Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur) - Hindustan Times (Jaipur) - City
Another moment of pride for India at Cannes
SHEKHAR KAPUR
We are on the cusp of a huge change in cultural influence, where the power of western entertainment is declining and eastern (Asian/african) storytelling is rising. Cannes is the greatest showcase of films in the world, and for too long, the mainstream commercial cinema has been ignored there. That’s our fault. More and more Indian films represented at Cannes have been intimate films rooted in the cultures they represent… Films we write off as regional! This opportunity will help both the world and the Indian mainstream filmmakers.
MAME KHAN
Indian stars are all set to grace the red carpet on the opening day of the 75th Festival de Cannes. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur, will be leading a delegation of celebrities from the film and music industries, which includes Central Board of Film Certification chairperson Prasoon Joshi, actors Akshay Kumar, R Madhavan and Vani Tripathi Tikoo, Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman, Grammy awardee Ricky Kej and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.
Walking the red carpet alongside Thakur ji (Anurag Thakur) and the most renowned members of our film and music fraternities, as part of the India delegation, is a great honour for me. I am proud to represent Rajasthan’s folk fusion music in front of an international audience. On a personal note, I hope being at Cannes turns out to be an outstanding opportunity for intercultural exchange and interactions with like-minded people, to get inspired and to connect.
VANI TRIPATHI TIKOO RICKY KEJ
At the Cannes film festival, I expect a lot of conversation about the coproduction market and about creating more opportunities for India, as the country is a global content hub today. In fact, I am also expecting some conversations around the International Film Festival of India that is held in Goa, and how we can learn and collaborate with the Cannes film fest soon. Also, it is great news that several filmmakers will get a chance to showcase their films. I am really looking forward to it.
This year with India celebrating 75 years of independence, it feels extra special that it is the Country of Honour at the Cannes film fest. It feels amazing to represent my country after having won the Grammy Award just a few weeks back. I’m grateful to Thakur ji (Anurag Thakur) for inviting me to accompany him for this momentous occasion. Here, be it a low budget film or a Hollywood blockbuster, every project has an equal chance of getting noticed. It just depends on cinematic excellence.