22nd May 2023, Mumbai: Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri once again took to Twitter on Monday to express his displeasure at “the death” of the festival after making the comment that the Cannes Film Festival is for films and not fashion. He emphasised that the people grabbing attention on the Cannes red carpet weren’t even actors or in any way associated with films.
He tweeted, “So sad to see the death of Cannes Film Festival,” sharing a screenshot of a newspaper article featuring several celebrities on the Cannes red carpet. “Most of these aren’t even performers, and none of their films are playing in Cannes. Fashion has taken the place of films. Actors who have impact in SM. Journalism in the film industry with… And filmmakers—who gives a damn? Om Shanti.”
Two days ago, he tweeted, “Do you know that Cannes Film Festival is about films? I thought I should remind you just in case you were thinking it’s a fashion show.” He had also shared a picture of Aishwarya Rai posing in a silver outfit at Cannes and had slammed the use of “costume slaves” who help an actor manage her dress on the red carpet. “Why are we becoming so stupid and oppressive just for such uncomfortable fashion?” he had written in his tweet.
Not only Vivek, but also Nandita Das and Meera Chopra have highlighted how the current Cannes Film Festival is primarily focused on fashion. Nandita tweeted numerous old photos of herself wearing sarees on a previous trip to Cannes on Sunday. She also said, “Sadly missed Cannes this year. People occasionally seem to forget that the festival is for films, not fashion! Considering I can’t transport you back in time to the location of Manto’s premiere or show you the incredible films I watched or the talks I had.”
Aishwarya Rai, Diana Penty, Sara Ali Khan, Esha Gupta, Vijay Varma, Manushi Chillar, Mrunal Thakur, Sapna Choudhary, and Urvashi Rautela are among the celebrities who have walked the red carpet at Cannes this year. The 2023 Cannes Film Festival’s 76th edition began on May 16 and will end on May 27. The festival, which was founded in 1946, provides a venue for filmmakers to present their work and compete for major prizes.