📌 Key Points
- Raveena Tandon criticized online trolling of Aishwarya Rai at Cannes Film Festival.
- She labeled the hyper-fixation on women’s ageing and appearance as “toxic” and “miserable behaviour.”
- Raveena lauded Aishwarya as a “global icon” who represents India with dignity and grace.
- She highlighted the cultural double standard for female versus male actors regarding ageing.
Veteran actor Raveena Tandon has strongly condemned the online trolling faced by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, labeling the hyper-fixation on women’s aging and appearance as “toxic” and “miserable behaviour.” Tandon defended Aishwarya, calling her a global icon unfairly scrutinized.
Raveena Condemns Aishwarya’s Trolling
Actor Raveena Tandon has criticised the online trolling Aishwarya Rai faced a couple of months ago when she walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. Calling it “deeply unfortunate and incredibly unfair”, Raveena linked it to the ‘digital culture’.
“It is unfortunate and incredibly unfair. This relentless, hyper-fixation on a woman’s ageing process, her weight, or her wardrobe choice is an ongoing toxic trait of our digital culture,” Raveena told PTI.
A Global Icon’s Unfair Scrutiny
The Bollywood star praised Aishwarya, her junior in the industry, calling her a ‘global icon’. “Aishwarya is an absolute global icon who has represented our country with unparalleled dignity and grace on international platforms for decades. To reduce a woman of her stature, achievements, and intelligence down to a bad camera angle or an experimental dress is just miserable behaviour,” she added.
Raveena said that the fixation of women’s ageing bodies and faces highlights a double standard as well. “It reveals a broader, everyday cultural double standard, like we demand our female stars remain permanently frozen in time, looking exactly like they did twenty years ago, while male actors are allowed to age, change, and grow without an ounce of the same brutal scrutiny,” the 53-year-old actor said.
Exposing Industry’s Ageist Double Standards
Besides Raveena, actors Madhuri Dixit Nene and Kangana Ranaut also came out in support of Aishwarya following online criticism surrounding her appearance at the festival.
Raveena’s powerful statement underscores a critical issue in entertainment: the relentless, unfair scrutiny faced by women regarding their age and appearance. Her words serve as a vital reminder to challenge these toxic double standards and celebrate dignity.
