India celebrated in Cannes as first ‘Country of Honour’ at the festival

The nation’s cinema will be honoured with a programme of screenings, premieres and red carpet events during the event

Cannes favourite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan returned to the festival as a L'Oreal ambassador. India is being celebrated this year as 'Country of Honour' at the 2022 Cannes Film Market. EPA

Actress Pooja Hegde on the opening day of Marche du Film (Film Market). Reuters

Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman on the Croisette as India is the 'Country of Honour' at Marche du Film (Film Market). Reuters

Director Rasika Agashe. Reuters

Pooja Hegde attends the Marche du Film opening party. Getty Images

Actress Tamannaah Bhatia at the Marche du Film opening party. Getty Images

Tamannaah Bhatia also attended the screening of 'Top Gun: Maverick'. AFP

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Eva Longoria at the screening of 'Top Gun: Maverick'. Getty Images

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wore a Dolce & Gabbana gown for the event. AFP

Pooja Hegde at the 'Top Gun: Maverick' premiere. AFP

Hegde is attending the festival as a member of the Indian delegation this year. Getty Images

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 17: Shekhar Kapur, Nwazuddin Siddiqui, Anurag Thakur, Prasoon Joshi, R. Madhavan, Vani Tripathi and Ricky Kej attend the screening of "Final Cut (Coupez!)" and opening ceremony red carpet for the 75th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 17, 2022 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images)

Bollywood actress Urvashi Rautela on the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival. Getty Images

Rautela wore a dress by Lebanese designer Tony Ward for the event. AFP

Beauty blogger Malvika Sitlani at the screening of 'Top Gun: Maverick'. Getty Images

Pooja Hegde during an interview at the festival. Reuters

Pooja Hegde being prepped for a photo shoot. AFP

Pooja Hegde attending a portrait session on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival. AFP

R Madhavan's directorial debut 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect' will have its world premiere at the festival. AP

Madhavan also stars in his directorial debut 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect'. AP

Some of the biggest Indian stars will be making their way to La Croisette over the next few days as India celebrates being named the “Country of Honour” at the 2022 Cannes Film Market.

The market, the business counterpart of the Cannes Film Festival and one of the biggest of its kind in the world, opened on Wednesday and will welcome stars, producers, filmmakers and delegates from India to walk the red carpet and enjoy an array of screenings and first looks throughout the festival.

"I feel really proud to be here as an Indian and to be representing the country," said Deepika Padukone at the opening of the Indian pavilion. "But when we look back at 75 Years of Cannes, I have said earlier also that there have been only a handful of Indian films and Indian talent that have been able to make it and I feel like collectively as a nation today we have it."

Bollywood actress Padukone, who's been attending the festival for more than 10 years as a L'Oreal ambassador, serves for the first time as member of the jury this year.

The ceremony was attended by Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman, Oscar-nominated director Shekhar Kapur as well as actor R Madhavan, whose directorial debut Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, will have its world premiere at the festival.

World premiere of R Madhavan’s ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’

“It is the first time the Marche du Film has an official Country of Honour, and this special focus will continue annually with different nations in the spotlight at future editions,” said Indian Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur.

One of the highlights is the premiere of R Madhavan’s Rocketry: The Nambi Effect. The actor is in the titular role and directs the film, which is based on the life of Nambi Narayanan, a former scientist and aerospace engineer at the Indian Space Research Organisation, who was falsely accused of espionage.

Indian filmmakers will also be given a boost as the country was invited to pitch five films in the Goes to Cannes showcase. Baghjan by Jaicheng Zxai Dohutia, Bailadila from Shailendra Sahu, Ek Jagah Apni by Ektara Collective, Follower by Harshad Nalawade, and Shivamma by Jai Shankar were all chosen to be presented.

Big names and classic films

Big names in Bollywood will be on the famous red carpet. Actress Pooja Hegde attended the opening of the Marche du Film on Wednesday, and was later also seen on the red carpet for the screening of Top Gun: Maverick. Another festival favourite, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, returned as a L'Oreal ambassador, and TV star Helly Shah was also spotted as a guest of L’Oreal, and to promote her debut film, Kaya Palat.

Grammy-winner Ricky Kej, and stars including Aditi Rao Hydari, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Tamannaah Bhatia will also be in attendance. Akshay Kumar was supposed to be at the pavilion inauguration, but was forced to bow out after contracting Covid-19. He sent a tweet of support.

Marche du Film will also honour the centenary of filmmaker Satyajit Ray with a remastered screening of his classic Pratidwandi for the Cannes Classic section, Cinema de la plage.

“When you are a country of honour at the world’s largest film market, you are on the radar of the western world,” said Indian filmmaker Samir Sarkar. “As far as our creativity and international appeal goes, it’s time we nurture and support those filmmakers that can take Indian cinema into something more meaningful and successful for world audiences.”