Obsession with fashion at Cannes baffles Shabana

Shabana Azmi says she does not understand why fashion grabs more headlines than movies at the Cannes Film Festival as the veteran actress feels the event is about serious cinema.
The 64-year-old "Jazbaa" actress said for quite some time now the importance of fashion at Cannes has taken precedence over the wonderful international films that are being showcased at the French movie carnival.
"What bothers me about the red-carpet particularly at Cannes is that it is an extremely important film festival where stunning films are shown and nothing of that comes in the papers...
"But it's only women in gowns standing with one hand on their waist. Cannes is not a fashion event, it's a platform for serious cinema. So, there is only a limit to how much clothes are supposed to be talked about," Azmi said on the sidelines of the Lakme Fashion Week.

The "Arth" actress wants Indian stars to not just stick to gowns and flaunt their traditions at an international event like Cannes by choosing garments which reflect the rich Indian weaves, heritage and textile.
"A lot of stars have great bodies and look very nice in gowns. I personally would always wear a saree. What can be done is that you can take silhouettes from anywhere but still look at your own craft, your own fabric... Then it will be a perfect blend," the actress said.
Azmi supported her longtime friend and designer Ritu Kumar, who paid a homage of the Banarasi weavers during her show here last night. In keeping with the theme of the event, Azmi wore a blue handloom saree teamed with a red blouse.