The 78th Cannes Film Festival is a star-studded affair

The 78th Cannes Film Festival opened on Tuesday with expectations running high for what could be a banner edition. All of the ingredients — an absurd number of stars, top-tier filmmakers, political intrigue — seem to be lined up for the French Riviera spectacular. Over the next 12 days, Cannes will play host to megawatt premieres. At the festival’s opening ceremony, Robert De Niro received an honorary Palme d’Or, 49 years after Taxi Driver won Cannes’ top prize. Cannes is coming off a 2024 festival that produced a number of eventual Oscar contenders, including Emilia Perez, The Substance, Flow and the best picture winner, Anora.

Meanwhile, like every year, Cannes 2025 will witness a significant presence of Indian talent and films. With the special screening of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray's Aranyer Din Ratri to Anupam Kher's directorial Tanvi The Great, the upcoming international film gala promises a grand affair for cinema buffs.

Here’s a look at all the Indian films that are set for the global spotlight.

Aranyer Din Ratri: Legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray's Aranyer Din Ratri, which featured Sharmila Tagore and Soumitra Chatterjee in key roles, will be screened.

Tanvi The Great: After a long gap, legendary star Anupam Kher returned to director's chair with Tanvi The Great, which will hit the theatres soon. Before that, the film will be screened at Cannes on May 17.

Homebound: Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound, which stars actors Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter, has officially been selected for the 'Un Certain Regard' section.

Charak: Charak, which is directed by Sheiladitya Moulik, will also be screened.

A Doll Made Up Of Clay: The Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) production A Doll Made Up of Clay has been selected for the prestigious La Cinef section, which highlights the work of student filmmakers.

Simi Garewal makes Cannes debut

Veteran actress Simi Garewal is set to make her debut at the 2025 edition of the Cannes Film Festival as part of the screening of the 4K restored version of Satyajit Ray’s 1970 film Aranyer Din Ratri. Garewal, who played a tribal Santhal girl named Duli in the Bengali movie, will attend the showcase, which will be held under the Cannes Classics section on May 19. The actress shared a video on Instagram in which she could be seen choosing her outfit for the event. Garewal, 77, will wear an ensemble from Karleo, a couture label established by Karan Berry and Leon Vaz. “So, I’ve finally decided as to who will design my ensemble for the red carpet in Cannes!! It’s on 19th May, when we present my film with Ray, Aranyer Din Ratri, restored by Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese and Heritage Foundation. Because I love their aesthetics...I’ve chosen @karleofashion (sic)” she wrote in the caption. PTI