Mrunal Thakur ruled the 76th Cannes Film Festival with her unconventional style and charming personality. (Image: Ananth)
Mrunal Thakur spoke in an exclusive interview with News18 about her Cannes debut, wearing ensembles from the best in the fashion industry and more
The idea was to celebrate movies, fashion and me,” said actor Mrunal Thakur. And yes, the 76th Cannes Film Festival did just that! Mrunal lived her dream of representing India at the prestigious film festival, winning hearts in four iconic styles during her visit.
Dressed in an ivory evening gown with cut-out details, Mrunal Thakur looked stunning as she walked the Cannes Film Festival Red Carpet for the first time. Designed by Falguni Shane Peacock and styled by renowned stylist Rahul Vijay, Mrunal took over Cannes with her unconventional style and charming personality.
Charting quite an interesting journey from Nashik to Cannes, Mrunal Thakur spoke in an exclusive interview with News18 about her Cannes debut, wearing ensembles from the best in the fashion industry and celebrating cinema, fashion and hair on the iconic red carpet.
Excerpts from the interview:
From Nashik to Cannes, that’s quite a creative journey you’ve mapped out for yourself. How does it feel to celebrate your craft and especially Mrunal at the 76th Cannes Film Festival?
From Nashik to Cannes felt like a great journey to embark on. And I’m lucky to have been able to live this dream. It felt great representing India and it’s all thanks to Gray Goose who, along with Falguni and Shane Peacock, made this possible. It felt great to be on this global platform where film and fashion were celebrated. I am ecstatic that I could wear modern conceptions of fashion and also traditional Indian outfits on the red carpet. I loved experimenting with a hood couture look at Cannes this year, which featured an impeccable tribute to Indian craft by Anamika Khanna.
You made your red carpet debut this year, what was the first feeling or expression that came to mind when you heard you would be walking down the iconic red staircase in Cannes?
Yes, the collaboration was a great success for me. Every girl as an actor has on her to do list to attend the Cannes Film Festival and walk the red carpet. I wanted it to be a moment to remember and I’m glad I got to work with the best.
You walked the red carpet dressed in Falguni Shane Peacock. What about the outfit, the designers and the collaboration you loved the most?
I wanted my look to be versatile. I wanted it to really represent Indian culture. Falguni and Shane [Peacock] do iconic Indian looks, which is why I wanted the latest red carpet to be something out of the box. Something that has never been done before. I had a great experience with Gray Goose. They have been such great employees. The whole thought process was their ideology Vive Le Voyage, which means to celebrate the journey. The idea was to celebrate movies, fashion and me. So I am grateful for this association and look forward to many more.
Your style and acting talent have received much love over the years, something from this experience that you took with you and will always cherish in your heart?
I will cherish the energy and atmosphere that I witnessed at the festival the most. Something I observed when I came back was all the great conversations with the filmmakers I had the chance to meet and speak. To understand their craft, their inspiration behind their films. One thing I will always remember is the love of cinema that this festival celebrates. When I came back [to Mumbai] and back to filming I had this new drive and urge to learn more, perform better and I want to be part of a cinema that makes an impact and reaches a global audience.
Every year India is celebrated in Cannes through movies, celebrity red carpet moments etc. What do you think makes India in Cannes special?
It is very nice to see how a festival celebrates India and Indian films. What made this year special was seeing someone I’ve worked with, Shivendra [Singh Dungarpur] gentleman who restored the Manipuri film, Ishanou who was selected in the classic section of Cannes. It was lovely to see and chat with him. I’m glad I got the chance to meet the team of this great movie. And I look forward to these movies, including Agra and Kennedy. I was there [at Cannes] for a short time, but I look forward to seeing these movies very soon.