The Indian cinema pavilion has, over the years, garnered recognition at the Cannes Film Festival ever since its inception in 1946. Needless to say, Hindi films have also won this highest prize at Cannes.
The Cannes Film Festival of 2025 had several Bollywood celebrities walking the red carpet. These celebrities included Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Karan Johar and many others. There were celebrity social media influencers as well.
The Bollywood celebrities who walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival were representing various popular brands. Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter, Karan Johar, Vishal Jethwa and Ghaywan attended the film festival for the screening of their film Homebound. The film had received a standing ovation for its popularity, which had left the star cast and the filmmakers in an emotional moment.
India’s Enduring Legacy at Cannes
From Aishwarya Rai’s sindoor to Alia Bhatt’s Nazar ka tikka, the celebrities brought the Indian traditions to the Cannes Red carpet.
At Cannes 2025, the celebrities brought a touch of Indian tradition, which they proudly displayed. The display was more to do with bringing forth the cultural roots, blending with the heritage and the add-on glamour. Aishwarya Rai sported the outfit designed by Manish Malhotra.
We Indians love to carry our cultural roots wherever we go, and the Indian celebrities were no less than they even carried the traditions to the Cannes Festival. At the 78th edition, their significant presence with the embraced traditions did not go unnoticed.
Alia Bhatt made her grand entry on the red carpet, a debut with a Schiaparelli gown. Netizens noticed the Kaala tika behind her ears, a traditional belief meant to ward off evil. Alia Bhatt has worn the Black tika (Kala tika) before, believing it protects her from the evil eye. She rocked the look again at the Met Gala 2024, pairing it with a stunning Sabyasachi saree.
Cannes and India: A Timeless Bond
The gorgeous Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looked stunning in an ivory-colored Manish Malhotra creation. Looking like a perfect dream on the red carpet with accessories, with 500 carats of Mozambique Ruby jewels and uncut diamonds to complement her outfit. But what truly stole the spotlight was her bright sindoor on her hair parting. Few linked it to the Operation Sindoor, while others saw it as a sign of marriage displayed elegantly. Whatever the reason may be, the actress garnered a lot of attention and focus on the sindoor !! Aishwarya wore a stunning Gaurav Gupta creation paired with a head-worn Banarasi brocade cape featuring excerpts from the Bhagavad Gita in Sanskrit shlokas.
The Homebound actress Janhvi Kapoor also made her red-carpet debut before Alia Bhatt. The actress caught attention with a black thread around her wrist, a traditional charm believed to ward off negative energy and the evil eye. It’s like a shield to protect. Janhvi made it evident of her personal beliefs.The Indian Cinema pavilion has garnered a lot of recognition at the Cannes Film Festival since 1946, the inception of the prestigious film festival. In 1946, India made its entry with the social realistic film’ Neecha Nagar which gained a lot of recognition that year. The film then won the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film in 1955. Baby Naaz had then received he special mention as the child actress for her work in the memorable film Boot Polish by Prakash Aurora.
India’s Spotlight Moment at Cannes
Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali in 1956 won the Best Human Document Award that year. Gotoma the Buddha by Rajbans Khanna had won the special mention for the best direction.
Some notable Indian cinema achievements at Cannes include Mrinal Sen’s Kharij, which won the Jury Prize in 1983. Later, Mira Nair’s Oscar-nominated film Salaam Bombay took home the Golden Camera prize, Camera d’Or, in 1988.
The jury specially mentioned Murali Nair’s 1999 film Marapa Simhasanam, which earned him the Camera d’Or.
On completion of 100 years of Indian Cinema, India was the official Guest Country at the 66th Cannes. The Incredible India Exhibition was first held with a joint participation of the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and the Republic of India, coming together, which was inaugurated by the Indian actor Chiranjeevi.
Special events and honours – Cannes Film Festival
Satyajit Ray’s works, Pather Panchali, Charulata and Pratidwandi were a part of the Cannes in 1982. He received the trophy at the 35th Anniversary.
Tous Les Cinemas du Monde, the World Cinema, began in 2005 which showcasing films from different countries. At the 60th Cannes Film Festival, in 2007 featured a special screening of Indian films such ass Saira in, Lage Raho Munnabhai, Dosar, Veyil, Guru, Goal and Dharm.
India was the Official Guest Country at the 66 Cannes. The event featured a special screening of some of the Indian films, such as Bombay Talkies, Monsoon Shootout, Charulata, The Lunchbox, Eega, and Tau Seru shorts.
A Journey Through Time: India’s Presence at Cannes
On the occasion of the 75 years of diplomatic ties between India and France, India was again the Official Country of Honour at the 22nd Cannes Film Market. The festival showcased six Indian films, including Pratidwandi, Godavari, Alpha Beta Gamma, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, and Boomba Ride. Additionally, it featured five parallel films under the ‘Goes to Cannes Section’, namely Baghian, Bailadila, Ek Jagah Apni, Follower, and Shivamma, directed by Jaicheng Jai Dohutia, Shailendra Sahu, Ektara Collective, Harshad Nalawade, and Jai Shankar, respectively.
On the occasion of the 75 years of diplomatic ties between India and France, India was again the Official Country of Honour at the 22nd Cannes Film Market. The festival showcased six Indian films, including Pratidwandi, Godavari, Alpha Beta Gamma, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, and Boomba Ride. Additionally, it featured five parallel films under the ‘Goes to Cannes Section’, namely Baghian, Bailadila, Ek Jagah Apni, Follower, and Shivamma, directed by Jaicheng Jai Dohutia, Shailendra Sahu, Ektara Collective, Harshad Nalawade, and Jai Shankar, respectively.
In 2022, India inaugurated the Content Hub of the World Pavilion at the venue. Cannes XR, a program from Marche du Film, showcases cutting-edge technologies and cinematographic content. Notably, India’s epic film Baahubali was featured at the VR exhibition in 2017, followed by Le Musk, an Indian virtual reality film. In 2023, the 1990 Meitei language film Ishanou (The Chosen One) was recognized as a World Classic by the Cannes Film Festival, becoming the only Indian film selected for that year’s event. Interestingly, Ishanou had previously been featured in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.
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