Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan made her much-awaited red carpet appearance at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival on May 21, and her traditional Indian look has grabbed the attention of fans. She was seen wearing a deep red ‘sindoor’ (vermillion, a red mark worn by married Indian women as a mark of their marital status) on her forehead pairing it with a white saree draped traditionally. Earlier this week, Simi Garewal, Sharmila Tagore and Janhvi Kapoor also made their red carpets appearances, adding to the Bollywood glamour at the festival.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Brings Indian traditions to Cannes red carpet
Aishwarya Rai walked the red carpet at the ongoing 78th Cannes Film Festival when she arrived for the screening of The History of Sound on May 21. Rai walked the red carpet to mark L’Oréal Paris’ 28th year of association with Cannes Film Festival. She first made her Cannes debut in 2002 and has been a regular on the red carpet ever since.
For her red-carpet look, Rai wore an ivory Banarasi handloom saree designed by Manish Malhotra and paired it with a sheer tissue elegant Indian scarf (dupatta). Bold handwoven brocade motifs and real silver brocade detailing added charm to her saree.
The deep red ‘sindoor’ — the vermillion mark Indian married women wear – that Rai flaunted with her red-carpet look is significant. She married Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan in 2007 and has visited Cannes Film Festival several times ever since. This is the first time she decided to wear the Indian symbol of marriage on the Cannes red carpet, though not the first one when she chose a saree.
Fans are speculating two different types of interpretations – it could be a response to recent rumors claiming her marriage is on the verge of ending, or it could be a shout-out to the recent Indian military operation against terrorism which was titled Operation Sindoor. Given her past record of almost never getting into the muck of rumors around her personal life, the latter speculations make better sense.
Indian stars at Cannes 2025
Simi Grewal: Actor-producer and show host Simi Garewal made her Cannes red carpet debut this year. She was in attendance as part of the Satyajit Ray film Aranyer Din Ratri which has been restored by Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese & Heritage Foundation and was screened on Monday, May 19. After meeting Anderson during the festival, Garewal called him gentle, modest and sensitive, adding that it was an honor for her to meet him.
Sharmila Tagore: Sharmila Tagore returned to the Cannes red carpet earlier this week with her 1970 film Aranyer Din Ratri. She chose a green saree for her red-carpet appearance. The film was screened under Cannes Classics section during the ongoing Cannes film festival. The film also featured Soumitra Chatterjee, Subhendu Chatterjee and Aparna Sen in important roles.
Aditi Rao Hydari: For her second appearance at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival this year, Aditi Rao Hydari also chose the sindoor (vermillion) look. She wore a stunning red saree and paired it with stark-red vermillion mark in the middle parting of her hair.
Janhvi Kapoor: Bollywood star Janhvi Kapoor (Ulajh, Devara Part One) made her Cannes debut this year with the film Homebound. She has made three appearances at the ongoing festival. She chosen a fusion of western dresses and traditional accessories and also wore a saree for one of her looks at Cannes 2025.
Indian cinema at Cannes Film Festival 2025
Neeraj Ghaywan: The only Indian film to feature as an official selection at Cannes Film Festival 2025 is Homebound directed by Neeraj Ghaywan. The film was screened under Un Certain Regard section on May 21 and received a standing ovation. The Royals star Ishan Khatter features in Homebound along with Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa. aran Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Adar Poonawalla, Somen Mishra, Marijke DeSouza and Melita Toscan Du Plantier have co-produced the film. Martin Scorsese came onboard Homebound as the executive producer last month.
Guru Dutt: Ultra Media and Entertainment Group unveiled the fully restored versions of Guru Dutt’s classics for global audience to mark the 100th birth anniversary this year. These include Kaagaz Ke Phool, Pyaasa, Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam.
Satyajit Ray: Legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray, who bagged the inaugural best Human Document at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival, has been chosen to showcase his film under the Classics section this year. Featuring Sharmila Tagore, Simi Garewal, and Soumitra Chatterjee, a 4K restored version of Aranyer Din Ratri was screened at the Cannes Film Festival 2025 on May 19.