After Her Cannes-Special Post Prompted "Unintended Debate," Nandita Das' Clarification

Nandita Das has shared several lovely images from her appearances at the film festival

Nandita Das is known for her unique voice in cinema and has impressed critics and viewers with her acting skills and directorial prowess. Her work has taken her to some of the world's most prestigious film events including the Cannes film festival. So, when the multi-hyphenate shared a post on how the conversations about Cannes this year have come to be dominated by the fashion choices of attendees instead of the films, the internet took notice. What followed was a debate on whether the right representatives were at the Cannes film festival. However, the debate was not the objective of Nandita Das' post, she has said in a new post. In a new upload, containing lovely images from her many appearances at the film festival, she wrote, “It seems like my post about Cannes has sparked an unintended debate! It's amusing how a spontaneous sharing of thoughts and throwback images was perceived to be ‘a dig'! Pointing fingers is a pointless exercise. Things are often more nuanced than we think they are”

Speaking about the fashion element attached to the film festival and the Cannes red carpet in particular, Nandita Das said, “At such events, men have far less pressure about how they look. They can repeat their tuxedos, and no one will know or care. Whereas women have a much greater burden of looking beautiful, sexy, regal, stylish, stunning, unique etc. etc. Blaming them is overlooking the role each of us plays in perpetuating this disproportionate pressure. The celebrities, the festival, the media, and us viewers and readers…we are all complicit.”

Urging people to not colour her statement with hyperbole, Nandita Das added, “Please read my posts for what they are and not what you think is between the lines! I dislike sitting on judgment just as much as I don't like to be judged for my choices. Nuances are often lost in short-form communications. For instance, I should not have written that the festival is about films because it is also about conversations and collaborations between filmmakers, storytellers, producers, technicians, and film lovers. That was between the lines.”

Speaking about Cannes in particular, Nandita Das offered a glimpse of her experience over the years, “A lot of the festival happens outside the Palais, in the informal spaces - in cafes and lobbies and on the Croisette and streets of Cannes. Over the years I have met some incredible minds and made friends that are going to last a lifetime. There is a reason why such events are called ‘festivals'. And in festivals, people are meant to wear festive clothes! As long as we don't limit ourselves to it or obsess about it, we are doing justice to such experience.”