Rasika Dugal, the lead alongside Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Nandita Das’ Manto was seen lending support to the Time is Up event at Cannes. It was the biggest event of the festival where 82 powerful women from across cinemas of the world took to the red carpet, to lend their support to the #METOO campaign globally. The event was attended by some of the strongest women actors like Jane Fonda, Ava Duvernay, Marion Cottilard, Patty Jenkins and Nandita Das. Cate Blanchett and Kristen Stewart lead the protest along the red carpet before the premiere of Eva Husson’s Girls of The Sun.
Dugal who is currently in Cannes for the screening of Manto, which was in the Un Certain Regard category, joined the protest and cheered as Cate Blanchett gave many statistics on the gender disparities of the festival. Dugal added, “There are very few times when you are part of a historical moment and you know it. This was one of those. It was a very emotional experience holding hands and walking in solidarity with 82 women at Cannes. Not much was said but yet many of us were moved to tears. The unspoken regard and understanding and solidarity for the challenges we have all had to face to be here was so powerful. It was my first time at the Palais de festivals red carpet at the Cannes film festival and I shared that moment with Salma Hayek, Patty Jenkins, Nandita Das and so many other women. I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction. Cate Blanchett’s powerful speech just made me feel more than ever how important this is. I mean we know there is rampant gender discrimination and we face it everyday (in so many small things) but just to have the numbers like that makes me feel like it's about time.”
Divya Dutta
Dutta channelled grace and elegance in an off white and gold Neeta lulla Sari at the premiere of her film Manto directed by Nandita Das on the French Riviera. A periodic biopic, Manto is part of the official selection in the Un Certain Regard section of the 71st Cannes Film festival, which premiered on Sunday.
Director Nandita Das along with the Manto team — Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Divya Dutta, Rasika Duggal, Purab Kohli, Rajshree Deshpande, Tahir Raj Bhasin were present. Also spotted was Huma Qureshi, attending the screening.
later in the evening, Dutta opted for a custom-made contemporary Neeta lulla sari as she attended the fashion for relief gala in Cannes. The gala saw the who’s who of the international film world in attendance.
Paani —a true story
Priyanka Chopra’s Purple Pebble Pictures (PPP) announced the details of their latest Marathi film production. Titled Paani, the film, helmed by first time director Adinath Kothare, is based on a true story that deals with an insurmountable crisis affecting an entire region. This is the fourth Marathi production for PPP and is in line with their objective of promoting regional cinema and providing a platform for new talent.
Inspired by the true story of a common man and his village, Nagdarwadi, situated in the drought prone Marathwada region of Maharashtra; the film is a beautifully woven tale of human struggle and true love and aims to drive home a key message, critical to the world we live in today.
The film starring Adinath Kothare, Rucha Vaidya, Subodh Bhave, Kishor Kadam, Girish Joshi and Rajit Kapoor, went on floors on May 10.
Speaking about the film, Priyanka Chopra said, “At Purple Pebble Pictures, we want to tell good stories, give new talent a chance and provide the audience with an entertaining experience. There are many stories that reflect the realities of the world we live in and I believe it’s very important to showcase them and bring that message to more people in a way that they can connect with. Paani is one such story and we’re looking forward to working with Adinath.”
PPP’s previous Marathi productions include Ventilator (2016), directed by Rajesh Mapuskar; Kaay Re Rascala (2017), directed by Giridharan Swamy and the upcoming release Firebrand, directed by Aruna Raje. PPP stands committed to supporting stories that are content-driven, irrespective of language or any boundaries and has produced films in Bhojpuri, Punjabi and Assamese.