By The Cannes Film Festival, the coveted saga of star-studded, glitzy red-carpet premieres, is the ultimate beacon of cinematic brilliance. This is the first stoppage for all filmmakers, for at the iconic global hub of Croisette, dreams come alive and films find their voice. The movie scoring the Grand Prix or Palme d’Or has the paramount crowning glory etched in history forever. A movie premieres at the sun-kissed French Riviera, drawing boos and some walkouts, and prolonged standing ovations, all of it matters.
While it is the universal celebration & recognition of storytelling, unfortunately, for most of us Indians, it is all about Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and the likes making a dazzling red carpet appearance.
Since its independence, mainstream Bollywood has won just a few awards at the Cannes Film Festival. Starting with Chetan Anand’s ‘Neecha Nagar’ (1946) bagging the Palme d’Or (festival’s highest honour), we have had movies like Ritesh Batra’s ‘The Lunchbox’, Murali Nair’s ‘Marana Simhasam’, Ray’s ‘Pather Panchali’, Mira Nair’s ‘Salaam Bombay’, Shaunak Sen’s ‘All That Breathes’, and Bimal Roy’s ‘Do Bigha Zameen’ scoring high on accolades. That says a lot about the tremendous lack of powerful cinema from a country that produces the largest number of films each year. However, Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine As Light’ bagging the Grand Prix after ages was definitely some consolation, weaving an everlasting imprint in cinema’s rich tapestry.
And hopefully continuing the streak, this year we have an exhibit embodying a dynamic blend of tradition and contemporary cinema. Cannes 2025 marks a new chapter of recognition, for this year’s selection highlights a mix of established voices and emerging talents.
Payal Kapadia, after grabbing the Grand Prix this year, returns to Cannes as a juror, joining the jury brigade alongside Juliette Binoche, Halle Berry, and Jeremy Strong. Before the big win last year, she was also awarded the Golden Eye award for her debut film ‘A Night of Knowing Nothing’ at the 74th Cannes Film Festival, in the best documentary film category.
One of the major highlights this year, filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan’s ‘Homebound’, is all set to premiere in the Un Certain Regard section. Backed by Dharma Productions and the filmmaking maverick Martin Scorsese (yes, it’s true), the drama is headlined by Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor. The story centers on two friends from a village in North India who dream of setting off on their journeys as police officers. However, as desperation sets in, their once-strong friendship starts to unravel. With Ghaywan at the helm, the story would expectedly navigate grief, social layers, and self-exploration. ‘Homebound’ will be contesting against the directorial debuts of Kristen Stewart (‘The Chronology of Water’), Scarlett Johansson (‘Eleanor the Great’), and Harris Dickinson (‘Urchin’). Notably, Ghaywan’s debut film, ‘Masaan’, had won two awards in the same category at the 2015 Cannes.
Meanwhile, Satyajit Ray’s timeless classic, ‘Aranyer Din Ratri’ (Days and Nights in the Forest), is getting a 4K restoration screening at Cannes this year. A self-proclaimed fan, filmmaker Wes Anderson will be honoring Satyajit by presenting the new version in the presence of Sharmila Tagore & Simi Garewal, the leading ladies of the 1970 film. Sensitively capturing the complexities of human life, the movie follows four city men breaking free in a forest for a holiday.
On the other hand, veteran actor Anupam Kher has turned director again with ‘Tanvi The Great’, which will be screened at the film fest on May 17. Set against the backdrop of mountains, we are in Tanvi’s world, whose best companions are music, nature, and her dreams to serve the country. In supporting roles, we have Boman Irani, Jackie Shroff, Arvind Swami, and Ser Jorah Mormont from Game of Thrones (Iain Glen), if you know what I mean!
Furthermore, a short film produced by the Bengal state-run Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), a 24-minute short film, ‘A Doll Made Up of Clay’, helmed by an Ethiopian student, Kokob Gebrehaweria Tesfay, explores the dilemmas of African footballers in Kolkata. This is the real-life story of Ibrahim Ahmed, a young Nigerian footballer who endures injuries and is unable to send money back home.
Lastly, we have the Marché du Film entry ‘Charak’ directed by Sheiladitya Moulik, that delves into the gut-wrenching rituals of Bengal’s Charak Puja and the extremes devotees go to, in the name of faith.
Well, with a rather promising lineup, that’s as daring as it is diverse, let’s hope that we redefine India’s cinematic identity on the world stage, over & above the singing and dancing.