BENGALURU: India surely made its presence felt at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival with the screening of Shyam Bengal’s Manthan after it was restored; filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light getting an eight-minute standing ovation; and our very own Mysuru filmmaker Chidananda S Naik’s Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know winning the first prize for Best Short in the La Cinef category.
But talk about Cannes is incomplete without its fashion brigade. Known for witnessing some iconic looks, this time it has been a lukewarm show from some veterans. However, there were some unexpected styles which seem to have caught the attention of fashionistas here in Bengaluru. Surprisingly, celebrities carried denim looks which came as a pleasant surprise. Designer Manoviraj Khosla, who created the iconic denim lehenga as a bridal trousseau for his daughter, says, “It is high time people understand the versatility of denim. It’s a highly breathable, comfortable and stylish fabric which can be moulded in any way. It was a breath of fresh air to watch celebs carry them with so much ease in the crowd. For me, Aishwarya Rai’s look was the most disappointing. It takes special talent to make such a beautiful woman look that way!”
Agrees designer Laxmi Krishna about denims ruling the scene. “Pocketed and swirly-printed denims, which often get lost in glitz and glamour, have allowed the real personalities and charm of a person to come through,” she says. But for her, the highlight was iconic actor Meryl Streep’s white pantsuit paired with pinstripe shirts. “Some outfits stand out when compared to larger-than-life outfits that look chic,” says Laxmi.
For fashion guru Prasad Bidapa, there were some moments from the Indian representatives which stood out. “The fashion trends at Cannes veered from the sublime to the ridiculous and back again with infinite ease. Nancy Tyagi, a young fashion design student from Uttar Pradesh aced her look in a pretty pink ruffled ball gown she made herself! She matched it with long gloves and delicate jewellery to become the toast of the Riviera. The Assamese actor and filmmaker Aimee Baruah wore a beautiful mekhela chador and gamocha – a very heritage look that celebrated the North-East; she looked stunning,” exclaims Bidapa, adding that a young director Ashok Vish from Bengaluru walked the red carpet in a sharp tuxedo.
Speaking about some stand-out Indian moments, Ratna Pathak Shah, wore a saree from her collection, pairing it with a designer jacket blouse. She was there to support her husband Naseeruddin Shah, whose movie Manthan was being screened. “She owned the look by not trying to be someone else. She made a silent point that more than a fashion circus, the festival is still about the films,” says designer Divya Balakrishnan.