older women on red carpets. She emphasised that fashion and style are forms of self-expression and personal attitude, adding that no woman owes anything to anyone. Declaring that Ash looked glorious, she challenged critics to show what they had to offer rather than expecting her to please them.
Aishwarya's 'Devdas' co-star, Madhuri Dixit, also weighed in, stating that such trolling sends a terrible message to society, particularly to younger generations. She pointed out that the actor has represented the country proudly at Cannes for over two decades as a global star and Miss World. Dixit argued that it is wrong to reduce someone to a number on a scale, a dress size, or years on a calendar, reinforcing that worth should be measured by achievements rather than appearance. Aishwarya’s relationship with the Cannes Film Festival began in 2002 when 'Devdas' was screened there. The following year, she became a brand ambassador for L’Oreal and has returned ever since, even becoming the first Indian actor to serve on the festival jury. For many Indians, her presence at Cannes equates to India’s representation at the event, irrespective of whether an Indian film is in competition. In 2016, her choice of purple lipstick similarly became the subject of intense public debate. Psychologists argue that education alone will not change things unless society breaks the conditioning that ties a woman’s worth to maintaining a specific body image. The current conversation is vital because it exposes just how uncomfortable people remain with the natural relationship between a woman’s body and her identity. It is particularly concerning when educated women join in on the criticism, as it shows how deeply internalised these beauty norms have become.
These unrealistic demands are in stark contrast to the way male stars are treated in the entertainment industry.
The mainstream Hindi film industry has sidelined women past a certain age. This is gradually changing with the advent of digital streaming sites, thereby giving actresses like Shefali Shah and Madhuri Dixit a chance to portray leading roles.
Shah has earlier expressed her disappointment at playing Akshay Kumar's mother in the movie Waqt in 2005, even when she was younger than him. In the years since, she has steered clear of such roles, finding better opportunities in offbeat films and web series, while Dixit has recently earned praise for her performance in the dark comedy 'Maa Behen'.
Also read: Madhuri Dixit slams trolls body-shaming Aishwarya Rai
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