Raveena Tandon defends Aishwarya Rai Bachchan over Cannes trolling: ‘Toxic trait, incredibly unfair’

Aishwarya in May this year drew widespread attention for her annual appearance at the Cannes, where she walked the red carpet in a sculpted blue gown by Amit Aggarwal. She later became the subject of online trolling after photographs and videos from the festival were shared on social media.

Raveena said the constant scrutiny of women’s looks reflects a “toxic trait” in the social media age. “It is unfortunate and incredibly unfair. This relentless, hyper-fixation on a woman’s aging process, her weight, or her wardrobe choice is an ongoing toxic trait of our digital culture,” the actess told PTI.

Describing Aishwarya as a “global icon”, Raveena said reducing the actor to such judgments undermines her contribution and stature. “Aishwarya is an absolute global icon who has represented our country with unparalleled dignity and grace on international platforms for decades. To reduce a woman of her stature, achievements, and intelligence down to a bad camera angle or an experimental dress is just miserable behaviour,” she said.

The backlash reflects a broader cultural double standard in how male and female actors are perceived, she added. “It reveals a broader, everyday cultural double standard, like we demand our female stars remain permanently frozen in time, looking exactly like they did twenty years ago, while male actors are allowed to age, change, and grow without an ounce of the same brutal scrutiny,” the 53-year-old actor, who is basking in the success of her latest movie Welcome to the Jungle, said. “It’s high time people online log off, look inward, and learn to respect women who are living their lives beautifully, maturely, and entirely on their own terms,” she concluded.

Besides Raveena, actors such as Madhuri Dixit Nene and Kangana Ranaut came out in support of Aishwarya following online criticism surrounding her appearance at the festival.