World recognising India, its values: Deepika Padukone on Cannes jury

Being a member of the Cannes Film Festival jury is a personal triumph but also a victory for the South Asian community and a recognition for India and its values, says Deepika Padukone, the first Indian since Vidya Balan in 2013 to be chosen for the honour.

Padukone, part of the eight-member Cannes Competition jury at the festival that runs from May 17 to 28, is also hoping the discussion in the media this time will be more about the celebration of Indian talent and cinema and less on fashion.

Balan’s fashion choices had come under intense scrutiny when she was part of the jury, which will reward one of the 21 films in competition with the Palme d’Or during the closing ceremony of the festival.

“I hope we realise that there is so much more… Of course, fashion is fun, it should be fun. And it’s also a very personal thing. But I hope that Indian media has learned from that last experience and realises that we have the power to actually change that narrative and talk about what a big moment this is for India,” Padukone told PTI in an online interview ahead of the festival.

“I think what we should be talking about is the celebration of India. The celebration of Indian talent and cinema,” she added.

The star of films such as Piku and Padmaavat will be sitting on the jury along with French actor Vincent Lindon, the president, as well as English actor-filmmaker Rebecca Hall, Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, Swedish actor Noomi Rapace, Italian actor-director Jasmine Trinca, French filmmaker-actor Ladj Ly, American filmmaker Jeff Nichols and director-screenwriter Joachim Trier from Norway.

Padukone said she is curious about the two weeks she will spend watching films and interacting with fellow jury members.

“While it does feel like a personal victory, it also feels like a slightly larger victory for the South Asian community… We can literally count on our fingertips the number of times anyone from India has been on the jury or has had the opportunity to represent the country at a platform such as this,” the actor said.

Those from India who have been a part of Cannes jury include the late Mrinal Sen (1982), director Mira Nair (1990), author Arundhati Roy (2000), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (2003), Nandita Das (2005), Sharmila Tagore (2009), Shekhar Kapur (2010) and Vidya Balan (2013).

India is also the official country of honour at the Marche du Cannes (Cannes Film Market). Besides, the festival will showcase a restored version of Satyajit Ray’s Pratidwandi.