IS CANNES A FILM FESTIVAL ANYMORE?

Is the buzz around non-industry red-carpet appearances taking away from Cannes’ essence, especially in a year an Indian film is in the running for the biggest award at the festival?
Monika Rawal Kukreja (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 24, 2024)

It’s raining influencers on the Cannes red carpet, and social media is inundated with visuals from VIP gala dinners and after-parties. All while everyone back home wonders why. As social media users debate the prestigious film festival transmogrifying into another Met Gala — it’s worth reiterating that after 30 years, a film (All We Imagine As Light by Payal Kapadia) is competing for the Palme d’Or – Golden Palm (Main Competition) category? Or, that six other Indian films are being screened and competing across categories.

‘Red carpet not the main realm of Cannes’
Actor-producer Vani Tripathi Tikoo laments that the festival’s purpose is falling by the wayside. “It’s unforgivable. Cannes is not about who is walking the red carpet. Just like the ads we see online, the red carpet is also a sponsored activity and not the main realm of the festival,” she says.

Referring to the Indian films in contention at Cannes, actor Richa Chadha says, “Shouldn’t we know what these Indian films are about? Payal’s debut feature is in competition with (Francis Ford) Coppola and (David) Cronenberg!”

Referring to actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Vidya Balan, who have been on Cannes juries in the past years, Tikoo says: “They are not just hot bodies with great faces who walk the red carpet. They have been a part of amazing cinema, so people need to differentiate between the fluff and the essence of festivals.”

‘We need to take a step back from glamour and talk films’
In fact, something that has been happening for decades, came out as a big revelation to many — that celebrities have paid as much as Rs. 30 lakh to walk the red carpet. Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur says, “I’ve walked the red carpet a number of times, including as a jury member. But I’ve never heard about people paying for it.”

Tikoo says invitees being required to pay to attend different events at Cannes is nothing new: “There’s a price tag on everything these days. We have to sift out the truth, which is that Cannes is one of the most important and well-meaning festivals. That should not be negotiated. We need to take a step back from glamour and talk about films.”

Chadha concurs, “The focus must always be cinema and who is in those films — like (actors) Kani Kusruti, Tanmay Dhanania and Shahana Goswami (at the festival for AWIAL, The Shameless and Santosh, respectively).”
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Cannes has become more about show-off: Abhilash Thapliyal

Actor Abhilash Thapliyal, who visited the festival last year, calls it an expensive affair. “Cannes has become more about showoff. Walking the ramp and showing off designer wear as if it’s the Met Gala, has become the priority. So many of my friends called me to ask, ‘Kaise jayein, kya karein?’” says the actor, who flew down to the French Riviera for the premiere of his film Kennedy.

The 36-year-old laments the resulting dilution of the festival’s purpose. “There’s a need for a proper channel to let small film actors and technicians, whose films are being screened at Cannes, attend it. Kitni Indian films screen hoti hain wahan, but not everyone can afford to travel and stay there,” says Thapliyal, adding, “It’s an event for validation of good work from across the globe. It’d be great if people who attend the festival and have a backing, also support those who can’t afford to attend it on their own.”

As told to Farah S Rizvi
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Vani Tripathi Tikoo: We’re paying attention to nonsensical things and that’s unforgivable. I urge people to focus on the gorgeous cinema and great films which come and compete with the best of the best in different categories.

Richa Chadha: It’s historic that an Indian film is in the main Palme d’Or competition after 30 years! And yet there is so much more scrutiny on the red carpet, very replaceable brand ambassadors who have no clout, or newbie actors hanging around hoping to get photographed.
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In a series of Insta Stories, journalist Aishwarya Subramanyam has (@otherwarya) claimed that the slew of influencers red carpet paid their way to the Cannes red carpet. She also spilled the beans on the kind of money it takes to attend various events at the festival

Is the buzz around non-industry red-carpet appearances taking away from Cannes’ essence, especially in a year an Indian film is in the running for the biggest award at the festival?