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For many Indian fans, the Cannes Film Festival has always felt incomplete without legendary Aishwarya Rai Bachchan walking the red carpet. Her glamorous appearances over the years became a yearly tradition that audiences eagerly awaited. This year, however, social media users were left surprised after a new L’Oréal Paris campaign video focused heavily on Alia Bhatt and several international stars, while Aishwarya was nowhere to be seen. The moment the clip surfaced online, fans began questioning the beauty brand and many even called the campaign incomplete without the actress who has represented India at Cannes for more than two decades.
On May 10 2026, L’Oréal Paris shared a promotional video featuring the famous Hôtel Martinez in Cannes decorated for the upcoming film festival. Giant posters of actresses associated with the brand were displayed across the hotel building, including Alia Bhatt, Viola Davis, Eva Longoria and Helen Mirren. What immediately grabbed attention online was the absence of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
Fans quickly flooded the comment section asking why the actress was missing despite her long history with both the brand and the global film festival. Many viewers said they could not imagine Cannes promotions without Aishwarya who has become one of the strongest Indian faces connected to the event over the years.
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Several fan comments started going viral soon after the campaign clip was released. One user wrote, “Everyone in the comments is asking for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. New faces may come but you can’t replace the OG Aishwarya.”
Another person commented “Where is Aishwarya’s poster?” One user also questioned the brand saying “What happened L’Oréal? Did you forget the way she raised your brand in India?” A widely shared comment online read “No matter how many ambassadors even 100 alias L’Oréal signs none of them can match the timeless elegance and commanding presence that Aishwarya brings and that holds true even today.”
Even amid the criticism many social media users praised Alia Bhatt for receiving a major international campaign moment. The actress recently became a global ambassador for L’Oréal Paris and her appearance in the Cannes promotional video marked another important step in her global image. Still many longtime fans felt the company should have balanced both stars instead of completely leaving out Aishwarya Rai Bachchan from the campaign visuals.
Over the years Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has created several unforgettable Cannes moments through dramatic gowns bold makeup choices and iconic red carpet appearances. Her looks regularly dominate fashion discussions online every festival season.
Meanwhile Alia Bhatt recently arrived in France ahead of Cannes and was spotted at the airport wearing a stylish all-black outfit. Reports suggest she may attend key events during the festival from May 12 though official confirmation is still awaited.
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