Why do we love to hate Indian celebrities at the Cannes Film Festival?

We discuss why the outfits of Indian celebrities have overshadowed their achievements at the prestigious event

Weeks before the 75th Cannes Film Festival in 2022, stories confirming the presence of certain Indian celebrities and influencers started surfacing on Diet Sabya. The average person would confuse this for a routine round-up but religious followers of the anonymous Instagram account were aware of the intention behind this seemingly simple exercise.

Every name on the list being drawn up would be watched closely at the 12-day-long event that takes place in May every year. Their looks would be discussed and dissected by a tough crowd that was likely to mock anything elaborate and dismiss everything else as too simple or safe–very few outfits would actually manage to meet their exacting expectations. Over the years, we’ve come to eagerly await sightings of noteworthy Indian names at the French Riviera, only so we can rip their looks apart. What used to be a moment of pride has become fodder for Instagram’s many critics and we attempt to discuss why.

The criticism

Let’s take a minute to recount India’s wins at Cannes in 2022–Aishwarya Rai Bachchan marked 20 years at the film festival since her debut alongside Shah Rukh Khan in 2002; Deepika Padukone was chosen as a jury member; Masoom Minawala brought home an award for Most Authentic Fashion Influencer; and a total of six Indian films were screened.

However, what will stay etched in most of our minds is not the country’s many cinematic achievements but the attire of those who made appearances on the red carpet. This is perhaps palpable from the several scathing headlines that show up if you run a quick online search on Rai Bachchan at Cannes. The internet is not particularly forgiving of a fashion faux pas and the actor seems to have made a series of them, which have been documented in great detail over the last two decades. Rai Bachchan’s top-trolled looks include a poorly draped neon Neeta Lulla sari and an off-shoulder Rami Kadi outfit, which mainly garnered attention because it had the misfortune of being accompanied by a much-talked-about purple lip. The newest additions to this growing list are gowns from Dolce & Gabbana and Gaurav Gupta. The former, which featured 3D floral motifs, was likened to a big bouquet or an ornate cake, and the latter, defined by sculptural detailing, was criticised for being costume-like.

Padukone has also been at the receiving end of ridicule. In 2019, her voluminous Giambattista Valli gown paired with a supersized headband landed her a spot on several worst-dressed lists. This year, her sequinned sari by Sabyasachi Mukherjee was appreciated across the globe but her other choices weren’t dealt with as much kindness. Some used images of her wearing thick black eyeliner to make viral memes, others said her combination of a printed shirt with green trousers, which also came courtesy of Mukherjee, bore resemblances to the coffee cups that the designer recently released in collaboration with Starbucks. Many will recall this isn’t the first time that the Kolkata-based couturier’s creations at the festival have been criticised. In 2011, the designer dressed supermodel Kanishtha Dhankar in a black-and-gold lehenga that was seen as being too traditional and out of place.

The cause

The extravagance that Indian celebrities are often associated with on the red carpet is, sometimes, an easy target. “When everyone else is quite subtle and minimal at Cannes, we tend to overdo things and that makes it easy for people to pass comments. We need to maybe widen our idea of what red-carpet attire should look like; it doesn’t always have to involve big gowns. Having said that, I believe we should live and let live. Of course, I have my opinions too but I don’t leave them on someone’s post to demean and insult them,” says fashion consultant and stylist Edward Lalrempuia.

For decades now, commentary, which often doesn’t cease at how over the top an outfit is, crops up every time an event with a star-studded guest list comes around. However, its intensity and frequency today can, to a large extent, be attributed to the rise of social media, which gives every individual, irrespective of their expertise, a voice. This is advantageous if the platforms at our disposal are used to address injustices or important issues with awareness but let’s face it, thoughtless reviews about what celebrities wear on the red carpet don’t fall under that bucket.

“I feel Instagram, or the digital space in general, gives one exposure to parts of the world that they may not have otherwise imagined reaching. While this has its bonuses, it also allows for unlimited usage of free will to comment and criticise. It’s totally fair for people to have a point of view. However, using commentary that is often personal with the intention to malign someone is something that one should be careful before putting out,” says designer Amit Aggarwal whose looks were a popular choice this year–they were seen on Minawala and actor Tamannaah Bhatia.

In addition to many of the opinions being unsolicited and uninformed, what’s concerning about them is the nonchalance with which they are posted. What would most definitely be considered bullying if it was directed towards a friend or acquaintance, is somehow acceptable when it comes to celebrities. The courage of internet critics goes beyond the belief that public figures sign up for sartorial scrutiny and stems from two key factors, which greatly reduce the risk of encountering any real consequences: (a) The knowledge that their brutal remarks are likely to get lost in a sea of similar comments, and (b) the ability to employ methods that keep their anonymity intact. “Online trolls often use private or fake accounts, which means that they themselves can’t deal with negative comments,” adds Lalrempuia.

There seems to be an increasing awareness about the irony of it all. It’s acknowledged through the light-hearted tweets and posts which joke about how we judge celebrities clad in luxury labels at high-pressure events while wearing sweatpants in the comfort of our homes. But maybe a more serious revaluation is needed. In a world, where we’re challenging deep-rooted conditioning, broadening rigid definitions of what’s considered beautiful and embracing all things weird and wonderful, frivolous commentary centered around one’s appearances does come off as dated.

Additionally, according to celebrity stylist Natashaa Bothra–the name behind actress Helly Shah’s frosty Ziad Nakad gown–it can also stifle one’s creativity. “What is beautiful to you may not be beautiful to me and vice versa. For example, Padukone’s bold eyeliner was trolled but I felt it looked great. If we don’t experiment at these huge platforms and hide our creative side in the fear of being called out, we won’t have the chance to stand out. I feel as stylists we need some space to explore our creativity and do something big. Criticism is welcome because there’s always scope for improvement but it should be done in a mindful and respectful way,” concludes Bothra.

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