"I need to do commercial work, make people laugh" ft. Chhaya Kadam | The Hollywood Reporter x Cannes

Sneha Menon Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India reconnects with celebrated actress Chhaya Kadam at the Cannes Film Festival 2025, exactly one year after their previous meeting. In this engaging conversation, Chhaya reflects on her transformative journey from being nervous and intimidated during her first Cannes appearance to now feeling confident and familiar with the festival atmosphere. She discusses her current film "Snow Flower," an Indo-Russian production that begins in Konkan and concludes in Siberia, marking her first international shooting experience. The actress candidly shares how playing strong female characters has strengthened her personally and reveals her pride in seeing four Marathi films, including her own, being showcased at this prestigious global platform.

Despite her growing success with acclaimed films like "All We Imagine As Light," "Laapataa Ladies," and "Midnight," Chhaya remains humble about her journey, emphasizing her desire to diversify her roles beyond art-house cinema into more commercial projects. She expresses deep gratitude for how Cannes has boosted her confidence, helping her overcome insecurities about language barriers and Western attire, and credits the festival and its community for teaching her that being authentic is her greatest strength. Chhaya's mission at Cannes 2025 is clear: to promote her film "Snow Flower," believing that its success could inspire more producers to back similar projects, ultimately expanding the reach of Marathi cinema beyond Maharashtra to global audiences.