AR Rahman, the Academy award-winning musician, recently revealed the first look of his upcoming musical documentary Headhunting to Beatboxing at the Cannes Film Festival 2024. The film, which Rahman has produced, is directed by Rohit Gupta, with a team of executive producers including Abu Metha, Adam J. Greig, and others. The unveiling took place at India’s Bharat Pavilion during the festival.
In addition to Rahman’s documentary, trailers for the Gujarati film Harna and the Indo-US co-production Paro were also launched at the Bharat Pavilion. Harna, directed by Nitin G, stars Pratik Gandhi and Brinda Trivedi, while Paro, directed by Gajendra Ahire, features Taha Shah Bahusha and Trupti Bhoir. Meanwhile, Niharica Raizada, the granddaughter of legendary musician OP Nayyar, unveiled first looks for four films from her production house Raizada Entertainment, including Tara, Merci, Aadrika, and Being Alive. The trailer for Bhaskar Vishwanathan’s Attempt One was also showcased at the venue.
India’s solo film in competition at Cannes Film Festival 2024, Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, secured a buyer with Sideshow and Janus Films at the Marche du Cannes. The film, competing for Palme d’Or, was acquired for theatrical rights in North America. Another Indian film, Sandhya Suri’s Santosh, was also picked up at the market by Metrograph Pictures. AR Rahman’s Can I Go Home Now had a market screening at Marche du Film on May 21.
Several other Indian films were also featured at the festival, including Chidanand S Naik’s Sunflowers Were First Ones To Know, Mansi Maheshwari’s Bunnyhood, and Karan Kandhari’s Sister Midnight, among others. A section dedicated to horror films, Lets Spook Cannes, showcased Indian films such as Manoj Annadurai’s Iruvam and Pranab J Deka’s Kooki. Indian actor-filmmaker Richa Chadha’s Girls Will Be Girls was screened under the Cannes Écrans Juniors category.
The Classics section at Cannes featured Shyam Benegal’s Manthan, preserved and recently restored by the NFDC-National Film Archive of India. Additionally, Indian cinematographer Santosh Sivan was honored with the prestigious Pierre Angenieux Tribute, becoming the first Indian and Asian to receive the award. He also delivered a masterclass for Cannes delegates, making him the first Indian to do so. The festival continues to showcase the best of Indian cinema on the global stage.
