The 75th Cannes film festival, which kickstarted on May 17, will feature six Indian films with distinct storylines tinged with the country's unique cultural colours. The films were selected by the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and are not part of the Cannes' official selection.
India has been designated as the ‘Country of Honour’ at the Cannes Film Market (Marché du Film) and several Bollywood stars have already set the red carpet on fire.
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said it was a historic moment to become 'Country of Honour' at Marche' Du Film.
A historic moment as India 🇮🇳 the 1st ‘Country of Honour’ at Marche Du Films @Festival_Cannes gets set to manifest into the ‘content hub of the world and the preferred ‘post production hub’ for global film makers. pic.twitter.com/GNHm1jWIiB
— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) May 17, 2022
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also shared a message for the Indian delegation at Cannes and expressed delight over India’s participation at the festival as the year also marks the 75th year of the India and France’s diplomatic ties.
Here are the six Indian films that will be screened at the festival
1. Rocketry- The Nambi Effect (Hindi, English, Tamil)
R. Madhavan’s much-awaited directorial debut, Rocketry will be screened at the Cannes Film Festival. The film, starring R. Madhavan, is based on the life of former ISRO scientist and aerospace engineer Nambi Narayanan. Narayanan was charged with leaking vital defence secrets in 1994, but he was acquitted by a CBI court and the Supreme Court in 1998. He spent a total of 50 days in jail. He was compensated Rs 50 lakh by the Supreme Court for “unnecessary arrest, harassment and mental cruelty.” The story is narrated in an interview by Shah Rukh Khan.
2. Godavari (Marathi)
The Marathi film directed by Nikhil Mahajan follows Nishikant Deshmukh, who lives in an old mansion. He and his family have been earning rent on vast lands they own around the old part of town.
3. Alpha Beta Gamma (Hindi)
Directed by Shankar Srikumar, Alpha Beta Gamma is a romantic comedy that features the story of a woman, her soon to be ex-husband and her to-be husband who are stuck together during the COVID-19 lockdown. The film first premiered at the 52nd International Film Festival of India.
4. Dhuin (Maithili)
Dhuin, directed by Anchal Mishra is about an aspiring actor Pankaj who wants to make it big in showbiz but performs street plays for the local municipality to earn a living. Pankaj has set a goal to earn enough in a months’s time to move to Mumbai, however, his plans are thwarted by the COVID-19 lockdown.
5. Boomba Ride (Mishing)
Boomba Ride is a satirical comedy based on the corruption in India’s rural education system. The story revolves around a school that is struggling to run and where teachers are perplexed as it has only one student, Boomba.
6. Niraye Thathakalulla Maram (Malayalam)
Directed by Jayaraj, the Malayalam film tells the story of a boy who helps a blind old man find his way back to his home but the man only remembers his name.
The 75th Cannes Film Festival will also feature Satyajit Ray’s 1970 film Pratidwandi in an exclusive screening. The film was also screened at the Festival de Cannes in 1956.
