Anupama Chopra of The Hollywood Reporter India sits down with acclaimed filmmaker Payal Kapadia at the Cannes Film Festival 2025. In this intimate conversation, Payal reflects on her remarkable journey from competing with her film to winning the Grand Prix to now serving on the main competition jury. The director candidly discusses the challenges of filmmaking, including losing a location on the first day of shooting, and her philosophy of "navigating the reality of reality." She also shares her joy at seeing her award-winning film distributed in over 85 countries and receiving messages from viewers worldwide.

Despite her success, Payal remains focused on her craft, revealing her upcoming projects set in Mumbai that explore complicated relationships and the city's rapid geographical transformation. She thoughtfully discusses the balance between creative vision and audience accessibility, emphasizing that a filmmaker's only true control is "to do the work" while managing the inevitable anxieties of creation. Payal also opens up about her red carpet experience, crediting her costume designer friend for giving her confidence, and expresses gratitude for the privilege of working in a profession that allows for continuous learning and appreciation of life.

The Hollywood Reporter India’s Cannes roundup captures intimate conversations with filmmakers and actors experiencing pivotal moments at the prestigious festival. The compilation features directors discussing their debut experiences at Cannes, from the transformative impact of early visits through producer networks to the overwhelming emotion of returning with their own films in competition. One filmmaker reflects on how attending Cannes' Producers Network in 2011 changed their career trajectory, leading to successful co-productions like "The Lunchbox," while emphasizing the festival's unique ability to connect artists with resources and inspiration that extend far beyond the main competition screenings.

The interviews reveal deeply personal stories of artistic validation and career-defining moments, including actors transitioning into producing roles and the surreal experience of having legendary figures like Martin Scorsese attached as executive producer. The conversations touch on the evolution of Indian cinema's diverse landscape and the special significance of attending Cannes with a feature film rather than for commercial partnerships. Throughout the roundup, there's a palpable sense of dreams being realized, with participants describing everything from childhood aspirations to film festival education, culminating in the magical atmosphere that makes Cannes an essential pilgrimage for serious filmmakers worldwide.

Sneha Menon Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India sits down with actors Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter, and Vishal Jethwa at Cannes 2025, following their film's selection in the Un Certain Regard category. The trio shares the emotional moment of learning about their Cannes acceptance, with Janhvi describing her late-night phone call revelation and Ishaan recounting his locked-room celebration at home.

The conversation delves deep into director Neeraj Ghawan's immersive filmmaking approach, which the actors describe as transformative and healing. Vishal reveals how Ghawan's "Code 360" protocol created an unprecedented environment of respect and humanity on set, where every crew member was valued equally. Ishaan explains the director's unique preparation methods, including improvisation sessions that could last 20 minutes and location shoots in Uttar Pradesh that bonded the cast. Vishal, making his Cannes debut after his 2019 breakthrough in "Mardaani 2," reflects on the patience required to wait for meaningful roles.

The actors discuss their characters' impact on their personal growth, with Janhvi opening up about her privilege and social responsibility, describing how the role pushed her to become more curious about society and history. Ishaan details the physical and emotional challenges of his performance, particularly the grueling shooting schedule in Madhya Pradesh. The conversation touches on the surreal experience of having Martin Scorsese as executive producer, with voice notes from the legendary filmmaker analyzing their scenes.

As they prepare for their red carpet debut together, the trio emphasizes representing their country and culture at this prestigious festival, viewing their presence as bigger than individual achievement.

Anupama Chopra of The Hollywood Reporter India sits down with Karan Johar and Neeraj Ghaywan at Cannes 2025, where their film "Homebound" has captivated audiences with its emotionally resonant storytelling. In this candid conversation, the unlikely collaborators reveal the extraordinary journey that brought a mainstream Bollywood producer and an acclaimed indie filmmaker together, culminating in a Martin Scorsese-backed feature that explores India's rural heartland. Karan, known for glossy commercial blockbusters, discusses his deliberate expansion of Dharma Productions' creative footprint and his surprising admission that respect and critical acclaim mean more to him than box office success. Meanwhile, Neeraj, returning to Cannes a decade after his breakthrough with "Masaan," shares the deeply personal influences behind "Homebound" and his approach to addressing sensitive cultural contexts through nuanced, meditative storytelling rather than activism.

