Cannes outtakes: ‘boyfriend blouses’

Illustration/Uday Mohite

#THROWBACK #Cannes2023. I hate, hate, hate, hate hate ‘boyfriend blouses.' Stupid sari blouses with buttons at the back, that need a boyfriend/partner to close the buttons for you. Last year, when I was invited on the Cannes Film Festival's Jury of the Semaine de la Critique (Critics' Week), I'd impulsively bought online a rich black velvet blouse, with a classy hint of a gold border, that could go perfectly with a sari on Opening Night Red Carpet at Cannes. Our Jury consisted of the fabulous German actor Franz Rogowski, Sundance Director of Programming Kim Yutani, French director Audrey Diwan, Portuguese Director of Photography Rui Poças and myself. Critics' Week's Artistic Director Ava Cahen was most charming.

I arrived in Cannes with only a few hours left for opening night. I changed into a nice sari and rushed down to meet the jury, so we could all go together on the red carpet. Ava Cahen introduced all of us to each other. Then Franz Rogowski, THE Franz Rogowski (Passages, Undine, Transit), said, "Excuse me," to me, then leaning over, closed the top button at the back of my sari blouse. "You look absolutely lovely," he said, smiling. I nearly fainted with his generous compliment, but also died of shame at our awkward blouse button introduction scene. But he was so unpretentious, I was overwhelmed by his nonchalance and kindness. On D-Day, when our jury went on stage to announce the prize winners for Critics' Week, many women nervously tottered about on high heels, but Franz turned up in a plain cotton button down shirt and pants, pointedly refusing to be cowed down by any of Cannes' famous fashion terror nonsense, shrugging, "We're German, you know?" I know, I know, he couldn't care less - and it made him all the more adorable. I myself wore Rs 100 black rubber Bata shoes on the opening night red carpet because it was predicted to rain - so we had a lot in common.

Many women working the red carpet at Cannes wear mermaid tail gowns or gowns with a long train. Sunny Leone ("Kennedy") had a glamorous long train; with a Train Girl specially assigned to hold her train while Madame ascended/descended the stairs, and to pat it down neatly behind her on the red carpet for the paparazzi. Theek hai, and then? Have you ever considered sitting in the Palais des Festivals watching a film, sitting on a tall pile of prickly mermaid's tail? Ideally a mermaid's tail deserves its own plus one seat, so you can watch the film in peace. I took photographs of a series of mermaid women going home after: they desolately held their long trains draped over their hands, sometimes bedraggled when there were showers and you can't get a cab, and often holding their bloody high heels in their hands, walking barefoot because after the tamasha, who cares?

I remembered my dear friend Simone Clark in the UK with a pang. She was unwell, I wasn't sure I could disturb her with a call, but wanted her to know I remembered her with love. Impulsively, in between conducting video interviews in the hotel back garden, I sang her "Piya tose naina lage re" and sent her the video via facebook. I know she loved my song. Not long after, she passed away. Now that song will always remind me of her.

Meanwhile, this year, India, South Asia and Diaspora/related films have a rich selection haul at Cannes, with 10 films across various sections. The festival runs next week from May 14-25. These include Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Light in Cannes Competition, first time in 30 years that India has a film in Cannes Competition, after Shaji Karun's Swaham in 1994 - and it's a lovely woman director. Sandhya Suri's Santosh (UK), starring Shahana Goswami, and Bulgarian Konstantin Bojanov's The Shameless, set in India, are both in the Un Certain Regard section. Karan Kandhari's Sister Midnight, starring Radhika Apte, is in the Directors' Fortnight parallel bar section. Chidananda Naik's Sunflowers Were the First to Know, and Mansi Maheshwari's Bunnyhood (NFTS, UK) are in La Cinef for film school entries.

Maisam Ali's In Retreat, set in Ladakh, is in the sidebar Association for the Diffusion of Independent Cinema (ACID) section. Sauna Day, an Estonian short directed by Anna Hints and Tushar Prakash, is in the Semaine de la Critique (Critics' Week)'s special screening. Bangladeshi producer Tanveer Hossain is a producer of Filippino Arvin Belarmino's short Radikals, in Critics' Week's Competition. Shyam Benegal's Manthan is in Cannes Classics. Director of photography Santosh Sivan will be honoured with the prestigious Pierre Angenieux award. Pop the bubbly!

Meenakshi Shedde is India and South Asia Delegate to the Berlin International Film Festival, National Award-winning critic, curator to festivals worldwide and journalist.
Reach her at meenakshi.shedde@mid-day.com