From purple lips to parrot bags: the most trending Cannes looks from Indian celebrities

From Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to Urvashi Rautela, these are the most popular Indian celebrity looks at the international film festival

Every year, the Cannes Film Festival turns into a global fashion spectacle, and Indian celebrities constantly deliver some of the most memorable moments on the red carpet. From iconic high fashion statements and historical appearances to controversial beauty choices and laugh-worthy fashion risks, these looks have dominated headlines and social media timelines in equal measure. Whether celebrated for their elegance or criticized for being over-the-top, these six Cannes appearances prove that fashion fame on the French Riviera often comes with equal amounts of adoration and online chaos.

1. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (2016): At the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan paired her famous purple lipstick with a stunning light pink dress by British designer Ali Younis. The delicate floor-length dress was embellished with intricate gold embellishments, a sheer overlay and a matching cape that extended to the floor, adding a regal element to the look. While the gown’s soft, romantic silhouette received much praise, it was her bold choice of light purple lip color that stole the show, sparking intense global controversy and endless memes on social media, and cementing the look as one of the most daring and talked-about beauty moments in Cannes history.

2. Alia Bhatt (2024): At the closing ceremony of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Raazi actress Alia Bhatt hit the red carpet in a contemporary three-piece custom Gucci outfit inspired by traditional Indian sarees. Rhea Kapoor styled this nude, leather-colored outfit, which features a floor-length pencil skirt, a matching V-neck bralette top, and a long, sweeping drape that floats on the carpet. The entire silhouette was drenched in sparkling Swarovski crystals woven directly into a custom criss-cross pattern that proudly highlighted the fashion house’s signature GG monogram. She completed her viral, cross-cultural look with a classic Chopard diamond necklace, minimal makeup, kohl-rimmed eyes, and soft Old Hollywood waves.

3. Nancy Tyagi (2024): The fashion influencer made history by walking the red carpet wearing a 20kg pink ruffled dress that she designed and sewed herself. This feat has spread globally as a symbol of creativity and design. The dress featured a strapless sequined bodice with pink elbow-length gloves, a chic silver necklace from CaratLane, and dewy makeup. The strapless floor-length dress used a staggering 1,000 meters of fabric, with Tyagi working hard for 30 straight days to cut, assemble and stitch the couture garment from scratch.

4. Mallika Sherawat (2010): At the 63rd Annual Cannes Film Festival in 2010, Mallika Sherawat did an intense publicity stunt during a photo call at the Martha Barrier Salon inside the Majestic Hotel. To promote her upcoming horror adventure film Hisss, where she plays an ‘ichhadhaari nagin’, she skipped the high fashion glamor and donned a yellow and black Dolce & Gabbana casual dress. She completed her look by wrapping three live snakes, including a massive 22-foot Burmese python named Rudy, around her body and neck. As Sherawat smiled confidently, posed for creepers, and even kissed creepers for the flashing cameras, fashion critics harshly criticized the collection. They deemed the look a major red carpet disaster, arguing that the dress was too casual for the prestigious festival and that the live animal theatrics crossed the line into desperate marketing for shock value.

5. Janhvi Kapoor (2025) Making her highly anticipated red carpet debut at the 78th Cannes Film Festival (2025), Janhvi Kapoor made a strong fashion statement in a custom Tarun Tahiliani collection that effortlessly linked traditional craftsmanship with contemporary silhouettes. Designed by Rhea Kapoor to represent ‘modern India on the French Riviera’, this rose gold plated outfit features a flawless structured corset paired with a voluminous skirt of real fabric that has been hand-crushed and specially woven in Benaras. To maintain the authenticity of the fabric, the design retained a raw, uncut hem, while the fluid, sculptural drape gracefully extended over her shoulder and was pinned over an elegant bun wrapped in a delicate veil. Accessorized with layers of pearl and diamond necklaces from the Chopard Fine Jewelery collection, and paired with dreamy pink makeup, this regal look received widespread acclaim online for its timeless elegance, with many fans noting that it was a beautiful, nostalgic tribute to her late mother Sridevi’s grace.

6. Urvashi Rautela (2025): Making her debut at the Partir un Jour screening at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Urvashi Rautela wore a custom strapless Michael Cinco gown featuring heavy, mosaic-inspired patterns in high key shades of blue, red, and yellow. The internet relentlessly mocked her beauty choices, calling her shimmery purple eyeshadow and rhinestone eye stickers a tacky, outdated makeup disaster that ruined her look. Adding to the fashion backlash, she accessorized with a crystal-encrusted Judith Leiber parrot-shaped handbag valued at over INR 4.6 lakh, which quickly went viral for all the wrong reasons. Social media users and fashion watchers, like Diet Sabya, brutally criticized the bird-shaped accessory, creating memes comparing its beauty to a parody of “Moulin Rouge meets Mayor Vihar,” a stage magician, or a circus performer.

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