Actor Abhilash Thapliyal is back from the Cannes film festival, where his film Kennedy, co-starring Sunny Leone and Rahul Bhat, received a 7-minute standing ovation in the midnight screening section. Besides talking about his surreal experience at the world's biggest film festival, the actor, in an interview with Hindustan Times, also gave his two cents on the ongoing fashion vs films debate pertaining to Cannes. Expressing his discontent at the phenomenon where stars walk the red carpet and leave without watching the film, Abhilash said, "Now we are talking about the film, Kennedy. It got a standing ovation and I see my pics on the big billboards. But yes, it's not a MET gala, it's a film festival. The primary focus should be on films. I have read somewhere and don't know if it's correct that celebs walk the red carpet at film screenings and then leave without watching the film."
Calling the practice disrespectful, the actor continued, "It's a disrespect to that film that you are simply taking its ticket to just walk the red carpet and you are not watching the film. There is no problem in walking the red carpet, at least watch the film and share your response. It's a democratic setup, even you and I can go to Cannes if you can afford it."
Deliberating further on the importance of weighing content over looks, the actor stated that Cannes is a " festival of filmmakers, actors, directors" and hence he would like to be known for his work rather than his attire.
Talking about his red carpet debut, the actor said, "This was my first and that too at Cannes and was such an amazing experience. I have only walked the red carpet at HT Style Awards and HT OTT Awards. I had to go because my film Kennedy was screening there, otherwise I may not have been able to afford it."
Regarding his trip to Cannes, the actor revealed that he paid for his travel and stay. "Our film is not from a big production house. All of us have made this film together. If my film wasn't selected, I may not have gone there and also, I may not have got the invite," the actor concluded.
Abhilash Thapliyal, who walked the prestigious red carpet for the first time, opted for an all-black Indo-western attire. Here's how the actor attended Cannes.
Kennedy is essentially a noir film directed by Anurag Kashyap. The film stars Sunny Leone and Rahul Bhat in the lead roles and it had a midnight screening at Cannes Film Festival.
In his review for NDTV, film critic Saibal Chatterjee gave the film 3 stars out of 5 and he wrote, "In the ultimate analysis, Kennedy is as much an Anurag Kashyap film as it is a Rahul Bhat vehicle. The cinematic work and the onscreen performance complement each other to perfection."