Aishwarya Rai has been an Indian fixture at the Cannes Film Festival since 2002, and her wardrobe selections at these appearances have always been admired or at least analysed. This year, a deep blue Amit Aggarwal ensemble was met with hostility from a surprising quarter: writer Mrinal Pande who bodyshamed the actor on X. The fishtail gown was one of four looks that Rai showed off at the festival; the others were built around a pink Sophie Couture dress, a white Cheney Chan pantsuit and a beige Fjolla Nila dress.
Pande’s callous statements have had many respond with disgust, but some among these commentators now describe Rai as a plus-size celebrity, and this is a disservice to people who are actually plus-size. Rai does not, at this time, offer true plus-size representation in the media. That she offers mid-size representation is itself plenty, and valuable. Moreover, at 52, she presents a real portrayal of women of menopausal age, whose bodies and faces are supposed to be different from what they were in their 20s. These changes are rarely depicted as being anything other than saddening, rather than as natural and as beautiful.
For some years now, Rai often appeared at major events wearing voluminous apparel, as well as garments that were designed to distract. These haute couture renditions had exaggerated shoulder trimmings, hyperbolic headwear, capes and boas and overstated trains that drew the eye to the outfit and not to the person, and were sometimes complemented by severe hairstyles that covered the cheeks. The upper arm wraps were used in Cannes ensembles this year too, but her Amit Aggarwal outfit is a clear departure from that era of visual diversions. The gown is sculpted, clinging to her body without concealing it, and the diaphanous scarf at her elbows and the flared train of the gown aren’t optical disruptors. Her face is open, without her hair minimising its shape. Months of designing and fabrication would have gone into this look. Without over-crediting a superstar for just doing a normal thing, we can infer a level of deliberation at play in her Cannes appearance this month.
Many believe that being in the public eye is default consent for uncharitable scrutiny, and that anyone known for their beauty must maintain that beauty in an immutable way as a job requirement. This pressure harms ordinary people collectively more than it does individual celebrities. But indeed, behind every major celebrity is a small army of nutritionists, cosmetic surgeons, hair and make-up artists, trainers and stylists who preserve their appearance to nearly unattainable standards.
Rai has no doubt had access to all these professionals and even more resources over the course of her decades-long career. But here and now, even without her overt acknowledgement, we can read two things: she has not taken Ozempic or similar drugs even during an era when there’s compulsion to, and her latest public appearance is evidence that she has embraced glamour in her mid-life, mid-size body. Both of these choices matter. Rai on the red carpet in 2026 is still just as dazzling as she ever was, and her appearance is more relatable than ever.