- Alia Bhatt was seemingly ignored by photographers on the Cannes red carpet
- Shobhaa De criticized Indian stars for lacking recognition at Cannes
- De praised Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as the only truly recognized Indian star there
Alia Bhatt has been trolled relentlessly over a video that went viral from the ongoing 79th Cannes Film Festival red carpet, in which the actress was seemingly not recognised by the media. Social media users claimed that photographers appeared to be focused on other celebrities instead of taking her pictures. Author-columnist Shobhaa De has offered a brutal opinion on how some Indian stars seemed 'desperate' to make an impact on that red carpet.
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Shobhaa De didn't hold back as she addressed Alia Bhatt's much-discussed 'insulting' moment on the red carpet.
She said, "You can't go there in what to you is amazing couture and expect them to take your pictures, because they don't know who you are. So no one at Cannes was calling out to our great and lovely stars. No one knew who they were. They were looking somewhere else."
"That can be very insulting. But I must hand it to Alia Bhatt - with no one around except her HMU (Hair and Makeup) team to take her pictures. Maybe she was waving at her own team, blowing kisses to them. Hoping that once the visuals were on Insta, they would offer a slightly different picture."
She dismissed Alia Bhatt's peach-toned bustier gown as 'ill-fitted' and said the overdraped outfit she wore to the Indian Pavilion didn't work for her either. The nath (nose ring) did, but that has been 'done to death'.
Furthermore, Shobhaa De spoke frankly about how, in this weather, something 'breezier' would have made more sense.
On Aishwarya Rai Ruling Cannes For Years
Shobhaa De was, however, full of praise for the ultimate queen of Cannes - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who she said has been ruling the festival for years.
"Why are our girls even there except Aishwarya Rai Bachchan?" questioned Shobhaa De.
However, the author did mention that she had some issues with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's Cannes looks over the years - from the viral purple lip to the oversized silver hood.
"But at the end of the day, she is the only recognisable and recognised star from India on that carpet. These ladies are there not for their range or cinema, but to promote a brand of cosmetics or shampoos," added Shobhaa De.
The only person who probably received a much less scathing review was Urvashi Rautela, whom Shobhaa De called 'original'.
She said, "I love her. Urvashi is who she is."
"The Met Gala is over. I think the party is over at Cannes too. No style, no substance, but a lot of garam hawa," concluded Shobhaa De.
The 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival began on May 12 and will continue until May 23.