Abhishek, Aishwarya bring Bollywood élan to Cannes glam fest

The French Riviera of Cannes is known for sun, sand & sex as also for the host of international stars that descend on its glamour crazy beaches every year in a festival that celebrates cinema in style. This year there may not be the screening of any Indian film that has our attention, but rather the ruling couple of Bollywood that has left those attending the festival starry eyed by merely walking the red carpet.

Spicezee Bureau

Cannes, May 14: The French Riviera of Cannes is known for sun, sand and sex as also for the host of international stars that descend on its glamour crazy beaches every year in a festival that celebrates cinema in style. This year there may not be the screening of any Indian film that has grabbed our attention, but rather the ruling couple of Bollywood that has left those attending and keeping a tab on this prestigious festival starry eyed by merely walking on the legendary red carpet. Abhishek Bachchan opened the India Pavillion on the Cannes beach front today amid great fanfare even as festival`s Deputy General-Delegate Christian Jeune hoped that India would soon end its dry run at the French festival. Bachchan drew a crowd of photographers, pen pushers and autograph-seekers, who elbowed one another to get closer to the star, who was clearly the man of the moment. His superstar wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and veteran actress Sharmila Tagore who is on the festival jury, failed to make an appearance disappointing the assembled crowd but the event was attended by Subhash Ghai, Deepti Naval, Manisha Koirala, producer Bobby Bedi and Christian Jeune, Deputy General-Delegate of the Cannes Film Festival amongst others. Ash was certainly not there as she was cooling her heels at her hotels- tired as she was after rubbing shoulders with the likes of A-list US stars like Elizabeth Banks in a graceful white train gown at the screening of the animated film "Up" by director Pete Docter on the opening night of the 62nd Cannes Film Festival. She was on Thursday seen giggling, arm-in-arm with hubby Aby Baby at the screening of the film 'Chun Feng Chen Zui De Ye Wan' (Spring Fever). Her train gown was cut to half in an off-shoulder metallic grey dress, with straight tied tightly in a pony of sorts. And oh, Abhishek was clean shaven- we dig the hairy look any day, ofcourse! Not only the Bachchans, Deepti Naval is here to screen her debut feature, "Two Paise for Sunshine, Four Annas for Rain", in the market tomorrow along with Manisha Koirala, who plays the lead in the film. NRI billionaire Prakash Hinduja, another attendee at the inaugural function, said that some way must be found to break the dry Indian spell. "After all, we make world class movies, and we should be able to place at least one Indian film in every festival, including Cannes," he said. S M Khan, now officiating as the Director of the International Film Festival of India, Sushma Singh, Secretary, Information and Broadcasting Ministry and Pyarelal, Deputy Secretary were the other Indian officials attending the Festival.