Deepika Padukone to Tamannaah: Bollywood takes Cannes Film Festival by storm

The Bollywood battalion is flexing its muscles at Cannes this year, with a galaxy of stars making their presence felt at the French Riviera. While Deepika Padukone is serving as a jury member this year, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Pooja Hegde and Tamannaah are all making way for their own turn in the spotlight. Here’s a look at the Indian contingent that will make waves at the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival.

Deepika Padukone: As a jury member, Padukone has kept her fashion game on point as the prestigious event threw open its doors on Tuesday in a celebration of world cinema. For her first few appearances, the Bollywood star opted for Sabyasachi designs, adding a dash of retro with French influences to her first two. On Tuesday morning, Padukone attended the Cannes jury photocall, wearing green high-waisted pleated wool trousers, paired with a printed Mysore silk shirt with a digital rendering of hand-painted vintage flora that is inspired by Company paintings made by the Sabyasachi Art Foundation. Padukone’s stylist Shaleena Nathani paired the look with a hair scarf, all from Sabyasachi’s Tropic of Calcutta collection. Padukone completed the look with the Lucknow Rose, a deconstructed Maharani necklace that has been crafted with extensively sourced multicoloured gemstones and uncut diamonds. And accessorised with the Bengal Trophy belt by Sabyasachi Accessories.

However, it was her look from the opening ceremony at Cannes where Padukone made jaws drop, dressed in a gold and black sequin sari, also by the same designer. Sabyasachi broke down Padukone’s look at the festival, writing in an Instagram post that the actress and jury member wore the “Bengal Tiger couture sari conceptualised by Sabyasachi as part of the iconic Aakash Tara collection that celebrates heritage Indian crafts and techniques through a modern lens. The stripes have been block printed and hand embroidered by some of India’s finest craftspeople at the Sabyasachi atelier.”

The look was paired with statement pieces from Sabyasachi Jewellery’s Bengal Royale Collection. The headband pays homage to the traditional Indian matha patti headpiece with Art Nouveau detailing, while the chandelier earrings updates a classic with an Art Deco gaze.

For her next look, Padukone opted for an Ardazaei peplum suit, paired with a Cartier statement piece necklace and windswept hair. We love it.

Tamannaah Bhatia: The Bollywood and South Indian star cut a picture of eternal grace dressed in a Gauri and Nainika black and white mermaid gown, cinched at the waist with a peplum trim that ended with a white satin trail adding the wow factor. Styled by Padukone’s stylist, Shaleena Nathani as well, Bhatia paired her look with Jaipur gems on the first day of the festival. According to her post, Bhatia appears to be attending the festival as part of her association with a beverage brand.

At her second day at Cannes, Tamannaah Bhatia opted for a power suit in mint green, followed by a striped dress that fit her like a glove.

Urvashi Rautela: Urvashi Rautela made her debut at the Cannes Film Festival for the launch of her multilingual film ‘The Legend’. Dressed in a white ruffled gown by Lebanese-Italian fashion designer Tony Ward, Rautela was styled by Bilal Fakih, pairing her look with Messika Jewelry. “I’m truly honoured to mark my debut and to be invited by one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world Festival de Cannes for the he launch of my multilingual film ‘The Legend,’” Rautela said in a statement to Gulf News, adding: “It’s certainly the most important film festival to me in terms of worldwide impact.”

Pooja Hegde: India has been chosen as the first ‘country of honour’ at Marche du Cinema, and on the opening day, a delegation from India, led by I&B Minister Anurag Thakur walked the red carpet. The delegation included Pooja Hegde dressed in gold. While Hegde had yet to reveal her full look for fans, the actress did give us her arrival style at the French Riviera, dressed in a white shirt, paired with a black skirt and her hair tied up in a simple pony. We have big expectations from her.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Who can forget Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her stunning turn on the Cannes red carpet in 2017 and 2018 when she wore outfits designed by the Dubai-based Michael Cinco? The L’Oreal brand ambassador has had several hits and misses over her 20-year association with Cannes, but she never fails to be a talking point. Let’s wait and watch to see what surprises she has in store for us.

Hina Khan: Hina Khan will be walking at Cannes once again after three years where she will unveil the poster of her upcoming film ‘Country of Blind’. For the unversed, the TV actress made her debut at Cannes in 2019 and amazed people with her appearance in a fishtail gown. Ahead of her Cannes appearance, she won hearts in a Tarun Tahiliani white ensemble, paired with a matching jacket, skirt and corset. Needless to say, fans are now impatient for the red carpet look at Cannes 2022.

Aditi Rao Hydari: Aditi Rao Hydari said she was excited about attending Cannes, telling IANS ahead of her red carpet appearance that she was excited to “bump into people who you have watched growing up.” The ‘Wazir’ actress says she is looking forward to watch the Malayalam film ‘Niraye Thathakalulla Maram’. “This year in fact, it is special because 75 years of India on 75 years of Cannes and commemorating it by honouring India and Indian film industry and there will be a lot of people there... But Malayalam part of the competiton I am looking forward to watching it... It’s a place where you surround yourself with cinema and best of cinema and people for whom cinema is a passion.” Apart from watching movies and strutting on the red carpet, Hydari said she hoped to try French food.

The men - R Madhavan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, AR Rahman, Kamal Haasan and Shekhar Kapur: While Akshay Kumar’s COVID positive results didn’t allow him to jet off to Cannes this year, R Madhavan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, AR Rahman and Shekhar Kapur made up for his absence, looking dapper on the Cannes red carpet on the opening ceremony.

Madhavan, who is presenting his film ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’ at Cannes, was dressed in a tux designed by Bollywood favourite Manish Malhotra. “Only @manishmalhotra05 Can make an already special and memorable day even more special. Thank you for making me feel so good about myself. My confidence soared because of you guys,” posted Madhavan on Instagram, while also crediting his stylist Priyanjali Rajlaxmi Singh.

Siddiqui, looking dapper in a tux, also posted images from his red carpet stroll, alongside I&B Minister Anurag Thakur, Kapur and Prasoon Joshi, while adding: “From representing films from India to representing India. What an honour.”

Meanwhile, while AR Rahman wore a black suit with a Chinese collar, Kamal Haasan dazzled in a black kurta set with an embellished jacket.