The conversation unveils fascinating behind-the-scenes insights - from Scorsese's detailed script notes delivered via email to the immersive village experiences that transformed their actors' performances. Both filmmakers reflect on navigating India's complex fault lines through a lens of empathy rather than confrontation, with Neeraj emphasizing his desire to create dialogue across differences. In one of the interview's most heartfelt moments, Karan describes his uncontainable joy when learning of their Cannes selection, literally jumping around his bedroom in excitement at achieving this professional milestone. The pair also shares lighthearted reflections on their red carpet preparations, with Karan embracing his love for the glamorous proceedings while Neeraj admits to nervous anticipation. Their contrasting personalities yet profound mutual respect exemplifies a new collaborative model that could reshape Indian cinema's global presence.

Anupama Chopra of The Hollywood Reporter India brings together cinema legends Sharmila Tagore, Wes Anderson, and Shivendra Dungarpur at Cannes 2025, creating an intimate conversation around the restoration of Satyajit Ray's 1970 masterpiece "Days and Nights in the Forest." The discussion moves effortlessly between artistic influence and personal memory, with Shivendra detailing his passionate quest to locate the original camera negative during the pandemic, committed to preserving Ray's authentic vision. Sharmila shares captivating behind-the-scenes stories from the challenging forest shoot, where unbearable heat limited filming to early mornings and evenings, yet fostered deep bonds among cast members. She lovingly describes Ray's directing approach – his gentle whispers of instruction creating performances that were instinctive rather than rehearsed – and reveals how he directed different actors with varying degrees of freedom based on their characters.

Wes reflects on discovering "Teen Kanya" as an 18-year-old in Texas, finding in Ray a filmmaker whose independent spirit and literary sensibility profoundly shaped his own artistic journey, even inspiring his recreation of the film's memorable "memory game" scene in "The Darjeeling Limited." Throughout their exchange, Chopra draws out fascinating insights about Ray's extraordinary versatility – composing music, designing graphics, creating storyboards, and handling costumes – while working with extremely limited resources. A particularly touching moment comes when Sharmila reveals that Ray considered this film among his favorites, alongside his Apu Trilogy. Though time runs short, with only enough moments to explore one film from Ray's remarkable oeuvre, this conversation between cinema luminaries perfectly captures the importance of film preservation, with Shivendra emphasising his guiding principle: to constantly ask "what Ray would have thought" while working with original materials to resurrect this masterpiece exactly as its creator intended.

Anupama Chopra of The Hollywood Reporter India meets emerging filmmaker Kokob Gebrehaweria Tesfay and young producer Sahil Manoj Ingle at Cannes 2025, where their film "Doll Made of Clay" is an official selection at La Cinef. In this inspiring conversation, the duo shares the remarkable journey of creating their film through SRFTI's zero-budget initiative, where they received no funding but accessed institutional resources. Kokob reveals how a chance encounter with a Nigerian football player in Kolkata transformed from a film school exercise into a powerful narrative about displacement, isolation, and resilience.

The 29-year-old director, who grew up in a conflict-affected border region before receiving a scholarship to study in India, discusses how his background in theatrical arts and childhood surrounded by spiritual stories shaped his storytelling approach. Meanwhile, 28-year-old producer Sahil details the creative problem-solving required to bring the project to life without financial resources, highlighting the collaborative spirit that fueled their production. Both filmmakers share their aspirations at Cannes, from connecting with potential co-producers to experiencing the global film community. Their selection as one of just 16 films from over 2,700 submissions marks an extraordinary achievement for these young filmmakers from SRFTI.

