Kamal Ghorui
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s absence from L’Oréal Paris’ latest Cannes Film Festival promotional posters created a massive buzz online, with fans expressing shock and disappointment over the actress not featuring in the campaign visuals.The giant posters displayed at Le Martinez Hotel featured six ambassadors of the beauty brand, including Alia Bhatt. However, many fans were quick to notice that Aishwarya, who has represented the brand for over two decades, was missing from the lineup.Soon after the visuals surfaced online, social media platforms were flooded with reactions. Several fans questioned why the actress, often called the “Queen of Cannes,” had been excluded from the promotional material despite her iconic association with the festival.One fan wrote, “Waiting for Cannes Queen Aishwarya,” while another commented, “Cannes is known for Aishwarya.”Another user slammed the brand and wrote, “The poster doesn’t feature a legend like Aishwarya, who made the beauty label popular across Asia, but highlights actresses who are just two days old!”
Brand calls Aishwarya Rai a ‘living legend’
As the backlash grew, fans directly tagged the beauty brand on Instagram demanding an explanation.One fan wrote, “We don’t know the brand without Aishwarya. Still can’t forget Aish saying, ‘Because I’m worth it.’ Need her back!!!”Reacting to the growing chatter, the brand’s official Instagram account replied, “A living legend, and she knows exactly what to do with that.”In another response, the brand reassured fans by saying, “Year after year, Cannes after Cannes, she never misses.”Aishwarya Rai Bachchan first attended the Cannes Film Festival in 2002 for the premiere of Devdas alongside Shah Rukh Khan and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali. She later became a global ambassador for the beauty giant in 2003 and has since remained one of the biggest Indian faces at Cannes.
