#IndiaAtCannes || Vani Tripathi Tikoo: India was flavour of the season

The moment is bound to turn momentous when two giants celebrate their platinum anniversary together. This year as India celebrated its 75 years of independence, Cannes Film Festival too turned 75. To celebrate this happy coincidence India, as we all know, was made the honouring country. This was the first time that a nation had been conferred with such an accolade at Marche Du Film. Now, we all know how dynamic the Indian film market is and how deep is the relationship we share with Cannes.

It dates back to 1946, the year when India was still fighting for its independence. The same year Chetan Anand bagged a Grand Prix for his film Neecha Nagar. So if you look closely Independent India has been a constant at Cannes. This festival has also been a regular in my life and I have attended it, spoken there and been part of forums many times before.

This year, however felt truly special and right through the four days I was there I felt a deep sense of pride. Both as an Indian and an art protagonist. It all began with that iconic image of India Inc. on the red carpet. It felt like a dream, standing as part of the Indian delegation next to Anurag Singh Thakur who’s such a dynamo and our crown jewels; A R Rahman, Shekhar Kapur, Prasoon Joshi, R. Madhavan and Nawazuddin Siddique. The only woman in this power packed line up, I had to wear something that ‘felt me’. I chose the blue silk sari, hand woven in Varanasi and bought at one of my trips there. The geometric motifs in gold added sheen to the weave’s elegant, understated appeal.

I think, from a pragmatic point of view we were able to make quite an impression not just with our cinema but also with the talent present at the festival. The two times Grammy award winning composer Ricky kej and Mame Khan who recreates Rajasthan with his powerful folk lore performed to a choc a block audience on opening night. I must also say that Tamanna Bhatia and Pooja Hegde made their mark at the festival representing the Indian film industry especially from down south. A R Rehman was with the delegation as our plume. And Shekhar Kapur added the international flavour.

Deepika Padukone, as a jury member made quiet a mark. That girl is as sharp as she is beautiful and we had a packed pavilion when she unveiled the poster for IFFI slated to be held at Goa later this year. This year we are very hopeful to welcome Jerome Pillard (I have known him for years), Festival Director Cannes, Christiane Jeune and Thierry Fremaux at IFFI. With Goa becoming the permanent venue for the festival we are hopeful to turn IFFI into the Cannes of the East!

I moderated the panel discussion on how India was emerging as the content head of the world and how the emergence of the OTT platform was changing the power dynamics in cinema. How it was opening doors for many who no longer have to wait to be part of the 100 crore club to make it in cinema. I ended the session with Jai Shankar Prasad, poetry in Hindi that tells the world to march on.

When you look at cinema, which is celebrated in Cannes from India, whether it is Neecha Nagar, which was the story of the underdog directed or recent films like Lunchbox, Manto, Masaan, Shaji Karun’s Piravi, which was celebrated at Cannes couple of years ago, it is always telling a story of the common man. Saying it in a powerful voice and an even more powerful visual. Today as the world celebrates

Korean cinema and K-pop becomes the new normal, language ceases to be a barrier. Who knows Hindi might be the next toast.

I’ve come back, feeling very hopeful, very expectant and very honoured that I was a part of this delegation and all in all, you know, as we say in French On se voit au cinéma, see you at the movies is what I want to say.