Aishwarya Rai, one of Bollywood’s biggest stars and often called “the most beautiful woman in the world,” is under harsh criticism by fans and bloggers in her native India for failing to lose her baby-weight. The former Miss World gave birth to daughter Aaradyha last November with actor husband Abhishek Bachchan.
The star, 38, has been attending the Cannes Film Festival for the past 10 years and is known for her jaw-dropping red carpet appearances. Rai is expected to attend the Cannes 2012 carpet and her fans (and critics) are eager to see what she will look like this year.
“Aishwarya is like a goddess. She is held up as the ideal of beauty and so there is an expectation on her to look perfect at all times,” show business columnist Shobhaa De told the Daily News of the fracas. “The role models being held up are Angelina Jolie and Victoria Beckham . . .this whole business of looking desperately skinny two weeks after giving birth is a Western import.”
If Rai does show off her post-baby body at Cannes, De said, “It could be a turning point in making us stop and review the absurd expectations we have of our female celebrities.”
Here, Us Weekly takes a look back at some of Rai’s past red carpet ensembles at Cannes.
In 2009, she softened her look with a pale blue one-shoulder dress, and in 2010, she played with color on the carpet wearing a gorgeous fuchsia gown.
The star looked elegant in white in 2007 on the arm of her husband, and caught the attention of the cameras in 2008 in a hot pink low-cut dress.
In 2005, Rai showed some skin in a low-cut, see-through black lace dress. She charmed the carpet in 2006 in a midnight blue strapless gown with a snake-inspired necklace.
And the Bollywood beauty really flaunted her figure in 2003 wearing a form-fitting red and gold strapless gown; similarly, in 2004 she wore a cut-out white dress.