India shining at Cannes: Anurag Kashyap, Vasan Bala wow critics

Cannes International Film Festival is hailed as one of the most prestigious film festivals for movie makers and this time around Indian films have not only bagged tickets for their pilgrimage but have also emerged as some of the most appreciated entries. The world premiere of Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur saw a packed audience at the ongoing 65th Cannes International Film Festival. [caption id=“attachment_319823” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Courtesy: CNN IBN”] [/caption] Eager crowds lined the streets outside the JW Marriot hotel for the show, while Bollywood celebrities Kalki Koechlin, Huma Quereshi, Richa Chadda and Reema Sen walked the red carpet to promote it. The premiere was also attended by Kashyap, actors Manoj Bajpayee and Nawazuddin Siddiqui and female music director Sneha Khanwalkar. Tthe premiere had a full house in an hall that could seat 800. Both parts of Gangs Of Wasseypur, a gritty take on the coal mafia, were screened at the festival’s Directors’ Fortnight, a non-competitive section, on Tuesday. Peddlers directed by Vasan Bala, was also screened on Tuesday and was well received by the press. Critics found Bala’s style of story telling original. Although made on a very small budget, Peddlers is said to be an extremely technically polished film. And it is Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely, that will be competing in the prestigious Un Certain Regard section, at Cannes. As for the Bollywood beauties, Aishwarya Rai is expected to walk down the red carpet today. Sonam Kapoor won’t be on the red carpet till the last day of the festival but she did appear in a Gucci party wearing diaphanous black gown from the design house. Sported an international look with messy updo hair and huge earrings, she was difficult to ignore. Freida Pinto made several appearances in a pink Michael Angel gown on the first day and a lime green Atelier Versace number on Day 2. With inputs from agencies