BOLLYWOOD STARS SHINE AT CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

The Cannes Film Festival began on Wednesday with the usual frill and excitement. The red carpet event and the exclusive after parties are where one can get a chance to brush shoulders with the high fliers from around the world. India is particularly shining at this year's event.

India's Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Ambika Soni sent India's top filmmakers - Govind Nihalani, Nagesh Kukunoor, Manmohan Shetty, and Mrinal Sen – to showcase the country's cinema.

For the first time ever, India's representation at Cannes is to identify areas of co-operation between Indian and foreign film industry. Sources said the ministry had sought some help from Assocham for the purpose.

The India pavilion at Cannes will be projecting several key aspects of the Indian film industry through different workshops on mobile entertainment, how India as preferred destination for foreign film crews, on Intellectual Property Right and the Copy Right Regime, new-age entertainment platforms and India's plans to become the most preferred animation hub in Asia.

Dircetor and Producer of popular film, Bandit Queen, Shekhar Kapur, is a judge at the film festival this year. In fact, one of the Indian films being screened at Cannes this year is a restoration of the 1984 Hindi film Khandhar. Directed and co-written by Mrinal Sen, famed for his political films, Khandhar stars Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah.

Deepika will walk the red carpet as their brand ambassador of Chivas at the Cannes Film Festival during the premiere of the French film Tournee (On Tour).

The film, directed by Mathieu Amalric, is being screened in the competition section.

'I will be representing India at the Cannes Film Festival and attending the red carpet premiere of Tournée as part of the Chivas Regal campaign. This will be followed by an after party organized by them,' Deepika announced at the event.

'This is my first time at the Cannes or any other film festival. I am very excited,' she added.

Deepika, who will be at the festival for just one day because of her film commitments, will wear a sari designed by Rohit Bal.

'I have been a huge fan of Rohit's work since my modeling days and have done a couple of ramp shows for him. While Rohit has created the garment, my styling will be done by Anaita Shroff Adajania,' she states.