Throwback: When Aishwarya Rai walked the red carpet with Shah Rukh Khan at Cannes 2000

New Delhi: Aishwarya Rai has returned to Cannes for the annual film festival. Her followers, who anticipate her presence at Cannes every year, are never disappointed. It’s worth noting that the actor first hit the red carpet 20 years ago, till they get to witness her look this season. She wore a yellow saree with rich gold jewellery and walked alongside her Devdas co-star Shah Rukh Khan.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, her husband Abhishek Bachchan, and daughter Aaradhya Bachchan departed Mumbai early Tuesday for this year’s tradition. Aishwarya began taking Aaradhya to Cannes when she was a baby, and she is now ten.

In 2002, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was accompanied by Shah Rukh Khan, who wore a black suit with a bow tie and looked smart. Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the director, had also joined them, dressed in a black sherwani. The picture had its world premiere at the festival and was widely regarded as one of the most expensive films ever made.

Aishwarya Rai’s entrance was nothing short of a fairytale, as she arrived in a blue chariot and only stepped down after Shah Rukh offered her assistance. She was the first Bollywood actress to represent India, and her traditional style in the Neeta Lulla saree gained her admirers.

In 2002, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali attended the Cannes Film Festival to promote their film Devdas.

Aishwarya said in a statement to Vogue on her first time attending the Cannes Film Festival, “We went to the festival not just as performers, but as proud advocates of Indian cinema, presenting a film that meant a lot to us. The response to the film was incredible, and I will remember it for the rest of my life.”

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wore a skyblue suit for another occasion, while Shah Rukh wore elegant casuals.