Cannes 2026: Where Is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan? Fans Want Answers

Fans question Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's absence from Cannes 2026 as other Indian celebrities like Alia Bhatt and Karan Johar attend the festival. No official reason has been given yet.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's absence from Cannes 2026 makes fans question

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Her appearance at Cannes 2025 was notable.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been one of the most familiar faces at the Cannes Film Festival for over two decades. She first walked the red carpet back in 2002, alongside Shah Rukh Khan and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, when their film Devdas was being showcased. Since then, she has shown up at the festival almost every single year, proudly representing Indian cinema on one of the world's biggest stages.

This year, several Indian celebrities are attending Cannes 2026, including Alia Bhatt, Karan Johar, and Tara Sutaria. But Aishwarya's name is noticeably missing from the list so far, and fans have taken to social media to ask why.

Fans Are Not Happy About It

The comments section on L'Oreal Paris's social media posts tells a very clear story. People are upset, and they are not holding back.

"Without Aishwarya, L'Oreal is nothing in India," wrote one user. Another went straight to the point: "@lorealparis you missed the main person and the Queen Aishwarya Rai. Disappointing." A third comment read, "where is aishwarya???? The one who made loreal famous in India to every household?????"

The frustration is easy to understand. Aishwarya has been a brand ambassador for L'Oreal Paris for years, and for many fans in India, she is the face they associate most with the brand. Seeing her left out while newer names take the spotlight has clearly not gone down well.

What Aishwarya Brought to Cannes Last Year

At Cannes 2025, the actress turned up for a gala screening of The History of Sound, a film helmed by director Oliver Hermanus. The movie features actors Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor in lead roles.

For the occasion, Manish Malhotra dressed her in an ivory saree that was hard to miss. The saree was heavily embroidered and came with a long pallu and a lace train that trailed behind her. She paired it with ruby jewellery, also from Malhotra's label, and kept her hair parting filled with vermillion, staying true to her identity.

The designer shared the details on his Instagram, noting that the saree was a handwoven kadwa Banarasi piece with a tissue drape. Fans watching the videos that surfaced online saw her walk the carpet with ease, smiling and waving at the crowd like she has done so many times before.

Whether she will make a surprise appearance at Cannes 2026 still remains to be seen.