Indian filmmakers on Monday expressed their disappointment at how the Cannes Film Festival had been reduced to little more than a fashion event instead of a celebration of cinematic mastery and storytelling, as it used to be.
As the spotlight was consumed by the celebrities' red carpet appearance and the concomitant glitz and glam, film-makers feel that the festival has shifted away from its original purpose as a platform for showcasing ground-breaking films and emerging talents around the world.
Acclaimed actor-director Nandita Das took a stroll down memory lane on social media as she shared pictures of her at previous Cannes appearances, twice as a jury member and also in 2018 when her movie 'Manto' was being screened.
“Sometimes people seem to forget that [Cannes] is a festival of films and not of clothes! Considering I can’t show you the amazing films I watched or the conversations I have had or take you back in time when Manto premiered there," Das wrote.
She shared a series of pictures of her wearing sarees during her visit to Cannes and wrote, "Here are a few images through the years in Cannes. And only the ones in saris as there is a fair amount of chatter about the ‘celebrities who wore saris in Cannes’. Well, it is surely my go-to garment. Simple, elegant, and Indian. Least fussy - easy to get in and get out of it!”
Renowned Indian actor-director Nandita Das express sorrow over reduction of Cannes Film Festival to mere fashion event
© Twitter/@triptidaudsar
Another filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri of 'The Kashmir Files' fame shared a snapshot of the showbiz page of a newspaper featuring an array of celebrities who recently walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. His selection included Viola Davis, Elle Fanning, Diana Penty, Dua Lipa, Vijay Varma, Dolly Singh, and Niharika NM.
Agnihotri expressed his profound disappointment over what he considers to be the death of the Cannes Film Festival.
He took a dig at the celebrities and said that most of them are not even actors or have any film showing at Cannes.
"Films are replaced with fashion. Actors with SM influencers. Film Journalism with… you know what… And FILMMAKERS… who cares about them? Om Shanti!”
Indian filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri express sorrow over reduction of Cannes Film Festival to mere fashion event
© Photo : Twitter/@vivekagnihotri
The 76th Cannes Film Festival opened last week with the premiere of the period drama 'Jeanne du Barry', in which Hollywood star Johnny Depp plays French King Louis XV.
The French Riviera festival will see some hot-ticket premieres of Indian movies, including 'Agra' by filmmaker Kanu Behl and 'Kennedy' by Anurag Kashyap.
Other international films that will draw focus include Martin Scorsese's 'Killers of the Flower Moon', 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' starring Harrison Ford, and the Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore-led 'May December'.