Mumbai: On the evening of March 12, 2026, a book launch pulled Mumbai's film fraternity away from all of it and into a room where time moved differently. The launch of Namaste Cannes, written by Bhuvan Lall, was announced as a book event. What it became was something else entirely, a gathering of souls who understood, perhaps more than most, what it means to devote a life to the art of cinema. And when Lall stepped onto the stage, you could feel the room shift.
This was not a man promoting a product. This was a man fulfilling a promise to history, to the legends who shaped it, and to the art form he has served for thirty years across three continents. Lall spoke of pride, reverence, and awe, when he invoked the names of Chetan Anand, Satyajit Ray, V Shantaram, Bimal Roy, Raj Kapoor, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal, Mani Kaul, Shaji Karun, and many others right upto Payal Kapadia who carried India’s flag to the Croisette, the room did not applaud immediately.
It took a moment. Because some truths deserve silence before the celebration begins. That was the mark of an evening that truly mattered. Not the glamor, not the guest list, not even the book itself, though all three were exceptional, but that sense of collective recognition. The feeling, shared by everyone present, that something important had just been given its rightful place in the world.
Author Lall, speaking on the occasion, said, “Tonight, we choose to celebrate the beating heart of India’s gift to humanity: Indian Cinema. Our films have travelled and won hearts and minds for decades. Our stories crossed every border without a visa. Our music played in homes that had never seen India, yet felt they knew her. Our cinema didn’t just entertain, it embraced. Our filmmakers made strangers feel like sisters and brothers. Our storytellers turned distance into belonging. And at the heart of this miracle stood our film stars, giants who carried India on their shoulders without ever knowing it. Raj Kapoor, who made a poor man’s dream feel universal, and made Russians dance, Arabs laugh, Persians feel, and Israelis sing, all at once. Shah Rukh Khan, who transformed longing itself into a rare art form and became not just a superstar but a symbol of aspiration for millions who have never set foot on Indian soil. These filmmakers and stars are our ambassadors, defining cultural diplomacy long before the term was ever coined.”
Flanking the author, Bhuvan Lall, on the stage were three figures who require no introduction in any room that values Indian cinema. Subhash Ghai, the showman who elevated Indian cinema to new heights. Kabir Bedi, the international actor who brought Indian charisma to Italian prime time and never looked back. Ketan Mehta, the visionary director whose fearless storytelling carved a unique place in Indian film history.
Together on one stage, they were more than just guests; they embodied the context. They proved the point. They served as living proof of why this book needed to exist. The conversation that unfolded among them carried that special quality that only comes when people speak from genuine experience rather than prepared scripts.
There were moments of laughter, moments of silence, and more than a few moments that challenged the audience, prompting reflection on how much Indian cinema has given the world and how little of that story has been officially told. Ketan Anand, carrying the quiet dignity of a family name, spoke about his father, Chetan Anand, winning the first Grand Prix at Cannes in 1946.
Devieka Bhojwani, daughter of Cannes award-winning filmmaker Rajbans Khanna, recalled nostalgically about her father’s journey to Cannes in 1957. The room itself was alive with warmth. Mathieu Bejot, the French AV Attaché and connection, a reminder that the Cannes bridge runs both ways.
Oscar Winner Resul Pookutti, Deepa Sahi, radiant and gracious. Mukesh Rishi, whose presence commands attention without effort. Kashmira Shah, bringing her signature energy to an evening that needed no amplification. Filmmaker Sudipto Sen, thoughtful as ever. Anuradha Tiwari, Kumud Chowdhury, Mukesh Mathur, Bhramanand, Priya Nair, Arfi Lamba, Ashish Saxena, Jamshed Mistry, each bringing their own thread to a tapestry that grew richer as the evening deepened. And then there were the unnamed many, friends, admirers, fellow travellers of the cinematic dream.
The launch of Namaste Cannes was rendered in the spirit of a grand film festival program, gilded and cinematic. The evening was suffused with gravitas and the flamboyance it deserved: reverence for the legends, the electricity of the stage, and the emotional weight of a book that is as much an act of love as it is of scholarship.
The book and author
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(Photo courtesy: Dr Bhuvan Lall/Facebook)
Namaste Cannes offers an immersive account of India's cinematic journey at Cannes since the festival's very inception in 1946, capturing how India's vibrant storytelling, auteur filmmakers, and spirited film industry have played a defining role in shaping global perceptions and expanding India's soft power.
Bhuvan Lall is an acclaimed writer and filmmaker dedicated to portraying India's historical, spiritual, cultural, and cinematic contributions on the global stage. In a career spanning over 30 years across three continents, he has produced feature films, documentary films, a Hollywood TV Series, and world-class events, always focused on creating global content with an Indian soul.
Besides being the President of a multi-billion-dollar Indian multinational in Hollywood, Lall is one of India's most prolific writers and the biographer of Subhas Chandra Bose and Har Dayal.
