Aishwarya Rai Bachchan heads to Cannes 2026 with daughter Aaradhya Bachchan amid rumours of her absence from this year’s festival

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was spotted leaving Mumbai for the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday night along with her daughter Aaradhya Bachchan, putting an end to rumours surrounding her absence from this year’s prestigious event.

Dressed in an all-black outfit, Aishwarya smiled warmly at paparazzi stationed outside the airport. The actress also took a moment to pose for a picture with a young fan before heading inside the terminal. Aaradhya accompanied her mother during the departure.

Fans speculated after Aishwarya’s absence from L’Oreal campaign

Over the years, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, 52, has become one of India’s most recognisable and celebrated faces at Cannes. Therefore, fans were quick to notice her absence when the beauty brand shared visuals from its latest Cannes campaign featuring several of its global ambassadors.

The campaign included stars such as Alia Bhatt, Viola Davis, Eva Longoria, and Helen Mirren. Sharing the promotional clip, the beauty brand captioned the post, “And action! The most iconic facade in Cannes is getting its festival look.”

Soon after the post surfaced online, social media users began questioning whether Aishwarya would skip Cannes this year, sparking widespread speculation and debate among fans.

Aishwarya Rai’s long-standing Cannes legacy

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan first attended the Cannes Film Festival in 2002 for the premiere of Devdas alongside Shah Rukh Khan and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

A year later, she returned to the global event as an ambassador for the beauty brand and has since remained one of the festival’s most familiar Indian personalities.

Over the past two decades, Aishwarya’s Cannes appearances have consistently grabbed attention for her elaborate gowns, elegant sarees, and bold beauty choices. Her red carpet looks continue to generate major buzz online every year and remain one of the biggest talking points among Indian audiences during the festival season.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”