Aditi Rao Hydari on her second Cannes outing: Last time, it was all new to me
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; May 27, 2023)

For her second appearance at Cannes, Aditi Rao Hydari has been channelling her inner modern-day princess. The actress spoke to us from the French Riviera about her experience this time around.

Aditi said, “It feels surreal to be at Cannes during the film festival, and though it’s my second time here, I am still new to this. The pressure can take over, but it’s important to have fun and celebrate. I was multitasking and shooting till the day I got on the flight. I was sleep deprived and had no time for fittings or any prep, but I have a great team, and we are winging it.”

When asked if there were any faux pas from the past that she was particular about not repeating this time, she replied, “In other people’s eyes, we are always making mistakes, but we can’t live our life by what others think about us. We have to be truthful to ourselves and our intentions. We need to celebrate life and be happy. The only thing I have control over is intent, and like last year, this year too, my intention was to just be authentic about what I was wearing, enjoy the red carpet and not feel daunted by the massive expectations of the ‘Cannes red carpet’.”

Aditi says, “I don’t want to live by other people’s standards of beauty. To me, it is about upholding your self-respect, pride and dignity and empowering yourself and other women.”

She adds, “The prep was so stressful last year… like which designer are you getting, how big is he/she, what colour is your gown? I was a bundle of nerves and so was my team. At some point, we all got in a team huddle after we landed in Cannes. We got a coffee and decided to stop stressing ourselves and take it as it comes. That was a good learning lesson. This year, the lead up to Cannes was calmer.”

'Seeing Jennifer Lawrence in flip-flops made me happy'
I saw Jennifer Lawrence in flip-flips on the red carpet and it reminded me of what I had said in 2012. I had just started off and was doing various events for my film London Paris New York. I was wobbly and tripping while walking in heels, as under the carpet, there were cobblestones. I decided that one day, I would walk the red carpet in sneakers or flip-flops.
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While she enjoyed her time in the French Riviera, the actor hopes to become a fest buff soon and catch some films, too
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 27, 2023)

Aditi Rao Hydari, who walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival for the second time, looks back on her debut at the film festival last year as “daunting”. She says, “Last year, it was all new to me. I kept telling myself that I would just wear what I like and I’d make sure to be myself. That made me feel more comfortable. This year, I was shooting till the last day before I left. I didn’t even get the time to prep.”

While it was the Oscars earlier this year that put the spotlight on India, and now Cannes, the 36-year-old feels that appreciation back home comes before international validation. “It’s amazing that we won two Oscars, but I do believe that we don’t always need recognition from other people. It is important to take pride in who we are, root for our traditions, art, culture and history. We should celebrate it and realise our own worth. It’s important that we celebrate each other and what we have to offer,” says Hydari, who has received appreciation for Jubilee and Taj: Divided by Blood.

Being at a film festival that features multiple celebrated films, does she get the time to catch a few? She says, “I am new to this and my schedules are tight. I have a lot of responsibilities and they are my first priority. It is a lot of fun to walk the red carpet; it feels special. Maybe as time goes by and I do this more often, I’d be able to make time to be a festival buff, roam around with a backpack and watch the films I want to.”