You Cannot Reduce Her to a Number: Madhuri Dixit Backs Aishwarya Rai Amid Cannes Trolling

As the internet continued to debate Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s Cannes 2026 appearance, veteran star Madhuri Dixit stepped in with a powerful message: a woman’s legacy cannot be measured by her dress size, age or appearance.

Backing her “Devdas” co-star amid relentless body-shaming and trolling, Madhuri said Aishwarya has spent over two decades representing India on one of the world’s biggest cinematic stages and deserves to be celebrated for her achievements, not judged for how she looks. “She has done the whole country proud. She is a global star,” Madhuri told PTI, adding that reducing a woman to numbers on a scale or the calendar sends a dangerous message to younger generations.

Aishwarya, who made her Cannes debut in 2002 during the premiere of “Devdas”, once again dominated headlines this year. While many fans praised her confidence and presence, social media was flooded with comments dissecting her appearance, reigniting conversations around ageism, beauty standards and the treatment of women in the public eye. The backlash also drew support from Kangana Ranaut , who urged people to “get used to seeing older women on red carpets” and said no woman owes anyone an explanation for her looks.

Joining the conversation, Triptii Dimri slammed online negativity, saying it is easy to criticise from behind screens while ignoring the hard work that goes into building a career.

The actors were speaking ahead of Netflix’s dark comedy “Maa Behen” , directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Ravi Kishan and influencer Dharna Durga . The crime comedy, centred on a chaotic family cover-up involving a dead body, premieres on June 4.