New Delhi, May 17
Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur led the Indian contingent at the Cannes Film Festival, where India has been named a ‘country of honour’ for the ‘Marche du Film’, the commercial equivalent of the marquee event.
Thakur was received by India’s Ambassador to France Javed Ashraf on Tuesday.
Thakur walked the festive red carpet along with the Indian delegation along with top celebrities including Shekhar Kapur, AR Rahman, Prasoon Joshi, R Madhavan, Tamannaah Bhatia, Vani Tripathi, Pooja Hegde and folk artist Mame Khan, before the screening of the inaugural film. “Coupez” (Final Cut) by Michel Hazanavicius.
“This will be the largest Indian contingent ever to walk the Cannes red carpet,” an I&B ministry official said earlier.
On Wednesday, Thakur will inaugurate the India Pavilion at a trade show with the Cannes Film Festival and attend the opening ceremony of the Marche du Film at Majestic Beach.
As one of the highlights of India’s status as a ‘country of honour’, a special screening of “Pratidwandi”, a restored Indian classic directed by Satyajit Ray, is planned as part of the Cannes Classics selection.
In addition, the world premiere of a selection of Indian films will be held at Olympia Cinema.
India will screen five films – Jaicheng Zaxai Dohutia’s “Baghjan” (Assamese), Shailendra Sahu’s “Bailadila” (Chhattisgarhi), Ektara Collective’s “Ek Jag Apni” (Hindi), Harshad Nalawade’s “Follower” (Marathi) and “Sivamma” (Kannada) by Jay Shankar – Under “Goes to Cannes Section”.
These films are part of the ‘Work in Progress’ lab under Film Bazaar.
R Madhavan’s film Rocketry: The Nambi Effect will have its world premiere at the festival on May 19.