Bollywood actress Huma Qureshi has credited Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for making the Cannes Film Festival a significant platform for Indian actors, saying her iconic red carpet moments inspired her own journey to the global stage.
As she attended the Red Sea Film Foundation’s Women in Cinema gala, Qureshi revealed that watching Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at the Cannes Film Festival inspired her dream of walking the famous red carpet one day.
“I used to watch Aishwarya coming over here and doing her red carpet moments. I swear, ever since that, I was like ‘I want to do this once'," Qureshi said, as she also reflected on her Cannes journey, which began years ago with 'Gangs of Wasseypur'.
Talking about her Cannes fashion choices, Qureshi revealed that her saree look this year was kind of inspired by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s iconic appearance in 'Devdas', where she starred alongside Shah Rukh Khan in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film. 'My saree look is a homage to her 'Devdas' look,' she said, later joking about the whole statement, like it’s no big deal or something.
She also mentioned that Aishwarya’s presence at Cannes over the years has made international film festivals feel more meaningful for Indian audiences and artists, as the whole vibe got bigger. 'She's really made these festivals so important,' Huma noted, and then she credited Aishwarya for helping connect Indian cinema with global platforms, bridging that gap, bit by bit.
