After making headlines in a regal Banarasi saree by Manish Malhotra, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan made a show-stopping return to the Cannes Film Festival 2025 red carpet. For her second appearance, the Bollywood actress swapped traditional elegance for a dramatic cosmic-inspired silhouette crafted by none other than ace Indian designer Gaurav Gupta.
Decoding Aishwarya Rai's Gaurav Gupta Couture at Cannes 2025
Aishwarya made a powerful return in a look that perfectly captured her signature flair. She donned "Heiress of Calm", a custom Gaurav Gupta creation that merged sculptural elegance with spiritual symbolism. According to the designer, the dramatic black corset gown was adorned with abstract motifs in silver, gold, charcoal, and black, each hand-embroidered and accented with micro-glass crystals.
While the gown was show-stopping, it was her exquisite cape that truly stole the show for its couture and symbolism. Aishwarya styled her sculpted gown with a handwoven Banarasi silver brocade cape, flowing gently behind her, designed in keeping with Cannes’ updated red carpet guidelines.
The cape was highlighted with a powerful Sanskrit verse from the Bhagavad Gita:
|| कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ||
"You have a right to perform your actions, but not to the fruits of those actions. Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction."
Coming to the styling, the former Miss World kept it minimal yet stunning with just a pair of dangling earrings and a few statement diamond rings. However, her makeup was bold with a matte base, shimmering eyes, blushed cheeks and red lips, while her hair was styled in beachy side-parted waves.
