‘INDIA WAS FLAVOUR OF THE SEASON AT CANNES’
Filmmaker and CBFC board member Vani Tripathi Tikoo writes exclusively for HT City
The moment is bound to turn momentous when two giants celebrate their platinum anniversary together. This year, as India celebrated its 75 years of independence, Cannes Film Festival, too, turned 75. To celebrate this happy coincidence, India, as we all know, was made the honouring country. This was the first time that a nation had been conferred with such an accolade at Marché du Film. Now, we all know how dynamic the Indian film market is and how deep is the relationship that we share with Cannes.
The bond dates back to 1946, the year when India was still fighting for its independence. The same year Chetan Anand bagged a Grand Prix for his film Neecha Nagar. So if you look closely, Independent India has been a constant at Cannes. This festival has also been a regular in my life — I have attended it, spoken there and been part of the forums many times before.
This year, however, felt truly special and right through the four days I was there, I felt a deep sense of pride. Both as an Indian and an art protagonist. It all began with that iconic image of India Inc. on the red carpet. It felt like a dream, standing as part of the Indian delegation next to (Union Information and Broadcasting Minister) Anurag Singh Thakur who’s such a dynamo and our crown jewel; (musician) AR Rahman, (actor-filmmaker) Shekhar Kapur, (lyricist and CBFC chairperson) Prasoon Joshi, (actors) R Madhavan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The only woman in this power-packed line-up, I had to wear something that ‘felt me’. I chose the blue silk saree, handwoven in Varanasi and bought at one of my trips there. The geometric motifs in gold added sheen to the weave’s elegant, understated appeal.
I think, from a pragmatic point of view, we were able to make quite an impression not just with our cinema but also with the talent at the festival. The two-time Grammy winning composer Ricky Kej and Mame Khan, who recreates Rajasthan with his powerful folk lore, performed to a chock-ablock audience on opening night. I must also say (actors) Tamannaah Bhatia and Pooja Hegde made their mark at the festival representing the Indian film industry, especially from down south. Rahman was with the delegation as our plume. Kapur added the international flavour.
Actor Deepika Padukone, as a jury member made quite a mark. That girl is as sharp as she is beautiful, and we had a packed pavilion when she unveiled the poster for IFFI slated to be held at Goa later this year. This year, we are hopeful to welcome the head of Marché du Film Jerome Paillard (I have known him for years), festival director of Cannes Christiane Jeune and Thierry Fremaux at IFFI. With Goa becoming the permanent venue, we are hopeful to turn IFFI into the Cannes of the East!
I moderated the panel discussion on how India was emerging as the content head of the world and how the emergence of the OTT platform was changing the power dynamics in cinema, how it was opening doors for many, who no longer have to wait to be part of the 100crore club to make it in cinema. I ended the session with Jai Shankar Prasad’s poetry in Hindi that tells the world to march on.
When you look at cinema, which is celebrated in Cannes from India — whether it is Neecha Nagar, which was the story of an underdog, or recent films like Lunchbox (2013), Masaan (2015), Manto (2018), or even Shaji N Karun’s Piravi (1989), which was celebrated at Cannes couple of years ago — it is always about telling a story of the common man in a powerful voice and an even more powerful visual. Today, as the world celebrates Korean cinema and K-pop becomes the new normal, language ceases to be a barrier. Who knows Hindi might be the next toast.
I’ve come back, feeling very hopeful, very expectant and very honoured that I was a part of this delegation. All in all, as we say in French, On se voit au cinéma (see you at the movies) is what I want to say.