IANS
Paris, May 27: While Aishwarya Rai understands the constant need for people to check out her clothes and accessories at important events, what the actress can't fathom is why her clothes at the Cannes Film Festival become more important than what she does.
"I don't even want to think about what people thought of my clothes earlier and what they think of it now. To me, how I conduct myself at Cannes and how people react to me are far more important than what I wear," Aishwarya, who has been attending the film festival since 2002, said.
"Cannes has always been a marvellous and memorable experience. This time was no different. It's never about the wardrobe for me. I don't focus on that at all," added the actress who attended the event for the first time with Devdas.
She reminisces about each year she has attended the event, saying: "That was the year of Devdas. That experience remains embedded in my mind. It wasn't just about how much they liked me in a sari or walking the red carpet. It was more memorable for the standing ovation that we got after the screening of Devdas. It was a very special experience.
"Next, I was in Cannes as a jury member and that's where sections of the media formed their own jury and began to assess my dress. After that, I was there to inaugurate the festival and thereafter each year as the brand ambassador for L'Oreal."
What made Aishwarya's visit to Cannes special this year was the fact that the entire Bachchan family was there.
She adds: "It was always flash visits to Cannes. This time I was actually there for four days. Otherwise, I've always been there in the middle of things. I spent two full days with the family. We're all so happy when we're together. In an interview there I was asked if our visit to Cannes was a delayed anniversary celebration. I was like... noooooo!"
Speaking on her stunning sartorial grace on the red carpet, Aishwarya said: "I guess I had more time to prepare."
She smiles at the memory of bonding with Eva Longoria of "Desperate Housewives. "We bonded so well at Cannes no one would believe we had just met. Actually Eva, Rachida Brakni, who did the original French version of Chaos, which I was supposed to do and who's now been taken on as L'Oreal's brand ambassador—all of us got married recently. So all three of us had something in common."
On the home front, fans are eagerly waiting to see her with Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan in Sarkar Raj—releasing on June 6.