Come on, Cannes Film Festival is NOT about Deepika and her dresses, it is about serious cinema
By Gautaman Bhaskaran, May 27 2022
If one were to be reading Indian newspapers and websites about the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, it would appear that the 75thedition of the 12-day event at the French Riviera is all about Deepika Padukone and her sometimes bizarre costumes. When it is not about these, the media talks about her husband and how the pair make such a darling couple – with him sitting on her lap and she calling him her trophy!
This is nothing short of scandal, and mind you she is on the most prestigious jury of the most prestigious movie festival, often – and rightly so – called the Queen of All. And Miss Padukone seems to be treating this as some kind of a huge joke.
What beats me is how Cannes did not see all this coming. Why could it not have taken someone like Girish Kasaravalli or Adoor Gopalakrishnan or Mani Ratnam or Shabana Azmi or anybody other than Deepika to be be part of the August jury. They would have certainly made great jurors.
Of the nine members of the jury, it is only our “ great Indian actress”, who has turned the Festival of serious cinema into her private catwalk.
Mind you, there have been other Indians on the jury – Sharmila Tagore, Nandita Das, Shekhar Kapoor and Arundhati Roy among others. I do not recall a single moment when they behaved the way Deepika is behaving now.
No wonder, the world looks upon Indian cinema and Indian actors with scant regard.
Cannes is all about serious cinema, about promoting experimental films and encouraging new talent. It is all about being a platform where one can watch and follow the current trends in world cinema.
And to judge these movies is an enormous responsibility.
At the jury Press conference on May 17 – the day the Festival kicked off – Deepika’s response to a question must have shocked the international media present there.
Here is what she said: Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, who is currently in France attending the prestigious 75th Cannes Films Festival, was quizzed about her role as a member of the jury during a press conference. But seems like Deepika’s response to the straightforward question failed to convince the internet as many felt the actress was quite confused’ about her role.
She said: “I think we are all aware of the fact that it is a huge responsibility. But, I think, we have also made a promise to each other yesterday that we are not going to burden ourselves with that responsibility. I think we are all creative people. I don’t think any of us have the capacity to judge, or critique, or criticise.”
Then, pray, Miss Padukone, why in the name of Heaven did you accept the position. Was it to have a holiday with hubby Ranveer?
The other eight members of the jury have been keeping their mouths shut after the Press conference. It is only Deepika who has been going on and on with her little speeches, with her sometimes outrageous costumes – and all to grab media attention, Indian media attention, which has been lapping it up merrily.
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