How Deepika Padukone's Cannes Looks Were Shot: From Finding a Tunnel to Filming Discreetly in Markets

When Deepika Padukone went to Cannes in 2022, heads turned. The actor, who was a part of the jury that year, debuted multiple looks at the festival, which became a talking point. As Cannes Film Festival returns with its latest edition, THR India caught up with celebrated celebrity photographer Vaishnav Praveen to talk about how he shot the star in different landscapes at the resort town on the French Riviera, which included coming up with a "tunnel" photoshoot.

"I had to think about how to shoot for 15 days differently—that was the longest I've worked with someone!" Praveen recalls.

Since Padukone was tied up with multiple engagements at the prestigious festival, Praveen had the task of shooting at least two to three looks a day.

"It was my first time in Cannes, so I made a mood board, which I sent to her as well for approval, and put references of outdoor and indoor shoots. I carried different kinds of lights and a few backgrounds as well, just so that we have multiple options."

Once Praveen was in Cannes, he did a recce of the place, which involved going around the city, looking in all corners, finding spots to shoot, and then figuring out the accessibility of the area—like mapping how far the location was from the hotel.

"So, I prepped accordingly with the support team from her management as well. We picked multiple places, such as a tunnel where we shot with her. No one had ever seen people at Cannes shooting under a tunnel! Even while we were shooting on the deck, we would make sure that it was differently lit. For example, one picture would be in softer light, the other would have harsh light," he says.

Praveen also recalls how, when Padukone wore an Abu Jani outfit on the last day at Cannes, he rushed to a local fabric shop to buy 15 meters of cloth. "I stitched it together and made it into a background!" Praveen laughs.

Clicking Padukone, one of the biggest stars of the country, required "experimenting on the go" and the photographer says that one of the ideas he wanted to pull off was to shoot with the actor on the street and in the market— something which wasn't possible in India.

But it still wasn't easy.

"Every single street had her Louis Vuitton hoardings, so people recognised her. We had to be very quick, which meant finishing that process in 15 to 20 minutes. But it was quite nice, and I enjoyed the rush. My photography school in Pune had also prepared us for this: To rig the equipment, technically be fast, be aware of what's happening and make sure that everything happens gracefully," he recalls.

The 78th Cannes Film Festival begins on May 13 opening with Amélie Bonnin’s Leave One Day. Dharma Productions' Homebound, directed by National Award-winning Indian filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan, has also been officially selected at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ category; the film stars Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa.

For other BTS, watch the full interview here: