SHEDDING kilos at her own pace and then unveiling her new avatar at Cannes, Ash not only silenced critics, but has become the pin up girl for women in their 40s,battling weight issues
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan couldn’t have chosen a better platform to announce to the world that she is back! Critics were left agape with incredulity when Ash made her first appearance at the Cannes red carpet, looking every bit the golden girl she is. She did a repeat the second night in a white fishtail gown and sealed the deal on Thursday at the Cinema Against AIDS Gala in a blush gown.
What makes her new and stunning avatar even more interesting is the fact that at 40, Ash can give younger actresses and contemporaries sleepless nights over red carpet appearances! And this she achieved, without succumbing to the pressures of the modern world phenomenon of turning a ‘yummy mummy’ immediately post having a baby. If anything, Ash’s appearance only proves that 40, is indeed the new 30.
Ever since Aishwarya hit the red carpet at Cannes, self styled fashion watchers on the Internet sang paeans of the actress and hailed her as the pin up girl for all those battling weight issues. Even Shobhaa De, known for criticising Ash’s previous sartorial choices, praised her, saying, “Golden Mermaid Aishwarya Rai on the Cannes red carpet blows away competition effortlessly. Love the newly sculpted curves!” Designer Asmita Marwa credits Aishwarya for not trying to fit the ‘waif stereotype’. “Ash celebrates womanhood, the way it is meant to be — real.
She didn’t cave in to the pressures of losing post pregnancy weight in a jiffy, despite those scathing comments for the past three years. It’s also important to note that she didn’t use any airbrushing or photoshop when modelling for brands all these years, post-pregnancy.Scores of women across the world battle weight and self confidence issues and when they see Ash, it only gives them hope that if someone like her can make a comeback, so can they,” explains Marwa, who is herself a stunner in her 40s. “Even in Ash’s Cannes appearance, you’ll notice that she didn’t look like she tried too hard to hide her so-called ‘flaws’. The dress settled well on her curves that are natural for a woman her age.” Jewellery designer Suhani Pittie, who has designed for Aishwarya, believes that the actress is beyond criticism, due to her body of work. “The barrage of criticism and negative comments towards Aishwarya was absolutely unnecessary and unkind,” says Suhani.
“Besides being one of the most beautiful women around, she is also a self-made, super achiever. She carried on with her job with grace, dignity and pride.Ash’s appearance is reassuring. And she totally owned it on the red carpet,” explains Suhani.
Former Mrs India and designer Shilpa Reddy says that Ash has changed the rules by prioritising womanhood over fitness. “Despite all the ‘fat jokes’ and criticism, Ash held her head high and let nature take its course,when it came to losing post pregnancy weight. She has aged gracefully, and that’s how it’s supposed to be,” explains Shilpa, who has herself battled severe criticism for her looks. “When I lost weight post my baby, I heard people whisper that I’ve undergone ‘grafting’ or some face job or the other. But that just comes from a place of insecurity and I totally understand what Ash must have gone through,” says Shilpa.
With Ash topping all the ‘best dressed’ lists this year, it comes with a sense of vindication for the actress who battled unkind criticism. “A lot of actresses like Shilpa Shetty went on a rigorous work out regime to lose weight because there was so much pressure. Then there are those who went under the knife. Instead of all this, Ash just enjoyed her motherhood. If you look beyond the dress she wore, you’ll find that Ash had an evolved look on her face that comes from life experience. No amount of make up can achieve that,” says Asmita.
Shilpa believes that it’s never too late to make a stunning comeback. “Forty is not too ‘old’ anyway. The key here is accepting yourself and the changes your body goes through. A size 36 or 39 is no big deal, as long as you dress gracefully. A few extra pounds is not such a bad thing at all,”she opines. Suhani too voices a similar opinion. “They say 40 is the new 30 and Ash proved it! Women are more assured and accepting of themselves at that age, and that’s how it should be,” says Suhani.
Well, accepting womanhood in all its curvaceous glory seems to be the way to go about it. And if you need reassurance that age is just a number, you need not look beyond Aishwarya.
