Bollywood icon Aishwarya Rai Bachchan once again proved her timeless elegance, commanding attention at the Red Sea Film Festival on Thursday. The former Miss World graced the event in a stunning black gown, captivating onlookers with her poise before engaging in a deeply personal and insightful conversation session.
Fairy Tale Moments: A Mother-Daughter Cannes Journey
During the session, Aishwarya offered a rare and heartfelt glimpse into her life as a mother to her daughter, Aaradhya. She fondly reflected on how Aaradhya has essentially grown up at the Cannes Film Festival, with the glamorous event feeling like a familiar second home. Aishwarya explained that her daughter now naturally enjoys the festival's unique vibe, reconnects with friends there, and understands its rhythm, thanks to years of accompanying her mother.
The actor addressed the now-viral images and videos of Aaradhya walking the hotel corridors with her, emphatically clarifying that none of those precious moments were staged for the cameras. "It wasn't about now let's put Aaradhya in a gown because she's going to get photographed. No," she stated.
She described the experience through the innocent eyes of a child: "For me it's a little girl who's reading or viewing fairy tale stories, right? So it was for me the fun of playing dress-up. 'Why is mama dressing up in these gowns?' She's a kid. She's suddenly seeing a mother dressed in a gown with hair done. So I was like we're playing fairy tale." Aishwarya revealed she would go the extra mile, getting special dresses made for Aaradhya in India itself and packing them for their trips.
"Just Mama and Daughter": The Reality Behind Viral Fame
Aishwarya painted a vivid picture of the joyful, unscripted chaos behind the scenes. "I'd be getting ready for the red carpet but there'd be this other number happening which is so real," she shared. "So while the team was trying to professionally do their job, there is Aaradhya like 'mama look at this' and there's a twirl happening and all of that."
Recalling one specific day that captured the world's imagination, she said, "It was just one of those incidental days that she walked out with me because she was still holding my hand and I wouldn't let go obviously because she was enjoying it." Before they knew it, they were in the spotlight. "We continued coming down and then I was like uh-oh now we're already out here and there she is and she's like mama and she's twirling. I'm like okay and then all these moments go viral whereas actually it was just mama and daughter having their real moment."
A Celebration of Women's Inherent Strength
Moving from personal anecdotes to a powerful universal message, Aishwarya also spoke eloquently about the resilience of women. She celebrated the multifaceted strength women embody in every role they undertake.
"Women by birth are strong. All women are immensely strong, you are shakti, devi, you are the embodiment of strength, beauty, femininity," she proclaimed, urging women to "enjoy every aspect of being who you are and we need to be celebrated every second of our existence."
Highlighting the daily resilience women display, she added, "Inherently women are strong and they are always striving, figuring out how to tie all that life throws at you. How to embrace it and deal with things. That’s who we are in every role of life as daughters, sisters, mother, wives." Her words served as a potent tribute to the enduring spirit of women everywhere.
