Doing the rounds of film festivals for the first time can be an out-of-body experience for actors. It was no different for Megha Burman, whose movie Kennedy travelled to the Cannes Film Festival last month.

Anurag Kashyap’s directorial venture, also starring Rahul Bhat and Sunny Leone, got a standing ovation at its screening. “To be there with a film, which was selected, was huge,” gushes Burman.

As much as Kennedy is winning praise in the international film festival circuit, the actor points out that the red-carpet appearances at these galas, particularly Cannes, are a different ball game. “I understand that fashion is integral to Cannes, but the coverage has increased vastly. I could’ve opted for an outlandish gown, and paid the paparazzi here to be featured on their Instagram. But I wanted the film to shine. I felt comfortable knowing my film was selected by an esteemed jury. That balance of cinema with fashion is essential,” she asserts.

For Burman, who has previously featured in Panga (2020) and a few south movies, the days leading up to the red-carpet outing weren’t easy. “I reached out to designers for my Cannes outfit, but not many responded. Most designers look at your [social media] following and give gowns for free in exchange for the exposure. Ten days before the gala, I was calling stylists frantically. Finally, I found a Varnika Sangoi creation thanks to my stylist Keyuri Sangoi, who turned in the outfit in three days.”