Cannes 2025: India’s appearances on the red carpet and beyond, in pictures

From jury seats to global premieres to red carpet statements, India’s footprint on the Croisette in 2025 at the 78th Cannes Film Festival has been one of its more visible ones in recent memory.

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One of the headline moments was filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s return to the festival, this time not with a film, but as a jury member. Just a year after her historic Grand Prix win for All We Imagine As Light, Kapadia joined an international panel led by Juliette Binoche.

In Un Certain Regard, Neeraj Ghaywan premiered Homebound, exactly a decade after Masaan screened at Cannes. The film, co-produced by Dharma Productions and featuring performances by Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor, drew significant attention — bolstered by the late addition of Martin Scorsese as executive producer. Though Homebounddid not win in its category, its emotional reception and prominent backing mark it as one of India’s most notable international launches this year.

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Cannes also served as a platform for Indian cinema’s rich legacy, with the 4K restoration of Satyajit Ray’s Aranyer Din Ratri screening as part of the Cannes Classics section. The event was attended by original cast members Sharmila Tagore and Simi Garewal, alongside filmmaker Wes Anderson, a known admirer of Ray’s work.

Offscreen, social media buzzed when Anupam Kher reunited with Robert De Niro at the screening of Kher’s musical drama Tanvi the Great. Meanwhile, red carpet moments sparked conversation — most notably model Ruchi Gujjar’s bridal look featuring a necklace with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s portrait, and Aishwarya Rai’s look that many read as a nationalist statement.

Here’s a look at the most prominent appearances from India at the Cannes Film Festival this year:

With the festival coming to a close today, Alia Bhatt finally made a much-awaited debut at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, decked up in a Schiaparelli cream gown that stole everyone’s attention.

Just a year after her historic Grand Prix win for All We Imagine As Light, Payal Kapadia joined an international panel led by Juliette Binoche.

Janhvi Kapoor joined the cast and crew of Homebound to walk the red carpet at the 78th Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday evening ahead of the film’s official screening in the Un Certain Regard section.

Veteran actors Sharmila Tagore and Simi Garewal attended the screening of Satyajit Ray’s Aranyer Din Ratri at the Cannes Film Festival, where a newly restored 4K version of the film was showcased under the Cannes Classics section. Renowned filmmaker Wes Anderson, a longtime admirer of Ray’s work, introduced the screening and played a central role in the film’s six-year-long restoration.

Indian model and actress Ruchi Gujjar caused a stir and a collective double-take by showing up in full bridal regalia, complete with a necklace flaunting none other than Prime Minister Modi’s face as the centrepiece accessory

Aishwarya Rai arrived sporting an ivory sari, with a streak of vermillion sindoor down the part of her hair read as a not-so-subtle nationalist salute to India’s recent eponymous military action in Pakistan.

Urvashi Rautela attended the opening ceremony and the screening of Patir un jour (Leave One Day), wearing a multicoloured strapless gown and carrying a parrot-shaped crystal clutch that drew significant attention on social media.

First-time attendee Nitanshi Goel, who starred in Lapataa Ladies, made her Cannes debut this year. While her red carpet gown attracted notice, it was her second outfit — a lehenga saree paired with a pearl-embellished hairpiece featuring miniature portraits of Indian cinema legends — that received particular attention for its tribute to the history of Indian film.

Veteran actor Anupam Kher was in Cannes for the premiere of his new film Tanvi the Great, scheduled for May 17. During his visit, Kher reunited with Robert De Niro, with whom he co-starred in Silver Linings Playbook.

Indian actor-director Boman Irani made his red carpet debut at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, looking sharp in a patterned black tuxedo and shades. Irani, 65, is part of Anupam Kher’s forthcoming directorial Tanvi The Great, which was screened at the Cannes film market Marché du Film.