Sneha Menon Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India reconnects with Nancy Tyagi at Cannes Film Festival 2025, capturing her remarkable journey since her first appearance. In this intimate conversation, Nancy reflects on her transformation from feeling nervous and intimidated during her debut to now approaching the festival with confidence. She candidly shares how life changed after Cannes, with her greatest achievement being able to provide her mother with a better lifestyle. Throughout the interview, Nancy continues to embody dedication to her craft, revealing that she's still sewing her outfits in her hotel room, having designed eight special pieces for this trip.

Despite her growing fame with millions of Instagram followers, Nancy remains remarkably grounded, attributing her success to a combination of destiny and hard work. She advises against viewing fame as a burden and instead encourages working without expectations. When Sneha inquires about her future aspirations, Nancy expresses she's living without rigid plans, as her unexpected success came without planning. Her passion for creative design, particularly incorporating floral elements that took 15-16 days to create for her red carpet appearance, remains her focus. The interview with The Hollywood Reporter India showcases Nancy's authentic journey at Cannes 2025, accompanied by her brother who missed her previous appearance due to visa issues, making this experience even more special.

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.

Anupama Chopra of The Hollywood Reporter India sits down with acclaimed actor-producer Tillotama Shome and veteran producer Guneet Monga Kapoor at the Cannes Film Festival 2025 to discuss their groundbreaking initiative, Women in Film India. In this illuminating conversation, both women share their vision for creating a support system and mentorship platform for female filmmakers in India, particularly focusing on mid-career professionals who often face industry challenges despite their experience. Tillotama candidly discusses her journey into producing with her film "Baksho," explaining how being involved in production gave her a deeper appreciation for the filmmaking process and transformed her approach to acting. The conversation highlights the powerful "King Arthur's table" model they employed, bringing together 19 producers without ego clashes to create a collaborative filmmaking environment.

Guneet passionately explains the two-year journey of establishing Women in Film India as a chapter of the global organization, emphasizing how it aims to provide Indian filmmakers access to international networks, production knowledge, and festival strategies. She details their first initiative: securing three fellowships for Indian women producers to attend the prestigious Producers Network at Cannes, enabling them to pitch projects and forge global connections. Both women speak eloquently about challenging ageist industry norms, particularly for women in their 40s who are "forced to vanish" despite possessing invaluable experience and clarity. The conversation concludes with an invitation for women across India to join their emerging community through their website, with Guneet noting that while they're currently "a team of two and a half people," they're building an organization that aspires to outlive them and create lasting structural change in Indian cinema.

Sneha Menon Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India sits down with Bollywood star Jacqueline Fernandez at the Cannes Film Festival 2025. In this intimate conversation, Jacqueline reflects on being honored by the Red Sea Film Festival after 15 years in the industry and 30 films. The actress candidly discusses the challenges of being stereotyped for her "fun" persona and her constant desire to push creative boundaries, highlighting her work with acclaimed director Leena Yadav on "Tell It Like a Woman."

In a touching moment, Jacqueline opens up about losing her mother just weeks before Cannes, sharing how her mother was always her "biggest cheerleader" who supported her acting dreams despite coming from a simple household. She also reminisces about her Hollywood debut alongside childhood hero Jean-Claude Van Damme and how the magic of Cannes continues to inspire her collaborations with female filmmakers from around the world. Don't miss this revealing glimpse into Jacqueline's journey of resilience, grief, and artistic passion!

Sneha Menon Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India sits down with rising star Nitanshi Goel at the Cannes Film Festival 2025. In this candid conversation, the 17-year-old actress behind Oscar contender "Laapataa Ladies" shares her excitement about her first Cannes red carpet, revealing how she practiced poses on her home staircase and her dreams of working with directors like Mani Ratnam.

Nitanshi opens up about her journey from breakout success to international recognition, reflecting on the industry's warm welcome and how she's navigating newfound fame while staying true to herself. The young talent also discusses her collaboration with L'Oreal Paris and how she's ensuring her mother enjoys the Cannes experience alongside her. Don't miss this refreshing glimpse into a rising star's Cannes debut!