Madhuri Dixit Defends Aishwarya Rai Bachchan After Cannes 2026 Trolling, Says ‘Cannot Reduce Her To…’

Madhuri Dixit said Aishwarya Rai Bachchan cannot be reduced to a number on a scale, a dress size or years on a calendar, after the actor faced trolling from a section of Internet over Cannes outfits.

Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri and Dharna Durga came out in support of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Source : Instagram/AmitAggarwal, Madhuri Dixit

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Madhuri Dixit criticizes harsh online judgment of women.
• She defends Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's Cannes appearance.
• Dixit emphasizes inner beauty and achievements over looks.
• Film 'Maa Behen' is a dark comedy thriller.

Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit is currently promoting her upcoming film Maa Behen, which also stars Triptii Dimri, Ravi Kishan and Dharna Durga. During one of the promotional events, the actor was asked about women being judged more harshly online, especially in the wake of trolling directed at Alia Bhatt and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan following Cannes 2026, as well as Ananya Panday’s viral Bharatanatyam fusion dance for Chand Mera Dil, which also stars Lakshya.

Madhuri Dixit Backs Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

“I think there were people back then too who used to judge women. Now, they’ve simply found another way to do it,” Madhuri Dixit said in an interview with PTI. Triptii Dimri added that it has become far too easy for people to comment on someone’s appearance while sitting at home “in their comfortable pyjamas”.

The team also agreed that every actor being discussed has worked incredibly hard to get to where they are today, especially Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

“When she [Aishwarya] goes to Cannes, she carries a legacy. She has been attending the festival for over 20 years. She has made the entire country proud. She is a global star. She represented India as Miss World, and her work has reached audiences across the world. You cannot reduce her to a number on a scale, a dress size, or the years on a calendar. You simply cannot reduce her to that,” Madhuri said.

VIDEO | Actor Madhuri Dixit defends Aishwarya Rai Bachchan against trolling over her Cannes appearance.

Madhuri Dixit says, "Especially Aishwarya, when she went to Cannes, she has a legacy. She has been going there for 20 years. She has made the whole country proud. She is a… pic.twitter.com/uAHqUOCrob

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 31, 2026

She went on to praise Aishwarya further, saying the actor is beautiful both inside and out.

“She is beautiful. She looks beautiful, but she is also beautiful from within. I have worked with her and I know that. People need to realise what kind of message such comments send to youngsters today. If you tell them their worth is based only on how they look and not on what they have achieved, that sends a completely wrong message,” she added.

For the unversed, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was subjected to heavy trolling online, with several social media users making insensitive comments about her age and appearance.

Earlier, BJP MP and actor Kangana Ranaut had also come out strongly in Aishwarya’s support. “Fashion and style are forms of self-expression. It is one’s own interpretation of life and one’s 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?” Kangana wrote on Instagram Story. 

She further added, “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 it now. Thanks.”

About Maa Behen

Maa Behen is an upcoming Netflix film directed by Suresh Triveni, who has also co-written the project with Pooja Tolani. The film has received a U/A 13+ certificate and also features Geetanjali Kulkarni, Arunoday Singh, Shardul Bhardwaj, Shrivardhan Trivedi, Rama Sharma and Arpit Singh in key roles.

Netflix’s official synopsis for the film reads: “When trouble knocks on her door, a mother and her estranged daughters attempt to cover up a crime in a nosy colony where no secret is safe.”

The dark comedy thriller is produced by Vikram Malhotra and Suresh Triveni under the banners Abundantia Entertainment and Opening Image Films, respectively.