Watch: Minister L Murugan Inaugurates India Pavilion At Cannes Film Festival

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan on Wednesday inaugurated the India Pavilion at the 76th Cannes Film Festival. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Murugan highlighted India's "timeless tradition of storytelling" that was increasingly being recognised around the world.

"You will not find too many Hollywood films these days that do not have names of Indians in the credits, especially in the VFX and animation departments," the minister said.

He went on to point out that the foundations of "our creative economy" are so strong that "India is well placed to become the world's leading content creator".

Referring to the Oscar won this year by Kartiki Gonsalves' short documentary "The Elephant Whisperers", the minister said the story of Bomman and Bellie is set in Mudumalai, which is close to my hometown. "The film has touched the hearts of people across the world."

L Murugan spoke after Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur addressed the attendees via a video recorded message.

The minister unveiled the poster of the upcoming 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) to be held in Goa in November.

Guneet Monga, producer of "The Elephant Whisperers", was seated on the dais. Among others on the dais were actors Vijay Varma and Sara Ali Khan.

Later in an Instagram post, Guneet Monga said she is "delighted" to be at the Cannes Film Festival 2023 as a part of the Indian government delegation.

"India is now on the global stage in world cinema, and it's an honour to be a part of this momentous occasion," she wrote alongside a picture from the gala's red carpet with L Murugan and Manipuri actor Kangabam Tomba.

The producer returned to the prestigious festival a decade after two of her productions "The Lunchbox" as part of International Critics' Week and "Monsoon Shootout" under the Midnight Screenings section premiered at Cannes.

"It's great to be back home at Cannes. I love the energy of the festival and just walking up and down the street, meeting friends from the fraternity and celebrating cinema," she said.

"It makes my heart swell with pride to see Indian cinema being cherished on a global stage at a prestigious film festival such as Cannes. To be able to celebrate the power of Indian cinema and witness its ability to bring people together is no less than a spectacle," L Monga further said in her post.

Also on the dais on the festival's opening day was Guillaume Esmiol, the executive director of the Cannes Marche du Film.

Guillaume Esmiol acknowledged that Indian cinema was more and more connected to the global movie business, which makes the country very important for the festival.

In his keynote address, Jawed Ashraf, India's ambassador to France and the Principality of Monaco, said: "Cinema is intricately, and inextricably, linked to the lives of the people of India."

He added: "Our movie industry is doing a job that diplomats are meant to do: making the world dance to India's tune." India, Ashraf said, has emerged as a hub for digital content. "Everything is going to migrate to AI (artificial intelligence). No country is better placed than India to lead the revolution that is about to come."

The Pavilion has been designed by the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, using colours associated with the Hindu goddess of learning Saraswati and the Indian national flag.

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