Stars of the Indian silver screen are out in force at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, which runs until May 23.
Held annually since 1946, the festival showcases some of the year’s most anticipated films and awards the prestigious Palme d’Or to the director of the best feature in competition – widely regarded as one of cinema’s highest honours.
This year, six Indian films are screening at the festival, including Shrimoyee Chakraborty’s Spirit Of The Wildflower, which will premiere at the festival, alongside late Malayalam filmmaker John Abraham's 1986 famed film Amma Ariyan, newly restored in 4K.
Emerging talent is also being recognised, with Shadows of the Moonless Night, a Punjabi short by student film-maker Mehar Malhotra, selected for La Cinef.
Beyond the screenings and ceremonies, however, Cannes is equally defined by its red carpet – and this year’s opening night on Tuesday was no exception.
Indian actress Alia Bhatt is clearly having a busy festival, appearing at three events on the opening day alone.
For the opening ceremony, she wore a fitted peach Tamara Ralph haute couture gown, paired with a necklace by Amrapali Jewels, featuring rare pink coral and a 5.53-carat Golconda-type diamond.
She later changed into a pale lavender honeycomb lace and organza ball gown by Danielle Frankel for the screening of La vie d’une femme (A Woman’s Life).
She paired the dress with a lace and diamond necklace by Malabar Gold and Diamonds, the Kerala-founded jeweller that has become a familiar presence across the UAE with more than 60 showrooms nationwide.
Her day ended at a L’Oreal Paris dinner, where she arrived in a third look by Indian designer Tarun Tahiliani.
Content creator Rida Tharana made her Cannes debut this year, arriving at the screening of La Vie D’Une Femme in a strapless custom gown by Indian designer Nikhil Gajare.
The dress featured a sculptural quilted ribbon detail rippling around the hips, with a skirt constructed from knotted fabric panels. She completed the look with a lab-grown diamond necklace by Sennes by Senco.
Actress Tara Sutaria is another making her Cannes debut this year, and for the occasion, she chose to channel old-school glamour.
Wearing a fitted off-the-shoulder dress by Rhea Costa, teamed with long black gloves and cat-eye dark glasses, she looked every inch the movie star. With her hair curled to perfection, she embodied vintage Hollywood style.
