India, May 28 -- India bounced with joy when an Indian filmmaker named Payal Kapadia from the country's film hub Mumbai scripted history winning the Grand Prix Award at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in 2024. A year later, India's dominance at the French Riviera only expanded with the country's deeper penetration into the cultural and social arena of the prestigious festival.

From 80-year-old Sharmila Tagore to millennial reigning queen of contemporary Bollywood Alia Bhatt and of course, Cannes constant Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, India and its 'Bharat Pavilion' booked a place either inside halls or outside at the red carpet in the French city.

A 4K restored version of India's cinema legend Satyajit Ray's 1970 film, Aranyer Din Ratri, was sc...