For nearly two weeks now, Cannes has carried on with its usual glamour, celebrity appearances and endless red carpet moments, but for many Indian audiences, something felt noticeably missing. Since the festival began on May 12, conversations online kept circling back to one question: where is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan? The curiosity only intensified after L’Oréal Paris unveiled its Cannes campaign visuals without featuring Aishwarya, sparking speculation that she may skip the festival this year.

Social media reactions were immediate, with fans questioning her absence and wondering if this marked the end of an era. But on Thursday night, those rumours finally came to an end when Aishwarya was spotted at the Mumbai airport with daughter Aaradhya Bachchan, leaving for Cannes.

The visuals instantly became viral, not because they were dramatic, but because they felt so familiar. Dressed in co-ordinated black outfits, Aishwarya and Aaradhya moved through the airport quietly while photographers followed closely behind. It was a scene audiences have watched unfold for years now, almost like an unofficial beginning to India’s Cannes coverage every year.

For the airport appearance, Aishwarya kept things elegant and minimal in a black Dhruv Kapoor blazer with matching trousers. She paired the look with Gucci Signoria boots and carried a Gucci Diana handbag that quickly grabbed attention online. With sleek straight hair and her classic red lipstick, the overall styling felt effortless while still carrying the star power people associate with her.

What makes Aishwarya’s Cannes arrival matter every year goes far beyond fashion. It is deeply connected to the history she shares with the festival. She first attended Cannes in 2002 for the premiere of Devdas alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Her yellow Neeta Lulla saree from that appearance still remains one of the most remembered Indian Cannes looks even today. In 2003, she became the first Indian actor to join the Cannes jury while also beginning her long standing association with L’Oréal Paris.

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Over the years, her appearances at Cannes have turned into cultural moments of their own. Whether it was the dramatic Michael Cinco gown in 2017 or her saree appearances in recent years, Aishwarya’s red carpet choices have always sparked conversation. Some were celebrated, some debated, but almost all of them stayed memorable.

Perhaps that is why her delayed arrival this year became such a major talking point. It highlighted how deeply audiences connect Aishwarya with Cannes itself. In a time where celebrity culture moves quickly and red carpets are dominated by influencers and viral content, Aishwarya still represents a more classic kind of stardom. Her Cannes appearances feel less like promotional appearances and more like part of a long running cultural memory that audiences continue to return to year after year.

Kangana Ranaut recently became the centre of attention after a video of her wearing a mangalsutra went viral on social media. The clip surfaced online on Thursday evening and quickly led to rumours that the actress had secretly tied the knot. In the video, Kangana was seen walking with her security team while dressed in traditional attire. However, it was the mangalsutra around her neck that caught everyone’s attention.

As the video spread online, many social media users started questioning whether Kangana had gotten married without making any public announcement. Several fans were left surprised and curious about her relationship status.

However, reports later clarified that Kangana Ranaut is not married. The viral appearance is reportedly from the shoot of her upcoming film Queen 2, which is currently being made under the tentative title Queen Forever. The actress has reportedly already started filming for the project.

Released in 2013, Queen was directed by Vikas Bahl and became one of the most successful films of Kangana Ranaut’s career. In the movie, Kangana played the role of Rani Mehra, a shy girl from Delhi whose fiancé cancels their wedding just before the ceremony. Instead of staying upset, Rani decides to go alone on her honeymoon to Paris and Amsterdam. During the trip, she learns to become independent and confident while discovering a new side of herself.

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The film also featured Rajkummar Rao, Lisa Haydon and Mish Boyko in important roles. Queen received both critical and commercial success and won several awards, including the National Film Award for Best Hindi Film and Best Actress for Kangana Ranaut.

Apart from Queen 2, Kangana Ranaut will also be seen in Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata. Directed by Manoj Tapadia, the film is based on the unsung heroes of the 26/11 Mumbai Attacks. Kangana will reportedly play a staff nurse in the movie, which is scheduled to release in theatres on June 12, 2026.

