Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on Instagram debut: I don't plan things to gain momentum or numbers

With Cannes Film Festival 2018 marking Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s 17th year at the French gala, it can be said that the actress is a festival veteran now. Currently in French Riviera with her daughter Aaradhya, Aishwarya's red carpet looks are a subject of great interest back home in India. In an interview with DNA, the actress opens up about her fashion bug, the judgement that comes with it and her upcoming projects. [caption id=“attachment_4468319” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at the Cannes Film Festival 2018 red carpet. Image from Twitter/allaboutbtown[/caption] She has been associated with L’Oreal for the last 15 years and Aishwarya is grateful for it. She says the association has facilitated meetings with other wonderful women from across the globe and although they get very less time to interact, it still leaves an impact. Keeping in mind the tagline of the brand she promotes, “You’re worth it”, she says meeting these women and feeling like a team just adds to her idea of the brand. Speaking about the backlash that women receive for embracing fashion and makeup, she points out that “shringar” has always been a huge part of Indian mythology. For her, it is not just about a cosmetics brand but about making women believe in themselves and free oneself of judgements. Before joining, Aishwarya was a beauty queen which often keeps women from being taken seriously. However, she strongly states that getting the opportunity to work with acclaimed filmmakers like Mani Ratnam, Subhash Ghai, Yash Chopra and Rajeev Menon at a young age, indicates the opposite in her case. “These filmmakers didn’t choose me for my physicality. They wouldn’t risk their career for it,” she says. She also addressed the buzz around her Instagram debut. She said that she is not someone who would plan things in advance to gain momentum or numbers so the entire speculation around her first day numbers do not bother her. In her upcoming film, _Fanney Khan_ , Aishwarya plays a pop star who is idolised by hundreds. It is an unconventional role, but Aishwarya says she has never really been the one to worry about the kind of role she is portraying. “I don’t care if it’s a character, a leading lady or a glamorous part. People forget I did Iruvar (1997) right in the beginning of my career. I played Shah Rukh (Khan)’s sister in our first film together (Josh, 2000) and I never had issues,” she states. Although Cannes Film Festival has caught on to the winds of change in terms of gender parity , Bollywood still has a long way to go. Aishwarya says she would love to star in a film that has other noted actresses in leading roles as well. But she maintains that she has never thought of herself as the ’leading lady’ which is why people look at her in a different light now. (Also read — Cannes Film Festival: Manto actress Rasika Dugal shares experience of participating in 82 women's protest walk)