The Cannes Film Festival began this year with its grand opening ceremony on May 13, marked by the prestigious Palme d'Or d'Honneur presentation. Now in its 78th edition, the festival continues to celebrate diverse voices from around the world. While the red carpet may see fewer familiar Indian faces this year with actors like Alia Bhatt reportedly skipping the festival due to ongoing conflict in India, Indian cinema is still making a strong impression through its films.

This year’s selection features a mix of restored classics and new voices, student films and high-profile premieres. Making a significant mark is Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, selected for the Un Certain Regard section — Cannes’ home for daring and innovative cinema. Ghaywan, best known for Masaan, returns with another introspective film that taps into the realities of small-town India.

With Homebound, he crafts a story of dignity, friendship, and the aspirations of the overlooked. Starring Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter, with their first Cannes appearances, alongside Vishal Jethwa, the film signals a subtle shift in their cinematic trajectories. Homebound, backed by Dharma Productions earlier made the news when Martin Scorsese joined the film as an executive producer.

Also entering Cannes through the gates of Un Certain Regard is Anupam Kher, returning not just to direction but to the festival after decades in front of the camera. His new film Tanvi The Great is scheduled for a May 17 screening, ahead of its wider theatrical release. Set against the tranquillity of the mountains, the film follows Tanvi, a school-going girl from an army family who finds solace in music, nature, and a dream to serve her country.

The teaser, cryptic yet compelling, hints at themes of identity and purpose. Making his silver screen debut is television and streaming star Karan Tacker, joining an ensemble cast of stalwarts Boman Irani, Jackie Shroff, Arvind Swami, and even Game of Thrones actor Iain Glen.

Meanwhile, Cannes also becomes a site of reflection and remembrance, thanks to the Film Heritage Foundation’s meticulous 4K restoration of Satyajit Ray’s 1970 classic Aranyer Din Ratri. Set for a special screening in the Cannes Classics section, the film will see two of its original cast members — Sharmila Tagore and Simi Garewal in attendance.

Ray’s meditative tale of four men escaping the monotony of city life into the forests of Palamau has long been hailed for its insight into modern alienation and self-discovery. With support from The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project, L’Immagine Ritrovata, Janus Films, and Criterion Collection, the restored version allows a new generation to engage with Ray’s delicate humanism in all its visual richness.

This year’s Marché du Film entry Charak takes on belief with a confrontational lens. Directed by Sheiladitya Moulik and produced by Sudipto Sen (known for The Kerala Story), Charak is rooted in the disturbing, often painful rituals of Bengal’s Charak Puja. It’s a film that stares unflinchingly at the extremes people are willing to endure in the name of religion. Earlier shown at the European Film Market in Berlin, Charak represents a strand of Indian cinema unafraid to interrogate inherited practices.

In the La Cinef section, which showcases promising new voices in student filmmaking, Kokob Gebrehaweria Tesfay, a young Ethiopian student at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), presents A Doll Made Up of Clay. This 23-minute short carries the weight of displacement and desire. Focusing on African migrants in Kolkata — particularly underpaid footballers — the film probes questions of identity, marginalisation, and dignity in a city that is both welcoming and indifferent. Tesfay’s lens is precise, compassionate, and reflective of the kind of cross-cultural narratives emerging from Indian institutions today.

Together, these films form a mosaic — one that doesn’t merely showcase Indian cinema but expands its possibilities. From the haunting pull of tradition to the ache of ambition, India’s cinematic presence at Cannes this year is marked by stories from the glories of the past to futures still in the making.

Keep track of all the action at Cannes via their website for regular updates.

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