'She Was Waving At Her Own Team': Shobhaa De ROASTS Alia Bhatt's 'Insulting' Cannes 2026 Viral Red Carpet Moment
· Free Press Journal
Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt's now-viral red carpet clip from the Cannes Film Festival 2026 continues to stir debate online, and now author-columnist Shobhaa De has joined the conversation with some brutally honest remarks.
Over the past few days, social media has been flooded with videos showing Alia posing confidently on the Cannes red carpet while photographers in the background appeared more focused on other international celebrities. The clip quickly triggered discussions online, with many Indian users calling the moment "awkward" and "disrespectful".
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Check out the viral clip below:
Alia Bhatt is trolled by international media for being ignored so badly at Cannes and no one really is bothered who she ispic.twitter.com/F1OyAZKHWE
— Finally Did it (@Finallydiditonx) May 14, 2026
Shobhaa De takes a dig at Alia
Amid the controversy, Shobhaa De has weighed in with sharp commentary about Indian celebrities trying to make a mark at Cannes. Speaking candidly about the viral moment, she remarked, "You can't go there in what to you is amazing couture and expect them to take your pictures, because they don't know who you are."
She further added, "No one at Cannes was calling out to our great and lovely stars. No one knew who they were. They were looking somewhere else."
'No One Is Interested In Her': Alia Bhatt Ignored By Photographers On Cannes 2026 Red Carpet; Indian Fans Say, 'That's Embarrassing' - VideoTaking a direct swipe at Alia’s now-viral gestures on the carpet, Shobhaa De joked, "That can be very insulting. But I must hand it to Alia Bhatt – with no one around except her HMU team to take her pictures. Maybe she was waving at her own team, blowing kisses to them."
The author also criticised some of Alia’s fashion choices at Cannes, reportedly calling her peach-toned bustier gown “ill-fitted” while also saying the heavily draped Indian Pavilion look did not entirely work for her. Although she admitted the traditional nath stood out, she felt the styling element had already become overused.
Watch the video below:
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Shobhaa De also questioned the larger presence of Indian celebrities at Cannes, saying Aishwarya Rai Bachchan remains the only truly recognised Indian face on the global red carpet. "Why are our girls even there except Aishwarya Rai Bachchan?" she asked.
Despite pointing out some of Aishwarya’s past fashion misses, including the much-discussed purple lipstick and silver hood look, she still called her "the ultimate queen of Cannes."
'Think Before You Troll': Alia Bhatt's Rigorous Prep For Cannes 2026 Goes Viral; WATCHInterestingly, the only celebrity who escaped her criticism was Urvashi Rautela, whom she described as "original." "I love her. Urvashi is who she is," she said.
Ending her remarks on a dramatic note, Shobhaa De concluded, "The Met Gala is over. I think the party is over at Cannes too. No style, no substance, but a lot of garam hawa."