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 women continue to be held to impossible 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 trolling and body shaming followed swiftly.
Among those who commented was journalist Mrinal Pande.
“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.
“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 out using the same criteria the beauty pageant industry has set,” she wrote.
Some of her more critical posts were later deleted.
Aishwarya has faced trolling before. Unlike many of her contemporaries, the “Devdas” actor appeared comfortable with her post-pregnancy weight after the birth of her daughter Aaradhya in 2011.
According to clinical psychologist Shweta Sharma, the criticism surrounding Aishwarya’s appearance says more about society’s perception of beauty than about the actor herself.
“It 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.
“We admire her for her beauty, but at the same time, we deny that celebrities have the right to age naturally, gain weight, change physically or simply look human — something she embraces with grace,” she added.
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.
“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 “Queen” actor wrote on Instagram.
Aishwarya’s “Devdas” co-star Madhuri Dixit said such trolling sends the wrong message to society, particularly to young people.
“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 rather than in your achievements. That is an entirely wrong message,” she added.
Aishwarya first appeared at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002 when “Devdas” premiered there. The following year, she became a brand ambassador for L’Oréal and has attended regularly ever since. She was also the first Indian actor to serve on the festival jury.
For many Indians, her appearance at Cannes is seen as a form of national representation, regardless of whether an Indian film is competing at the festival.
In 2016, for instance, her choice of purple lipstick sparked intense public debate.
“Education alone is not enough unless we break the conditioning that constantly tells women their worth lies in maintaining a certain appearance and body image. This conversation is important because it reveals how uncomfortable society still is with the natural evolution of a woman’s body and identity,” Sharma said.
What is even more concerning, she added, is when educated women participate in such criticism, reflecting how deeply beauty norms are internalised within social structures.
The unrealistic expectations imposed on female stars stand in stark contrast to how male actors are treated in the industry, Sharma noted.
“Men are allowed to age naturally and continue playing romantic leads, but women are rarely granted the same freedom. The conversation around women quickly shifts to their appearance, weight, wrinkles or whether they still fit the image society created for them years ago. This clearly reflects a gender-based double standard that remains deeply entrenched in the industry,” she said.
Sharma also observed that celebrities themselves sometimes contribute to reinforcing these rigid standards.
Unlike Hollywood, where actors such as Meryl Streep continue to have substantial roles written for them, mainstream Hindi cinema has historically marginalised women after a certain age. However, this is gradually changing, with actors such as Shefali Shah and Madhuri Dixit increasingly finding strong lead roles, if not always in cinema, then on OTT platforms.
Shah, in a past interview, spoke about regretting playing Akshay Kumar’s mother in “Waqt” in 2005 despite being younger than him. In the years since, she has avoided such stereotypical roles and carved out a space for herself through offbeat films and OTT projects, while Dixit is currently earning praise for her role in “Maa Behen”.