From epitomising the stereotype to breaking it, right on the most glittering of global showbiz events, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has sashayed down many a red carpet with poise and pizzazz. Not the Peter Pan-esque beauty but one setting benchmarks for aging gracefully and happily.She did so again in Cannes last month, becoming the centre of a furious debate on why women must be held to impossible standards, why they must conform to the expectation that they look the same year after year. Notwithstanding the vagaries of life and time.As Alia Bhatt and Aditi Rao Hydari, brand ambassadors for cosmetic giant L’Oreal, made their way to the Cannes film festival this year, there was one oft-repeated question, where was the OG L’Oreal girl Aishwarya Rai, a regular fixture at the movie gala for 24 years whose look is carefully dissected each year.The 52-year-old model-actor, one of India’s most well-known faces, made her appearance in a sculpted blue gown by Amit Aggarwal towards the end of the festival, her photographs and videos immediately flooding social media platforms. And the conversation once again turned to her weight. There was trolling and much body shaming.Among those who spoke was journalist Mrinal Pande. “The natural beauty has diminished this time. The cheeks appear somewhat more puffed up,” the Padma Shri winning journalist known for her feminist writing said on X and it soon spiralled into a huge debate.When she was questioned, Pande defended her take down, reasoning that celebrities are judged on a different metric.“Sorry lady, she has been promoted the world over as an iconic beauty and a brand ambassador since 1994 when she won the beauty contest. Any dimming of that aura will be naturally pointed out using the same criteria beauty pageant industry has set,” she wrote.Later, some of her more critical posts were pulled out.Aishwarya has been subjected to trolling earlier. Unlike many of her contemporaries, the “Devdas” actor appeared comfortable with her post pregnancy weight after the birth of her daughter Aaradhya in 2011.According to clinical psychologist Shweta Sharma, the criticism about Aishwarya’s looks is more about the way society perceives beauty.“It happened before also when she gained weight after the delivery, Aishwarya has always existed in the minds of Indian women or I would say globally as a beauty icon, as a Miss World, as a symbol of perfection. But the problem is that our idea of a beauty icon itself has become deeply corrupted by rigid societal standards,” Sharma told PTI.“We admire her for her beauty, but at the same time, we never understand or we deny that they always have a right to age naturally, they can gain weight, they can change physically or simply look human, which she accepts as a celebrity, definitely with grace,” she added.Actor Kangana Ranaut was the first from within the industry to school trolls targeting Aishwarya, telling them to get used to seeing older women on red carpets.“Fashion and style is a self-expression. It is one’s own interpretation of life and their attitude. No woman owes anything to anyone. Ash looks great! Those of you who want to see her any other way, why don’t you show what you got?“She is not here to please you. She is glorious. If you are not used to seeing older women on red carpets, get used to them now. Thanks,” the “Queen” star wrote on Instagram.Aishwarya’s “Devdas” co-star Madhuri Dixit said such trolling was sending a wrong message to society and especially young people.“She (Aishwarya) has been going there for 20 years. She has done the whole country proud. She is a global star. As a Miss World, she has done so much for the country. You cannot reduce her to a number on a scale or a number on the dress or the size or a number on the calendar years. You cannot reduce her to that. She is beautiful. She looks beautiful but she is beautiful inside,” Madhuri told PTI.“I think people have to realise that when you make these kinds of comments, what kind of message are you sending to the youngsters today? That your worth is on how you look, not on your achievements. I think this is a completely wrong message being sent,” Madhuri said.Aishwarya first appeared at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002 when “Devdas” was shown at the festival. The following year, she became brand ambassador for L’Oreal and has been there since. She was also the first Indian actor to be on the festival jury.Many Indians equate her appearance in Cannes as India’s representation, regardless of whether there is an Indian film in the reckoning. In 2016, for instance, her choice of purple lipstick was the subject of intense debate.“Education is not going to help unless we are not able to break that conditioning, which constantly tells women that their worth lies in maintaining a certain appearance and a body image. I feel this conversation is important because it shows how uncomfortable society still is with the natural relation of a woman’s body and identity,” Sharma said.What is more concerning, she said, is when educated women participate in this criticism because it reflects how beauty norms are deeply internalised in social structures.These unrealistic demands from women stars are diametrically opposite to how male stars are treated in the industry, Sharma said.Sharma said men are accepted or allowed to age naturally and have the choice to play romantic and lead roles but that grace is not extended to women in showbiz.“The conversation (when it comes to women) quickly shifts towards their appearance, their weight, their wrinkles, or whether they still fit the image society created for them years ago. So that difference clearly reflects a gender-based double standard, which is very prominent in this industry,” she said, adding that celebrities sometimes contribute to setting these rigid standards.Unlike Hollywood, where actors like Meryl Streep have roles written for them, mainstream Hindi cinema mostly marginalises women after a certain age though that is changing with time as actors like Shefali Shah, Madhuri Dixit and many other stars find lead vehicles, if not in cinema, on OTT.Shah, in a past interview, for instance, spoke about how she regretted playing Akshay Kumar’s mother despite being younger to him in “Waqt” in 2005.In the years since, she has steered clear and has got roles of her choice in offbeat movies and OTT shows, while Dixit is earning praise for her turn in “Maa Behen”.