Top 5 Indian Moments at the Cannes Film Festival

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Watch the times Katrina Kaif, Aishwarya Rai and Big B made their mark at the Festival de Cannes, one of the world's most prestigious film festivals.

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00:00The word women-centric film itself is a problem.

00:02Why do you need to identify a genre which is about women?

00:06It's almost as if it's like special needs.

00:08I resent that, being a woman and a very strong feminist.

00:30There are certain roles that are seen as suitable for women, but not some areas.

00:42For example, we don't see a lot of women in war movies, or we don't see women rescuing

00:48the world, or we don't just see women making brave choices.

00:51The word women-centric film itself is a problem.

00:54Why do you need to identify a genre which is about women?

00:58I think there is a certain mindset that comes with it, oh they're the regular films, which

01:03is the men, and then there are these women-centric films which need to be labelled, it's almost

01:08as if it's like special needs, you know, and I resent that, being a woman and a very strong

01:14feminist.

01:26I really don't care whether Bollywood is represented or not.

01:30I would say that Indian films, I mean, Indian films are Hindi and other languages.

01:37I'm actually quite happy that, you know, this is India Focus here for Khan, and the five

01:40or six films that are being presented in the various categories, including ours, are not

01:45the typical Bollywood products, and they are, to some extent, more Indian cinema.

01:50Of course, the dominant language being Hindi, I wish there were some more other languages

01:54as well.

01:55So, that's great.

01:56I mean, that's like, finally, if Indian cinema can break out of the shadow of Bollywood and

02:02be seen as just as cinema from just another country, like Thailand or Japan or Turkey,

02:07you know, I mean, that would be the greatest achievement for Indian cinema, and that started

02:11to happen, so that's what I'm happy about.

02:25It's a very daunting experience, but I think, for me particularly, being an Indian, I just

02:38feel a huge amount of pride in the fact that there is some kind of a representation from

02:44my country onto this very prestigious moment.

02:48I feel very proud of the fact that I was chosen by BAS to be there, and to be in the company

02:52of such magnificent people and their genius, it was a great honor.

03:02I think that Indian cinema is changing for the better, and we are seeing a whole crop

03:10of new, young directors and makers and artists who are exceptionally talented coming up from

03:17regions which were unknown, from small towns, and making some great films.

03:22And having been, luckily, associated with Indian cinema for almost four generations,

03:27I do feel out of place at 71 to be working with an average age of 25, but it's great to

03:34see their energy, their confidence, their drive in wanting to excel.

03:40I'm sure that it will go a very long way.

03:54I think once Me Too already got hashtagged in one part of the world, that's kind of attached

03:58itself as the identity, and so now in interviews, that's the way it's getting addressed.

04:05I don't know if that is how it's being labeled, per se, but I think the fact that people started

04:15sharing and voicing their own stories or opinions or what they're seeking, it could be about

04:26so many different aspects that all encapsulates under women empowerment.

04:32I think that's what it is really all about today.

04:35So what you're also discussing is opportunity for women in cinema, in front of the camera,

04:41behind the camera, discussing women being given the opportunity to share their capability

04:48to the fullest, and that has been actually quite the dialogue now for a while.

04:56But it's gained incredible momentum currently, and now it would be great to see the action

05:04gain the same kind of momentum at hopefully an even better, faster pace.

05:26I've had an amazing experience working with female directors.

05:30I think one of the films which I consider my best films is directed by a woman as well,

05:35so there's just a different tone and a different sensitivity and a different language almost

05:43which a woman can bring to a film, and it's been some of my best experiences, and I'm

05:51working with another female director as well this year, so I think it's all about women

05:55directors right now.

05:56There has been a big shift, especially since the time that I've started in the industry

06:02till now, there has been a very, very large shift in the perception of women, how a woman

06:08is being portrayed in films more commonly, not just like the one-off film in the year.

06:15There's a lot of films with very strong female characters, a lot of films which are doing

06:20well where the female protagonist has got a very strong personality and independent

06:27mind, and I think that that's only going to keep growing and changing, and I think that's

06:32very important for not only our cinema, but for the country and the way women are looked at.

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