Aishwarya Rai Bachchan stuns in black-and-white ensemble for second Cannes appearance. See photos

On the red carpet for the screening of Colours of Time, Aishwarya Rai struck a poised figure in her black ensemble, taking her time to pose for photographers. She was also seen sharing the frame with international actors Cara Delevingne and Helen Mirren.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film Colours of Time at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (Photo by Lewis Joly/Invision/AP)

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Helen Mirren and Cara Delevingne pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film Colours of Time at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (Photo by Lewis Joly/Invision/AP)

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film Colours of Time at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (Photo by Lewis Joly/Invision/AP)

❝GODDESS RAI❞🥀🔥💫❤️#AishwaryaRai#AishwaryaRaiBachchan#AishwaryaAtCannes #Cannes2025 @lorealparisfr @aishrlopez pic.twitter.com/rWo4tpry9p

— Mishkat Mahir (@MahirMishkat) May 22, 2025

HQ ~ Aishwarya Rai with Cara Delevingne & Helen Mirren at Cannes 2k25 ! 🔥🔥#AishwaryaRai #AishwaryaRaiBachchan #Cannes2025 pic.twitter.com/Vk2QWcaH0J

— Mishkat Mahir (@MahirMishkat) May 22, 2025

#AishwaryaRai A vision of sophistication your presence turns the red carpet into a masterpiece … The one and only Aishwarya Rai pic.twitter.com/Lj0hIKKoLM

— PrinceS (@Princebannn) May 22, 2025

Oo it is #AishwaryaRai in Gaurav Gupta om second day 😍#AishwaryaRaiBachchan pic.twitter.com/es7mg6vfmn

— God Bless Mohabbatein (@sidharth0800) May 22, 2025

#AishwaryaRaiBachchan brings old Hollywood old glamour, luscious lips, soft wavy curls in #GayravGupta . So excited. #AishwaryaRai #GauravGupta #CannesFilmFestival #CannesFilmFestival #LOrealParisCannesTH . Last time , she wore #GauravGupta in 2022. pic.twitter.com/Q9Ie86opIX

— MANJOT SINGH (@MANJOTS74594721) May 22, 2025

#AishwaryaRaiBachchan
Ohh You Goddess pic.twitter.com/j6j7oLPnOM

— Groovy (@BibaswanM) May 22, 2025

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For her first appearance at Cannes 2025, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wore a custom-made saree by Manish Malhotra. She arrived for the screening of the film The History of Sound in a handwoven Kadwa ivory Banarasi handloom saree. She paired it with statement jewellery featuring more than 500 carats of Mozambique rubies and uncut diamonds, all set in 18k gold. A sheer white tissue handwoven dupatta with a dramatic trail effect added elegance to her look.

While the intricate craftsmanship of her ensemble was widely lauded by fans and fashion critics, it was the bold, thick line of sindoor (vermillion) on her forehead that truly completed her appearance and sparked widespread admiration. Many fans even compared Aishwarya’s sindoor-clad saree look to that of legendary actor Rekha, noting the strong resemblance to Rekha’s signature aesthetic.

Interestingly, Aishwarya Rai made her Cannes Film Festival debut back in 2002 also in a saree. She had arrived at the festival for the premiere of her film Devdas, accompanied by director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and co-star Shah Rukh Khan. For her debut, she wore a vibrant yellow saree paired with traditional gold jewellery. Her grand entrance in a horse-drawn chariot became a defining moment and marked a cultural milestone for Indian representation at the festival.