There are two kinds of people in the world. Festival virgins and those who are not. I am proud to say that 2007 is the year that I lost it. And since one of the most revered festivals is Le Festival de Cannes-I set off to experience this earlier this year..
Le Festival de Cannes 2007, held in mid-May, was a special one for India: sharing the 60th Festival anniversary with 60 years of Indian Independence. As the most prolific film-producing country in the world, India's presence at the world's most popular film festival was assured.
The Confederation of Indian Industry is the organization that is tasked with increasing the visibility and presence of the Indian entertainment industry. It is the liaison group for the festival and helped create the schedule of events: the inauguration of the India Pavilion at the International Village, the India Focus party screenings for Indian films, and the red carpet walk for the Indian delegation.
Le Festival de Cannes is nothing short of a marvel. It is ambitious and a remarkable spectacle of foreign press, celebrities, international entrepreneurs, financiers, attorneys, publicists, filmmakers, jewelers, fashion designers and swarms of photographers hovering like bees to take that magic shot. Astonishingly enough, it is so well-organized that, despite its magnificent size, it runs like clockwork.
Movie screenings, press conferences and parties begin on time and the system of badges and invitations help control access of the feeding frenzy that surrounds wildly popular movie stars and movies. Movie-goers must-haves are Le Programme Officiel, which highlights major movie showings; and Le Quotidien, which lists daily showings. How the tiny town of Cannes - numbingly peaceful and sleepy for 11 months of the year - absorbs thousands of strangers every year is still a mystery to me.
One-star to five-star hotels are routinely booked for months and even a year in advance, and apartment rents jump tenfold during the festival. My last-minute apartment rental was a steal - an unheard of 500 Euros for the duration of the festival. As a credentialed press badge holder, I was allowed entry into screenings. I saw movie after movie - from the disturbing American film "Live!" to the boring Russian epic "Alexandra." I walked out of only one movie - "Cougar Club" - because of its juvenile and unamusing humor.
The most heartwrenching movie I saw was "Veyil," a Tamil tale of two brothers, by Shankar Pictures. I also saw "A Mighty Heart," "Ocean's 13," and "Cheeni Kum." Amitabh Bachchan, the star of "Cheeni Kum," attended this screening, and I reminded him of our exclusive interview many years ago when I was a fledgling journalist.
Like hundreds of disappointed festival-goers, I stood in line in vain to see Michael Moore's "Sicko," which received a tremendous amount of publicity in Cannes, equal to the summer publicity it is now receiving in the U.S.
Invariably, the question most often asked is which Hollywood celebrities I saw. I caught a glimpse of the frighteningly-thin Angelina Jolie as she walked up the red carpet with Brad Pitt, and Mariane and Adam Pearl at the "A Mighty Heart" opening. I ran into Sharon Stone and her trail of fans while shopping in Cannes. I saw Leonardo deCaprio at a press conference, and I introduced myself to the perennial sunglass-wearing Karl Lagerfeld at an evening soiree.
India's presence was ubiquitous. From Aishwarya Rai's attendance at the start of the festival to the HP-sponsored pavilion at the Hotel Majestic led by Satjiv Chahil, HP marketing head. In the Festival Press Room, I struck a friendship with Raj Dani, a London-based writer and filmmaker. And I had the most fun at the India Focus party sponsored by CII. It was held on the beach spot claimed by Hotel Majestic, and we were given beautiful silk scarves as we entered. There I discussed the nuances of filmmaking with seasoned Indian, European and American movie industry professionals, as well as young Indian hopefuls.
Indian cuisine and a spectacular view of the yachts lining the Cannes ports of the Mediterranean Sea added to the celebration. CII Deputy Director General Ajay Khanna and N. Vidyasagar, editor of Picklemag.com, a weekly digital trade magazine of the film entertainment business in India, welcomed me to the group.
But just as I felt India's presence, so, too, did I feel that it should have been more pervasive and more permeating in all facets of the festival. In the book "King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema," author Anupama Chopra says, "Hindi films function as a global glue, binding together Indians across generations, geography, religion and age...(an) estimated 20 million non-resident Indians scattered across 110 countries." I submit that it connects more than just Indians; who hasn't heard of Bollywood? Indian films have crossed over to mainstream cinema in many countries, and this phenomenon is just beginning in America.
Chopra says "Bollywood visibility on the world stage as a vibrant and profoundly popular art form was part of a larger Indian economic and cultural renaissance." And as beauty and entertainment are inextricably linked, it doesn't hurt that Indian women regularly appear as finalists for the Miss World and Miss Universe beauty pageants; that at least four of them took the crown last decade; and that India's top actress Aishwarya Rai is considered by some as the most beautiful woman in the world.
So why did I - a physician reporter - go to the festival? My answer is frustratingly simple: because I could. Moreover, anyone who can, should. Le Festival de Cannes is a sight to behold, a brilliant gathering of entertainment and entertainers, an incredible experience. It truly is the "Festival of a Lifetime."

Dr. Prerna Mona resides in Dallas, Texas and can be reached by email at pmkhanna@pol.net.

What did you think about this article? Have you been to Cannes? We want to know about your experiences. Email your thoughts to us at editor@indianlifeandstyle.com.