Aishwarya Rai’s glamourous appearance for L’Oreal at the Paris Fashion Week has been the talk of the town. The actress walked the ramp with the confidence only a true pageant Queen could have and it’s fair to say not much has changed since she was Miss World.
Not much besides what is supposed to change anyway, for while most people were in awe of Aishwarya’s charm and confidence many others trolled her. From comments on her weight gain to accusing her of injecting herself with botox and every filler known to mankind. This again brings up the issue of the extremely problematic standards in Bollywood where men are allowed to age and women are not.
While there could be enough and more arguments made towards defending the ‘Most Beautiful Woman in the World’ and how putting on weight as metabolism slows down with age is normal – that is not even the most problematic part of the whole event. Sharing the stage with Aishwarya Rai and other established names such as Eva Longoria, Andie MacDowell, Helen Mirren, Aja Naomi King, and Viola Davis was Navya Nanda.
The Bachchans & Navya Nanda
Taking to social media, her mother Shweta Bachchan wrote, “All roads led to Paris this weekend. Well, at least for my mother & me. As Navya spent all her days doing L’Oréal things. My mother and I walked and ate (more eating than roaming to be honest) The show was an experience and so emotional – my mother and I both admitted to holding back tears as our little girl walked on all smiles !!! I remember her first steps she was just a few days past her 1st birthday – like yesterday, all parents say this I’m sure, it’s cheesy, and annoying, but so true. She wore red, the Eiffel Tower turned pink, and we went home very proud, very emotional, and very hungry. I snuck in some M&M’s in my bag, though it’s blasphemous to eat chocolate at a fashion show, we did – because we’re worth it.”
Both Jaya Bachchan and Shweta Bachchan turned up in full force to celebrate Navya Nanda’s debut on the ramp but failed to even acknowledge the presence of their extremely accomplished daughter-in-law and sister-in-law respectively. The ‘we’re worth it’ at the end of Shweta’s caption giving away both her envy and imitation.
Interestingly, Jaya Bachchan has made her hatred of Aishwarya Rai extremely clear on several occasions – there is an old interview where she says her favourite thing about Aishwarya Rai is that despite being a big star she does not put herself in front – she has also shown little to no regard for Aaradhya Bachchan.
What do people think?
Users on the internet were quick to call them out as the Bachchans flaunted their privilege and nepotism and Aishwarya was seen getting ready in the dressing room with only her daughter by her side.
Comments have raged from a user saying, “I am not the biggest fan of her as an actress (even though she has some iconic timeless movies under her belt) but she still is a standalone icon just like Bachchan sr and that’s probably what makes her in-laws seethe so much” to some others reiterating that Aishwarya Rai is a formidable icon by herself and hardly needs their attention or validation.
While this open show of ignoring Aishwarya’s achievement is distasteful, to say the least, it is not new. Aishwarya’s success in The PS-1 franchise was also barely recognised by the family and even her own husband Abhishek Bachchan said nothing more than sharing a generic wish with the poster on Instagram.
It remains to be seen if things will change within the family but here’s to Aishwarya Rai dealing with the hate and toxicity and coming out on top as she always does. And that goes for those who have spared no effort to fat-shame and ridicule her as well.
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