For more than two decades, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been the undisputed 'Queen' of the Cannes Film Festival, where every year she treats the iconic red carpet as her personal runway and serves unconditional glamour and drama. Repeatedly commanding attention in stunning European-inspired couture, she has proved time and again that none can match her prowess with her saree drapes. Here is a look at some of Aishwarya's most beautiful saree looks at Cannes and why they continue to remain iconic in fashion history.
Golden-Yellow Neeta Lulla Saree (2002)
Aishwarya made history in 2002 as she became the first Indian actress to walk the Cannes red carpet as a jury member. Instead of blending into the sea of Western-inspired gowns, she chose a stunning yellow saree by Neeta Lulla, which introduced Indian ethnic fashion at Cannes like no other. She completed the look with gold jewellery, and this moment became one of the most talked-about debuts in the history of Cannes.
The Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla Golden-Ivory Creation (2012)
At the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, Aishwarya stepped onto the red carpet for the first time after her maternity leave and wore a traditional chikankari saree designed by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. The drape featured heavy work of zardozi and Swarovski embroidery and was paired with a heavily embellished, short, full-sleeved, kurti-style fitted blouse. She placed the pallu on her left shoulder, marking a notable shift towards traditional Indian attire on the global fashion chart.
The Vibrant Parrot-Green Structured Neeta Lulla Drape (2003)
As the first Indian actress to be on the Cannes jury, this distinction demanded an equally gorgeous appearance, and Aishwarya did not disappoint her fans. She wore a structured green Neeta Lulla saree with a golden border and styled her pallu on the left side. Instead of a boring blouse, she matched its prowess with a multi-coloured stoned spaghetti top with yellow piping and a sleeveless charm, which added just the right notes of a western touch.
The Iconic Sabyasachi Sheer Drape (2010)
At the 63rd Cannes Film Festival in 2010, Aishwarya walked the carpet with her husband Abhishek Bachchan in a stunning Sabyasachi sheer embroidered saree. The drape came with scattered vine motifs, drenched in golden sequins against the sheer net base, which made the pallu look absolutely celestial. She teamed the look with a simple black sleeveless gown and opted for bold smoky eyes with a middle parting and a sleek bun.
The Handwoven Manish Malhotra Saree (2025)
The reigning Queen of Cannes, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, brought the Indian drape back to Cannes after years. She wore a handwoven kadwa ivory Banarasi handloom saree by Manish Malhotra, which featured brocade motifs and hand-embroidered zari detailing in silver, with a full-sleeved blouse and a white tissue handwoven dupatta with real gold and silver zardozi embroidery on the sides. This look reaffirmed her status as a global fashion icon.
