#THROWBACK #Cannes2023. I hate, hate, hate, hate hate ‘boyfriend blouses.’ Stupid sari blouses with buttons at the back, that need a boyfriend/partner to close the buttons for you. Last year, when I was invited on the Cannes Film Festival’s Jury of the Semaine de la Critique (Critics’ Week), I’d impulsively bought online a rich black velvet blouse, with a classy hint of a gold border, that could go perfectly with a sari on Opening Night Red Carpet at Cannes. Our Jury consisted of the fabulous German actor Franz Rogowski, Sundance Director of Programming Kim Yutani, French director Audrey Diwan, Portuguese Director of Photography Rui Poças and myself. Critics’ Week’s Artistic Director Ava Cahen was most charming.

I arrived in Cannes with only a few hours left for opening night. I changed into a nice sari and rushed down to meet the jury, so we could all go together on the red carpet. Ava Cahen introduced all of us to each other. Then Franz Rogowski, THE Franz Rogowski (Passages, Undine, Transit), said, “Excuse me,” to me, then leaning over, closed the top button at the back of my sari blouse. “You look absolutely lovely,” he said, smiling. I nearly fainted with his generous compliment, but also died of shame at our awkward blouse button introduction scene. But he was so unpretentious, I was overwhelmed by his nonchalance and kindness. On D-Day, when our jury went on stage to announce the prize winners for Critics’ Week, many women nervously tottered about on high heels, but Franz turned up in a plain cotton button down shirt and pants, pointedly refusing to be cowed down by any of Cannes’ famous fashion terror nonsense, shrugging, “We’re German, you know?” I know, I know, he couldn’t care less—and it made him all the more adorable. I myself wore Rs 100 black rubber Bata shoes on the opening night red carpet because it was predicted to rain—so we had a lot in common.