India At Cannes

One of the final few main Competition titles to premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, Payal Kapadia's "All We Imagine as Light" has instantly emerged as a frontrunner for the Palme d'Or. No Indian female director has ever competed for Cannes' top prize nor has any filmmaker from the country bagged the coveted award. Universally applauded by critics at the festival due to end later today, the spellbinding, magnificently crafted drama about three women finding their way into and out of Mumbai, a city with which they have very tenuous relationships, has put India on the threshold of history. Kapadia, flanked by her four principal actors, Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Hridhu Haroon and Chhaya Kadam, cinematographer Ranabir Das and producers Thomas Hakim of Petit Chaos and Zico Maitra of Chalk and Cheese, addressed critics at the festival's press conference hall on Friday morning. Critics have heaped unstinted press on the film. BBC described "All We Imagine as Light" as universal an

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who has been representing India at the Cannes Film Festival was spotted jetting off to the French Riviera yesterday

The India Pavilion, rechristened the Bharat Pavilion, was formally opened on Wednesday morning at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Explaining the rationale behind the renaming, Mr. Sanjay Jaju, secretary, ministry of information and broadcasting, said: "It symbolises the country's assertion of its traditional storytelling practices while it actively looks for collaborations with the rest of the world." "India," Mr. Jaju said, "is the sutradhar (narrator) of the world." The large Indian presence in the festival is a recognition of that status, the secretary added. The astounding variety of films that India produces and the growing importance of the Diaspora combine to bolster the reach and impact of the nation's "soft touch", Mr Jaju said, adding that he would refrain from using the word "power" in the context of Indian cinema. "We are happy that India is back in the Cannes Competition with a film by a gifted young filmmaker," he said. "This festival is a platform for networking and .

Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine As Light has been selected for the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in the "Competition" category

The second day of the Cannes Film Festival 2023 witnessed more Bollywood celebs make their presence felt on the renowned red carpet

The 76th edition of the auspicious Cannes film festival 2023 celebration started off on Tuesday with the debut of the Louis XV period drama Jeanne du Barry, featuring Johnny Depp

"Since we are doing so many events and showcasing our heritage at the G20 year-long plan, it is only fit that we tell the world about it," he added

The actor, who is a part of the eight-member Cannes Competition jury at the gala that opened May 17, said India needs to back homegrown talent with "conviction".

India's low number of entries is in keeping with the overall trend visible at the festival: Experts