Fans accuse L'Oreal of snubbing Aishwarya Rai Bachchan after brand unveils only Alia Bhatt's giant poster at Cannes

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan fans are disappointed as L'Oreal Paris ignored her in a promotional video for Cannes 2026, featuring Alia Bhatt instead.

As the Cannes Film Festival is set to kick off on Tuesday, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan fans have been waiting with bated breath to see the star walk the red carpet as the long-standing global brand ambassador for L'Oreal Paris. However, they were left disappointed when the brand seemingly ignored Aishwarya during their promotional campaign.

Aishwarya Rai, a regular at the Cannes Film Festival for two decades, will return this year too. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP) (AFP)

Did L'Oreal ignore Aishwarya at Cannes?

Loreal Paris is the official makeup partner at the Festival de Cannes 2026 and recently the official Instagram page of the brand posted a video showing giant posters of its brand ambassadors at the iconic Hotel Martinez at Cannes. Hollywood stars Viola Davis, Eva Longoria and Helen Mirren featured in the posters, and from the Hindi film industry the brand chose to show off Alia Bhatt's poster instead of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

This did not go down well with Aishwarya's fans as many argued that the Devdas actor has been associated with the brand since 2003 and is one of the most recognised faces at the film festival. On the other hand, Alia Bhatt was announced its new global brand ambassador recently in 2024.

Fans react

Fans reacted sharply to the video, and many asked, "Where is Aishwarya?" in the comments section. Meanwhile, others expressed disappointment over the same. A comment read, "Without Aishwarya L'OREAL nothing in India." Another comment read, "No matter how many ambassadors (even 100 alias) L’Oréal signs, none of them can match the timeless elegance and commanding presence that Aishwarya brings and that holds true even today." Other comments were also on the same lines — "Where is aishwarya???? The one who made loreal famous in India to every household?????" and "Imagine the star power she holds, but you guys are treating her very badly in recent years."

Will Aishwarya attend Cannes?

Both Aishwarya and Alia are expected to attend the Cannes Film Festival this year. Alia has already reached the city on the French Riviera. She was clicked in a tailored blazer with puffed shoulders and a cinched waist, paired with matching skinny trousers on Monday. She completed her look with Gucci accessories. Apart from Aishwarya and Alia, other Indian celebrities like Aditi Rao Hydari, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Tara Sutaria, Mouni Roy, Jacqueline Fernandez, Ammy Virk and Karan Johar will also be seen walking the red carpet at the film festival.

On the work front, Aishwarya was last seen in Ponniyin Selvan: II and hasn't announced any new project since. Meanwhile, Alia has a slew of films in the pipeline. She will star with husband Ranbir Kapoor in Love and War, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, which also features Vicky Kaushal. She is also awaiting the release of YRF spy thriller Alpha.