Aishwarya Rai Bachchan He recently made headlines with his annual appearance at the Cannes Film Festival. While social media couldn’t stop gushing over her looks this year, there was also trolling and body shaming. Fans were quick to come to Aishwarya’s defense but now Madhuri Dixit He has also strongly defended his ‘Devdas’ protagonist. Aishwarya, who has been at Cannes for more than two decades, found herself at the center of criticism on social media after pictures and videos from the prestigious event sparked debates about her appearance. Madhuri, however, feels that such comments ignore Aishwarya’s achievements and influence as a global representative of India.Madhuri praised Aishwarya’s long association with the festival and her contributions on the international stage. “She has been going there for 20 years. She has made the whole country proud. She is a global star. She has done so much for the country. You can’t reduce her to a scale or a dress number or a calendar year number. You can’t reduce her to that. She is beautiful. She looks beautiful, but she is beautiful inside,” the actor told PTI in an interview. The two actors shared the screen space Sanjay Leela BhansaliThe critically acclaimed film Devdas, in which he also starred Shah Rukh Khan.Aishwarya made her Cannes debut in 2002 when she attended the premiere of Devdas alongside Shah Rukh Khan. Her appearance in this traditional saree created widespread international attention, and she has since become one of the most famous Indians of the festival. Responding to the criticism surrounding Aishwarya’s recent Cannes outing, Madhuri expressed concern about the message such remarks convey to the younger generation.“I think people need to realize that when you make comments like that, what kind of message are you sending to young people today? That your value is in your looks, not your achievements. I think that’s the wrong message that’s being sent,” he said. The actor also reflected on the growing culture of online comments, noting that people with critical opinions have always existed, but that social media has now given them a louder platform.“There were people like this before. Those who make comments, they didn’t have the means to comment. But today, they have the means,” he said.On the work front, Madhuri Dixit will be seen in the dark comedy Maa Behen. The film also stars content creator Triptii Dimri Dharna Durga and Ravi Kishan in prominent roles and will release on Netflix on June 4.
