EXCLUSIVE: Is Cannes losing its focus? Filmmaker Aditya Sarpotdar speaks about presence of Indian influencers at “hardcore” film event: “Red carpet appearances and influencer buzz won’t win national acclaim”

The 2024 Cannes Film Festival has garnered attention for featuring established celebrities and a wave of Indian social media influencers. While some questioned their presence, acclaimed filmmaker Aditya Sarpotdar offers a nuanced perspective. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Sarpotdar acknowledged initial concerns within the film industry, highlighting the festival’s core focus on cinema.

He said, “All the people in the industry, were saying that this should not be a fashion event. This should not be an influencer event. It is a hardcore film event.” But explained further, “Look at the end of it, when you finish the festival, we are all celebrating the filmmakers. We are all celebrating the team that won the award.”

The director, who is awaiting the release of his film Munjya, argued that creating lasting impact requires strong films, not red-carpet hype. “No amount of influencers or outfits or any buzz created on the red carpet will get you any acclaim as a nation.” Sarpotdar contrasted the influencer presence with the success of Indian films at the festival.  “I am proud of the fact that an Indian film goes there with an Indian set of actors…Chhaya Kadam was there, who’s a part of All We Imagine As Light. So all these people go there to represent India win the Cannes and come back.”

He views pre-events with influencers as a means to promote the festival, not a reflection of its core purpose. “These pre-events are always ways to promote the festival more…But that doesn’t sum up what the festival is. The sum of the festival is the cinema there.”

Sarpotdar acknowledged both the presence of influencers and the success of Indian films at Cannes 2024. He concluded, “This year has been a great year where you have your top influencers who have gone there and represented on the red carpet, but you can’t have really done the deal by not having films win the awards. And I think that’s what matters at the end.”

Speaking of the professional front, as mentioned above, Aditya is awaiting the release of Munjya, the fourth installment of Maddock Films’ supernatural universe. The film stars Sharvari Wagh and Abhay Varma. It is slated to release on June 7.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Mita Vashisht talks about being at Cannes for the screening of The Shameless; reveals why it was refreshing to work with Bulgarian filmmaker Konstantin Bojanov: “In India, several directors feel that ‘If I have cast you, I should be worshipped’; that kind of chamchagiri goes on in our industry”