‘No woman owes you anything’: Kangana Ranaut defends Aishwarya Rai after Cannes troll storm on age and body shape
The Cannes red carpet quickly turned into a social media battlefield as trolls picked apart Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s appearance, sparking waves of body-shaming and cruel comparisons online.
On Sunday, Kangana took to her Instagram Stories and shared Aishwarya’s Cannes picture with a strongly worded message. She wrote that fashion and style are a form of self-expression and a reflection of one’s attitude toward life, adding that no woman owes anything to anyone.
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Kangana did not stop there. She challenged those who had something to say about Aishwarya’s appearances to put their own style on display and show what they had got. Her parting words were direct: “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.”
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Kangana Ranaut on Instagram
What triggered the trolling
Aishwarya, who has been a Cannes regular for more than two decades, found herself at the centre of harsh trolling and body-shaming after photos and videos from the 2026 red carpet surfaced online. Several users criticised her appearance, weight and facial features.
Many users also trolled Aishwarya for her puffy face, comparing her unfavourably to Alia Bhatt. At the same time, a section of fans pushed back, noting that while Alia has made just a few appearances at Cannes, Aishwarya has been representing India at the film festival for decades.
Aishwarya’s looks at Cannes 2026
This year marks Aishwarya’s 24th appearance at the Cannes Film Festival. She brought multiple looks to the French Riviera.
For her primary appearance, she wore a custom-made blue gown by designer Amit Aggarwal, paired with a stole and diamond jewellery.
She was also seen in a pastel pink draped ensemble featuring sparkling floral embellishments and flowing cape sleeves.
Her final look was a white pantsuit with a feather wrap stole.
Aaradhya’s red carpet debut
Beyond Aishwarya’s outfits, it was her daughter Aaradhya Bachchan who became one of the festival’s biggest talking points.
Aaradhya made her official red-carpet debut alongside her mother, dressed in a ruby-red gown complemented by a matching cape.
She watched her co-star's daughters play on a film set with nowhere to go. That moment made Kangana Ranaut ask a question India's workplaces have never had a good answer to.
She had just made her Bollywood debut. Her parents watched the film. And instead of talking about her performance, they asked who would handle the society's questions.