Cannes 2025: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s Sindoor – personal or political?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has a history of making news with her dress choices at Cannes Film Festival. Some of these have earned her an overwhelming adoration from her fans, including the famed golden Roberto Cavalli gown in 2014. (Abhishek Bachchan used to swoon her over back then. Let’s talk about that in a bit). There have also been times when Aish has had to suffer severe criticism for her looks. Remember the lavender lipstick fiasco from 2016? So this year has not been any different for this Bollywood actress either. Here is what happened… Aishwarya Rai Bachchan shines in Rouge Royal at Cannes 2025. She has her hair mid-parting filled with ‘Sindoor’. Tabloid media brings back “divorce”. Indian social media start attributing it to a “nationalistic” move.

Let’s look at both these buzzwords. On the first day at Cannes Film Festival 2025, Aish wore a classic white handwoven kadwa Banarasi sari by Manish Malhotra, along with 500 carats of Mozambique rubies and uncut diamonds set in 18k gold around her neck. Vogue India described her dress in these words: “The ivory and gold look featured a long, sheer train with intricate gold embroidery and sequin detailing that acted like a dupatta, adding a dramatic flair. The sari featured handwoven brocade motifs and hand-embroidered zari detailing in real chandi, extending over the fabric.”