A social media debate emerged from Cannes Film Festival 2026, but this debate was not over any movie or any looks on the red carpet. In fact, this time, the controversy is centered around the visuals of L'Oréal Paris’ latest campaign
What happened?
While attending Cannes 2026 film festival, Alia Bhatt became the center of attention due to her appearance in the latest visuals of L'Oréal Paris. However, this was not the case with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who did not attend the event despite being a part of L’Oréal’s campaign visuals. This made fans wonder “Where is Aishwarya Rai?”
The discussion arose after the release of the Cannes 2026 promotional videos and posters by L'Oréal from the world-famous Martinez hotel in France. While the brand featured Alia Bhatt in the campaign along with other celebrities from across the globe, it failed to feature Aishwarya.
This has upset many fans since Aishwarya Rai is much more than a mere celebrity brand ambassador for L'Oréal. Not only has she been associated with both Cannes and the company for more than two decades, but it has also been suggested that both Indian as well as international fans share a deeper connection with Aishwarya Rai.
As far as Cannes is concerned, Aishwarya has always been an iconic figure in terms of her appearance. For fans, she remains the face of Cannes.
Social media quickly filled with comments like:
“The original queen is missing.”
“Has Aishwarya been replaced?”
“Why is her legacy being ignored?”
And this is how Alia Bhatt’s name became part of the controversy.
Alia is currently an ambassador for L’Oréal globally and officially represents the brand during the Cannes event of 2026. Of course, she was prominently displayed in the campaign. However, more crucially, this was never a personal dispute between Aishwarya and Alia. Alia had done nothing to deserve any condemnation. The problem arose from the perception of the campaign itself among the audience. They believed that when promoting a new ambassador, there should be a certain respect shown to the brand’s oldest ambassador.
People had two major perspectives, which were clearly evident on social media. One side people were concerned about Aishwarya being replaced and there was another optimistic perception about Alia, representing India on a global platform.
Finally, L’Oréal Paris made an official statement. The Brand referred to Aishwarya as a ‘timeless’ person. They also mentioned that she is their official ambassador for the upcoming Cannes 2026 India campaign, along with Alia Bhatt and Aditi Rao Hydari. And this official statement brought clarity that there was no replacement of Aishwarya by L'Oréal.
But by the time the brand made its official statement, the issue had already become a viral topic because for many people, the issue was not limited to one poster, but it is a matter of respect and legacy for a person who has been representing the brand for many years.
