Nandita in Cannes to find producers for film

CANNES: Actor-director Nandita Das visited the recently-concluded Cannes Film Festival to look for producers and financiers for her upcoming film on famous Urdu short story writer Saadat Hasan Manto.
The actress’ earlier visits to the Cannes festival was occasioned by her being on the festival jury twice, but this time she had another purpose.
Known for her roles in films like ‘Fire,’ ‘Earth’ and ‘Bawander,’ Nandita said that she got to watch only two films this time.
“But then I had gone there for a purpose and wanted to focus on just that. This time I had to find producers and financiers for my upcoming film on Manto and answer questions that were not always about the creative aspects of the project. After all pitching for a film was a completely new terrain for me,” Nandita told PTI.
“Here directors are truly celebrated and often the standing ovation and applause they get can go on till your hands hurt. Sadly back home, much of the press is about who wore what, while there is lot else that is far more significant that happens,” she said. According to her, Manto believed in connections of the mind and heart and didn’t give much importance to national identities and boundaries.