Alia Bhatt tackles 'ignored at Cannes' backlash with cheeky jab: ‘You noticed me’

Alia Bhatt is no stranger to online trolling and mockery, but this time, the jabs at Cannes 2026 outing almost spiralled out of control, till the actor herself stepped in and schooled critics.

The festival is now officially done and dusted for Alia, who marked her second consecutive appearance at the festival with the usual mix of red carpets, brand appearances, and a stop at the Bharat Pavilion inauguration alongside Ashutosh Gowariker. She also featured as part of L’Oréal Paris’ global ambassador lineup, sharing space with Jane Fonda, Heidi Klum and F1 driver Carlos Sainz.

But the final word from Cannes came from the comments section.

Under one of her posts featuring her white saree look, a user dropped: “What a pity no one noticed you”. Alia Bhatt replied, “Why pity love? You noticed me :).”

Considering there has been an intense speculation and mockery surrounding Alia's presence at Cannes and how 'no one noticed' her, the reply seemed befitting. For days, there were narratives being pushed that none of the paps were taking photos of Alia, though her fans did their best to counter the narrative and showed actual evidence of her at the red carpet.

Earlier, actors Aly Goni and singer Rahul Vaidya also reacted to trolling around her Cannes appearances, backing her publicly.

Nevertheless, Alia held her own and stunned with multiple red carpet looks at Cannes.

If Cannes has a dress code, Alia Bhatt largely followed it with the enthusiasm of someone ticking boxes while everyone else debates the checklist.

Before the red carpet circuit began, she was spotted at Hôtel Martinez in a landscape-print ball gown by Yash Patil. A soft-entry moment before the flashbulb marathon.

Her first red carpet appearance came in a custom Tamara Ralph haute couture gown, styled by Rhea Kapoor. The blush-toned look was paired with a necklace weighing in at 168.27 carats of rare pink coral.

At the Bharat Pavilion inauguration, she leaned into full cinematic mode with the caption: “Feeling unapologetically filmy'.

She wore a custom Tarun Tahiliani ivory draped ensemble with a sculpted corset, styled with a lace parasol and traditional jewellery layered to include haathphool, nose ring, ear clips and anklets.

Her red carpet outing featured a blue gown at the premiere of A Woman’s Life. The silhouette did most of the talking while the styling kept things minimal, letting the dress handle the drama.

At a L’Oréal dinner, she appeared in an off-shoulder corset-style gown with vintage detailing and silver jewellery.

The Tarun Tahiliani ensemble was described as a reinterpretation of Indian chintz textiles, mixing Victorian corsetry with draped elements in burgundy and ivory.