Former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been associated with global beauty brand L'Oréal Paris for over two decades and has often walked the Cannes red carpet representing the brand.
Aishwarya hasn't been very active in films. She has stepped back from acting and is now mostly seen endorsing L'Oréal's beauty and hair care products, while also focusing on her daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan. Although fans are eagerly awaiting her return to films, Aishwarya continues to appear merely in ad campaigns.
On Monday, the official handle of L'Oréal released a new campaign featuring the OG queen, Aishwarya Rai. In the film, she addresses the growing influence of social media on self-worth, cautioning against letting likes, comments, and online validation define one's value.
She further warns of the deeper implications of this trend. As a mother, she calls it "a matter of grave concern," adding, "There's not much difference between social media and social pressure. As a woman and a mother, it's alarming to think about the power it can have over young minds — and frankly, even impressionable adults."
Making a plea for introspection, Aishwarya states, "This cannot go on. We must make a choice. Let's not search for our self-worth elsewhere, certainly not on social media. Worth is innate."
She firmly asserts, "I'm worth it. But what really decides that? The kind of pictures posted? The number of likes? Or the comments on social media? We've given such power to these things, the power to define our worth."
As soon as the video went viral, many drew comparisons between Aishwarya and her mother-in-law, Jaya Bachchan, criticising Jaya for her attitude while praising Aishwarya for her grace and poise.
While many praised her message, others called out Aishwarya and the brand for hypocrisy, pointing out that her face appeared puffed up and heavily treated with Botox and fillers.
A user wrote, "L'Oréal and Aishwarya's relationship is stronger than most marriages.."
Another wrote, "Aishwarya ji is certainly class apart.."
The third one mentioned, "Yeah exactly and her definitely being worth it with botox and fillers as her age progressed is another layer to ..yes I'm worth it but with these additions.."
The fourth one said, "It's painful to watch her say that with a straight face."
The fifth one wrote, "Curious about what you think of such heavily touched up, edited video being posted for a 'Worth' message. I am not talking about basic makeup."
Work front
She was last seen in PS2, which was released in 2023. Ponniyin Selvan-I was released worldwide in September 2022 in Tamil along with the dubbed versions in Hindi, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam. The film is currently streaming on Prime Video. The film grossed Rs 327 crores in India and Rs 169 crores (USD 20.70 million) overseas, for a global box office gross of over Rs 500 crore.
