Former Miss World and veteran actor Aishwarya Rai made her Cannes 2025 red carpet debut yesterday. Marking her 22nd appearance at the Cannes Film Festival, Aishwarya chose to honour the longstanding efforts of the Indian handloom. She graced the carpet in a handwoven Kadwa Banarasi saree by designer Manish Malhotra.
“The Kadwa brocade technique stands as a true testament to the unmatched skill of Indian weavers. Originating from the famed looms of Varanasi, this intricate method involves crafting each motif separately, often using multiple shuttles and supplementary threads,” said Malhotra while proudly sharing his creation on Instagram.
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The saree featured recurring handwoven brocade motifs and a hand-embroidered Zari detailing in real silver. Complementing the silhouette, it also featured a sheer white tissue handwoven dupatta, with real gold and silver zardozi embroidery.
This ensemble also evokes a sense of nostalgia, looking back to her very first appearance in 2002 for the premiere of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas, where she wore a yellow Neeta Lulla saree.
This year’s attire garnered much attention for two reasons. Firstly, it was an intentional pivot from the conventional westward red carpet looks and was a “bold assertion from the brand, rewriting what Indian ceremonial dress can signify on the global stage,” said Malhotra.
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Secondly, what drew a notable crowd was her choice to adorn her parted hair with a bold swipe of red Sindoor. According to Indian mythology, the sindoor stands as a mark of marital status. This comes 2 weeks after the commencement of Operation Sindoor—a retaliation from India against Pakistan’s recent terror attack.
Yesterday, ahead of Aishwarya’s red-carpet moment, actor Aditi Rao Hydari turned heads wearing a ‘Sultanah red’ Mashru saree with blue edges from Raw Mango. The saree’s borders featured a weave pattern known as ‘ilayacha’, inspired by the Indian spice elaichi (cardamom).
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Similar to Aishwarya, Aditi also adorned her forehead with the Sindoor to complete her look. Netizens were quick to notice this subtle addition to her look. “I love the fact that the prominent sindoor you’re wearing is just holding this entire look,” said one comment.
The actor’s husband, Siddharth, shared her picture on Instagram with the caption, “My love at Cannes, the sindoor though.”
This bold choice by both Aishwarya and Aditi has led the internet into a whirl of interpretations, with most hinting at its prominence in India’s recent socio-political sentiments and nationalistic expressions. It is widely seen as a sign of solidarity with Operation Sindoor and the Indian Army.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7. It was a deliberate, precise, and strategic response to the terror attacks on Indian tourists near Pahalgam on April 22. The name Operation Sindoor, reportedly chosen by Prime Minister Modi, pays homage to the widows of the Pahalgam attack. The name invoked strong nationalistic sentiments and unity across the nation.
“Operation SINDOOR marks a milestone in India’s journey towards technological self-reliance in military operations,” said a press release by the Press Information Bureau.
