By: Amit kumaR Agarwal
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| Siddharth's statement in a leading national daily set the industry talking |
South-superstar and Aamir Khan's blockbuster, Rang De Basanti, co-star, Siddharth very recently made heads turn with his statement in a leading national daily that Payal Kapadia’s, All We Imagine As Light, failed to find any audiences in India.
It made the writer ponder, is there something wrong with the way Cannes Film Festival is looked at in India.
When the writer started going to Cannes in 2010 there were only around 50 Indians going to the festival. “Aishwarya Rai, made Cannes so popular that in 2024, there were 500 Indians”, Agrwal chuckles.
For Indians, Cannes is another glamour-struck destination and it’s Red Carpet a photo-op.
A Cannes Film Festival regular, Vivek Singhania said, “how many of the influencers that went this year to Cannes know what Palme d’Or is. Yet they know about the red-carpet. What many Indians don’t know is anyone with a ticket can walk the Red Carpet, but it is a big deal for glamour-struck Indians”.
Singhania added that when he takes the name of Palme d’or winners, these influencers draw a blank, they just get their tickets and come to be on the Red Carpet. It is both good and bad, “good for the French-economy, bad for the serious cinema-lovers, because they are taking away chance of a serious movie-goer that wants to watch a film.”
He gushed, “I have walked the Red Carpet ’n’ number of times, for me the charm of Red Carpet is gone.
As per the estimates Cannes 2025 might see 1000 Indians attending, but other than the pictures on the Red Carpet, what will they really take from the festival.
The conclusion of the interview brought out the most important aspect, Cannes Film Festival is a very important festival to nurture global cinema. Many projects are green-lit or many talents connect to make cinema, in an ecosystem where making independent cinema is becoming increasingly tough. One has to realize this and use discretion.