India at Cannes, the final goodbye

India made its presence felt at the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan gave the festival a blockbuster start with his opening address in Hindi, a tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema.

Big B and his The Great Gatsby co-star Leonardo DiCaprio declared the 66th Cannes officially open.

Bollywood actress and Cannes jury member Vidya Balan left folks on the French Riviera in no doubt of her nationality in her cream and black lehenga choli. Notwithstanding the fact that she did go a bit overboard with her pallu, the namaste and that million dollar smile showcased Indianness at its best.

Jaws dropped when India's global face Aishwarya Rai Bachchan made her red carpet appearance on Day 5 of the festival. After all the criticism about her weight gain last year, Ash looked slim and trim and made heads turn in all her outfits that day - at the media call in a black Zac Posen skirt and white Saint Laurent shirt, in lace Elie Saab at the screening of the film Inside Llewyn Davis, and in a black and gold embellished sari at the the 100 years of Indian cinema gala.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan next outfit was a drab and unflattering floor-length anarkali by Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla at the screening of the film Blood Ties. The outfit got no love from critics but Ash still stood out as India's cultural ambassador.

After the disastrous Abu-Sandeep anarkali, Aishwarya redeemed herself somewhat in blue Gucci and hot pink lips at the premiere of Behind The Candelabra. However, her severe updo and black clutch earned her minus points.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's last appearance at Cannes was at amfAR's 20th Annual Cinema Against AIDS gala event. Ash was the cynosure of all eyes in a shimmering Tarun Tahiliani sari, losing a bit of sheen with the matronly blouse and towering hair.

This picture of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan holding her daughter Aaradhya close to her on a Cannes balcony made for the perfect Cannes Kodak moment.

(This image was posted on Facebook by World Of Aish (WOA))

After Ash, Vidya Balan was perhaps the most talked about Indian at Cannes. Vidya was dressed exclusively in Sabyasachi but had more misses than hits. She left fashion critics in awe upon her arrival at the French Riviera in a maroon lehenga, heavily embroidered black dupatta and antique jhumkas. She also scored in a white and gold sari with a full-sleeved black blouse. However, ho-hum in a green-brown sari with a maroon blouse, and positively school-marmish in a red sari with white beads.

Thankfully for India, there was Sonam Kapoor. Her opening ceremony outfit was an Anamika Khanna vintage-look white and gold sari worn with a trailing jacket. Her second red carpet outfit was equally dramatic, a strapless floral Dolce & Gabbana dress with a voluminous skirt that she wore with her hair down and a Sunita Kapoor necklace. In between her stunning red carpet appearances, Sonam wore a gothic black net Shehla Khan lehenga with an off-shouldered choli to the Chopard party.

Nose rings upped the India quotient at Cannes this year. Sonam's outsized nose ring at the premiere of The Great Gatsby on Day 1 of the festival became the talk of Cannes. Not to be left behind, Vidya Balan gave her Sabyasachi sari a kitschy twist with blue beads and a nose ring on Day 2 of the festival.

Freida Pinto quietly set the Croisette on fire in hot pink Gucci silk chiffon halter gown on the opening day of the festival. She sparkled in a silver Sanchita dress with a thigh-high slit on the second day of the festival.

Freida Pinto and Sonam Kapoor also took time out for some girl bonding on the French Riviera. In this picture, posted on Instagram by Sonam, Freida looked like a dream in a short green dress while Sonam was stunning in a a clean-cut color blocked Huemn and Suhani Pittie sari.

Cannes favourites Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor weren't the only stars in the Indian corner. Bollywood belles Ameesha Patel and Puja Gupta made heads turn on their first visit to Cannes at the All Is Lost premiere.

Nandita Das, who was part of the jury of the Cinefondation and Short Films at Cannes, cut an elegant figure in a two tone silk sari paired with simple jewellery at the screening of Only God Forgives.

Mallika Sherawat was all prim and proper at the Cannes festival. She cut a rather subdued figure on the red carpet on day one and later attended the amFAR gala covered up in unflattering Dolce & Gabbana which bunched across her midriff and fell in a shapeless skirt.

Cannes jury member Vidya Balan had company from down south during the premiere of the film Inside Llewyn Davis.The actress, resplendent in a Sabyasachi sari, happily posed for the shutterbugs with actor and politician Chiranjeevi, his wife Surekha Konidala, son Ram Charan Teja and Ram Charan's wife Upasana on the red carpet.

It's true what they say – everybody comes to Cannes.

(This image was posted on Facebook by Bollywood's Biggest Fans Club - BBFC)

What better way to enjoy a summer lunch on the French Riviera when you have Hollywood great Steven Spielberg for company? This picture shows Vidya Balan, part of Cannes 2013 jury, enjoying what seems to be a continental lunch with the director and the jury president. (This image was posted on Facebook by Bollywood's Biggest Fans Club - BBFC)

Bombay Talkies directors Anurag Kashyap, Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar and Dibakar Banerjee walked the Cannes red carpet for the screening of their film to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema.

(This image was posted on Twitter by @kjohar25)

The Bombay Talkies directors in monsoon mode.

(This image was posted on Twitter by @kjohar25)

Cannes album: Monsoon Shootout director Amit Kumar, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vijay Verma happily posed for a picture together at the screening of their film which was presented Out of Competition at the festival.

This was Nawazuddin Siddiqui's second time at the Cannes film festival where he had a hat-trick of films being screened - Bombay Talkies, Monsoon Shootout and Dabba (The Lunchbox).

Ali Zafar also traveled to the French Riviera and happened to meet with one of his idols , the legendary Jean Claude Van Damme. Ali bumped into the star at an after-party at one of the Festival's events and couldn't contain his excitement.

Vidya Balan sealed the final day of the festival with a namaste in a floor length Sabyasachi anarkali complete with a shimmering dupatta.