Ace filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma recently shared an emotional note about Michael Jackson after watching the much discussed biopic Michael. The director opened up about how deeply the King of Pop influenced his imagination, creativity, and understanding of visual storytelling over the years.

RGV recalled the shocking moment when he first learned about Michael Jackson’s death on June 25th, 2009. He said the news felt impossible to believe and described how he kept changing television channels hoping it was untrue. Sharing his emotions, he wrote, “I HATE MICHAEL After watching MICHAEL film , my memory went back to that horrible day June 25 th , 2009 when I slept late with the television still murmuring like a ghost in the darkness of my room , and as I groggily woke up in the morning and my eyes went to the screen to see those terrible white letters against black: “Michael Jackson is Dead.””

The filmmaker also went back to his college days in Vijayawada and remembered the first time he watched Thriller in a small video parlour on January 2nd 1984. According to him, the experience completely changed the way he looked at music and performance. He described Michael Jackson as someone beyond ordinary human ability and said his songs and videos felt larger than life.

Talking about the impact of Jackson’s work, RGV mentioned songs like “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Black or White,” “Remember the Time,” and “Bad.” He explained that Michael Jackson’s music videos became a major source of inspiration during discussions about song picturisation throughout his filmmaking career.

I HATE MICHAEL

After watching MICHAEL film , my memory went back to that horrible day June 25 th , 2009 when I slept late with the television still murmuring like a ghost in the darkness of my room , and as I groggily woke up in the morning and my eyes went to the screen to see…

— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) May 22, 2026

He further wrote, “The scandals? The controversies? They never bothered me. They were background noise. What he gave my senses and my soul far outweighed anything a human court or a tabloid magazine could ever throw at him.”

Ending the note on an emotional note, Ram Gopal Varma said he still carries the unforgettable feeling Michael Jackson gave him years ago in that Vijayawada video parlour and believes the global icon’s brilliance can never truly fade.

Actor Bobby Deol recently spoke about how Salman Khan helped him during a difficult phase in his career by offering him a role in Race 3. Bobby shared the experience during his appearance on Shekhar Tonite with Shekhar Suman.

Today, Bobby Deol is enjoying one of the strongest phases of his career after projects like Animal and The Ba***ds of Bollywood. However, the actor said there was a period when film offers had slowed down and he felt younger audiences no longer remembered him.

Speaking about that time, Bobby recalled receiving an unexpected phone call from Salman Khan. The actor remembered Salman asking him, “Salman was so sweet…He called me and asked ‘shirt utarega mamu?’ I said main kuch bhi karunga. He said come and get the narration and then I got in Race 3. I knew that millions of people are going to watch this Salman Khan movie. The young generation had forgotten about Bobby Deol. So I thought if I appear in this movie, people will remember that Bobby Deol is still there.”

Released in 2018, Race 3 marked Salman Khan’s entry into the Race franchise and featured actors including Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Daisy Shah, and Saqib Saleem alongside Bobby Deol. Although the film received mixed reactions, it performed well at the box office and earned more than Rs 300 crore worldwide.

Bobby said the film became an important opportunity for him to reconnect with younger viewers. Talking about the impact, he added, “Millions of people are going to go watch a Salman Khan film. Jo young generation thi woh Bobby Deol ko bhool gayi thi (The young generation had forgotten Bobby Deol). So I felt ki main iss film me aaunga toh log pehchanenge ki koi Bobby Deol bhi hai (If I do this film, people will realise I exist).”

After Race 3, Bobby’s career gained momentum again with Aashram in 2020. His biggest comeback came with Animal, where his short but impactful role received strong attention from audiences and critics.

The actor has since worked in projects including The Ba**ds of Bollywood* and Hari Hara Veera Mallu. His upcoming films include Bandar directed by Anurag Kashyap and Jana Nayagan, which is being described as Vijay’s final film.