Heeramandi Episodic Director Mitakshara Kumar Says Cannes Has Become More About Fashion Than Movies

The Cannes Film Festival, which kicked off on May 14, honours movies from across the film industry. During the festival, three Honorary Palme d'Or are awarded, this season the first was awarded to Meryl Streep at the opening ceremony. The second was awarded to Studio Ghibli while the third will be awarded during the festival's closing ceremony. However, for filmmaker Mitakshara Kumar the film festival is making headlines more for its fashion than films premiering there.

For the unversed, Mitakshara Kumar served as one of the episodic directors for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.

We should be talking and celebrating Payal Kapadia: Mitakshara Kumar

In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Mitakshara said nowadays the film festivals are more about celebs' red carpet appearance than the films. "I don’t think it’s right honestly," she said adding that gone are the days when Satyajit Ray or Ritwik Ghatak were celebrated for their work. She said the biggest example right now is Payal Kapadia. Her movie All We Imagine as Light has been selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. It is the first Indian film to make it to the category in 30 years.

"We should be talking and celebrating Payal Kapadia. Her film is competing for the first time in I don’t know how many years. But rather than talking about her, we are only seeing the silhouettes and costumes that people are wearing," she said. However, she believes that focus on fashion is a bone and a bane of the digital world. Fashion has become a "hot favourite point to stay relevant".

Don’t overshadow the essence of a film festival: Mitakshara Kumar

In the same segment, Kumar admitted that fashion is needed as it is important for business. However, that doesn't mean you are going to "overshadow the essence" of a film festival. She added Payal Kapadia needs to be celebrated as much as a red carpet celeb is being celebrated. "I would want to know whether the film (All We Imagine as Light) is going to win rather than criticise someone’s clothing choice," she concluded.