Cannes 2022: CBFC chief takes pride in India being 'country of honour'; 'Next era is ours'

This year, the 75th Cannes Film Festival has been high on glamour quotient, with a plethora of Indian stars walking the red carpet. From Tamannaah Bhatia to Deepika Padukone, the stars have been gracing the red carpet while making the country proud. Among the members present as a part of the Indian delegation at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi shared his views on India being the 'country of honour'.

The ace lyricist donned a black formal suit as he posed alongside other delegates including filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, R Madhavan, and Union Minister Anurag Thakur.

Prasoon Joshi boasts of India's rich art of storytelling

Speaking to ANI about the festival and the honour that Indians have received, the CBFC chairperson told ANI, "India has always come to Cannes and we have all learned a lot here. There are two parts to Cannes - one is the market and the other one is where the films are showcased. I think both have been very important for us and this is a special year because India is the 'Country of Honour'."

Adding further, Joshi said that the Indian filmmakers and the government together have taken it pretty seriously. "We are looking forward to having very fruitful discussions whether it is at an industry level or at a partnership level between different bodies," he said. 

Having said that, Prasoon also reflected on India's rich history of storytelling, which has evolved over the years. The lyricist revealed that the craft of storytelling has been a deeply ingrained part of our culture.

Talking about the same, Joshi explained, "I consider India as a storyteller's country. Not just now, but in ancient India also Katha was a very important part of our culture. Whether it's at home, whether it's the storytelling by grandparents to children, or in the society where you have congregations and storytelling is an important part of it. So I think the next era can belong to India, especially in terms of global stories and ideas coming out of India. It will be a great festival for us and we all look forward." 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had earlier released the lineup of films that will be screened at the Cannes Film Festival. This year’s heavyweights include movies like Rocketry – The Nambi Effect, Godavari, Alpha Beta Gamma, Boomba Ride, Dhuin, and Tree Full of Parrots.

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