Aishwarya Rai at Cannes rekindles debate on body shaming and ageing in showbiz
NEW DELHI: From epitomising conventional beauty standards to challenging them on one of the world’s most glittering showbiz stages, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has walked many a red carpet with poise and pizzazz.
No longer the Peter Pan-esque beauty of her early years, she now represents ageing gracefully — and unapologetically.
She did so again at Cannes last month, becoming the centre of a fierce debate on why womenimpossible standards and expected to look the same year after year, regardless of the realities of life and time.
As Alia Bhatt and Aditi Rao Hydari, brand ambassadors for cosmetics giant L’Oréal, made their way to the Cannes Film Festival this year, one question repeatedly surfaced: where was the original L’Oréal girl, Aishwarya Rai, a regular fixture at the festival for 24 years whose appearance is dissected every year?The 52-year-old actor and former Miss World, one of India’s most recognisable faces, eventually appeared towards the end of the festival in a sculpted blue gown by Amit Aggarwal. Her photographs and videos immediately flooded social media.
And once again, the conversation turned to her weight.The natural beauty has diminished this time. The cheeks appear somewhat puffed up,” the Padma Shri-winning journalist, known for her feminist writing, posted on X, sparking widespread debate.
When questioned, Pande defended her remarks, arguing that celebrities are judged by different standards.Actor Kangana Ranaut was among the first from within the film industry to call out trolls targeting Aishwarya, urging people to become accustomed to seeing older women on red carpets.She has been going there for 20 years. She has made the whole country proud. She is a global star. As a Miss World, she has done so much for the country. You cannot reduce her to a number on a weighing scale, a dress size or the number of years on a calendar. You cannot reduce her to that. She is beautiful. She looks beautiful, but more importantly, she is beautiful inside,” Madhuri told PTI.
“I think people need to realise what kind of message they are sending to young people when they make such comments — that your worth lies in how you look
“Fashion and style are forms of self-expression. It is one’s own interpretation of life and attitude. No woman owes anything to anyone. Ash looks great! Those of you who want to see her any other way, why don’t you show what you’ve got? She is not here to please you. She is glorious. If you are not used to seeing older women on red carpets, get used to them now. Thanks,” the
“Sorry lady, she has been promoted worldwide as an iconic beauty and a brand ambassador since 1994 when she won the beauty contest. Any dimming of that aura will naturally be pointed outIt happened before as well when she gained weight after childbirth. Aishwarya has always existed in the minds of Indian women — and globally — as a beauty icon, a Miss World and a symbol of perfection. But the problem is that our idea of a beauty icon has itself become deeply corrupted by rigid societal standards,” Sharma told PTI.
The trolling and body shaming followed swiftly.
Among those who commented was journalist Mrinal Pande