Cannes Day 6 - The Hero's Return

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Sun, glorious sun!! It's back, the sun and along with it someone who we had last seen nineteen years back. The team of George Lucas, Spielberg and Harrison Ford have brought Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to Cannes for its premier.

From the early hours of the morning people were walking about in town with the trademark faux Indy Fedoras (hats). It was like the raid of the cowboys in the land of cheese and wine.

I finally got to wear my shorts and flip-flops today. As I stepped out of the hotel for the day, there they were, the Moroccans, back, selling - not umbrellas but guess what? Sunglasses!! Brilliant! These guys had huge boards slung over their shoulders on which shades of various sizes, makes and colours were hung. This time round they didn't see any point asking a man wearing spectacles.

The first appointment of the day was to be what the rumour-mongers were right about.

Reliance BIG pictures (the overseas arm of Reliance BIG entertainment) announced that they had tied a string of development deals with a list of top Hollywood talents: Nicholas Cage's Saturn Prods, Jim Carrey's JC23 entertainment, George Clooney's Smokehouse Prods, Chris Columbus' 1492 Pictures, Tom Hanks' Playtone Prods, Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment and Jay Roach's Everyman Pictures.

The deals are being called as "production silos" which will enable these stars to pick up or nurture movie projects before taking them to the studios with which they have first look arrangements. Subsequently, the deal will also allow them to fund 50 per cent of the production expenses and eventually give them distribution rights in India. This deal has made headlines here, the industry watchers are calling it the "Bollywood invasion", wonder how Mr Bachchan will react to this, considering he takes offence to the word "Bollywood".

I could not secure a pass for the Indian Jones Press conference for the afternoon as when the bookings were being secured I was at the Reliance press conference. By the time I reached the accreditation office, the only thing I could secure was a press pack for the film that had a miniature Indiana Jones fedora that covered my thumb. So, with my miniature fedora and my thumb I went to the pressroom to watch the proceedings on a TV screen. I wasn't the only one with the fedora there. At least 10 journos had them on their thumbs and were giving a sign of acknowledgement to each other.

It wasn't just the press area that had caught the Indy fever, Cannes witnessed a gridlock of shrieking onlookers outside the red carpet area which surpassed the energy of any event so far during the 61st festival. Hundreds of fans had filled the area wearing faux Indy Fedoras, just waiting patiently to catch a glimpse of their hero.

One of the other interesting bits of the festival I must mention here - the members of the press gets passes for the main red carpet event which takes place every evening. For this they need to queue up every morning inside the accreditation office and depending on the number of seats available each person gets one or two tickets. Now, outside the gates of the press area, you will find festival goers holding placards requesting for these tickets (in case a journo does not want to go for the screening). Some of them start early morning, men wearing tuxedos and women wearing their finest red carpet gowns. In the case of Indiana Jones, this was the hottest ticket in town. If someone gets a ticket it's like he or she has won a lottery.

I, of course, didn't have the tickets for the film but took consolation that I could watch the film tomorrow at a separate press screening. I was queuing up for another film inside the festival hall when I saw someone very familiar. The Guide was in town. With the trademark dangle of his neck, Dev Anand was standing with a coterie of people surrounding him. I think he was being shown around the main festival hall. How old is the man? To me he didn't look any older than my uncle who's 55.

The digitally restored print of his film The Guide is being screened here in the festival on the 20th in the "retrospective section". I introduced myself and asked him if he's free for an interview before his screening. He has given me his hotel room number and said that we could meet up for tea sometime tomorrow evening. What is with me and dates with older gentlemen?

I mean, no offence to these great characters (first it was Woody now its Dev Anand) why couldn't Penelope or Preity or Angelina say the same? Well, so be it. I have another date in Cannes!

Tomorrow I shall try to get a ticket for the main red carpet premiere, and give this to someone outside. I'll try and see if there is someone who has waited a long while. It's not difficult to do that, each time we go in and out of the press area, they will be standing outside waiting patiently with placards reading "tickets (name of film) se'vous plez ".

What are film festivals without these film buffs! They are the reason for which these films are made and they will ultimately decide how the film does. I suppose some of them got to watch Indiana's return but for the rest who didn't, I know they will be back outside the doors yet again tomorrow with their "se' vous plez"!