Deepika Padukone on being a part of Cannes jury: There's a different sort of mindset I will be going with

Deepika Padukone, who is on the jury for the Cannes Film Festival this year, expresses her gratitude for the opportunity to represent India on a worldwide stage and believes that Indian cinema is set for a global breakthrough. 

During an interaction with The Times of India, the actor said that this isn't only a personal achievement for her. She sees it as a bigger win for everyone from our corner of the planet. There is a sense of gratitude and being really overwhelmed after being an actor for 15 years, for one's work to finally be recognised on a worldwide level like this and to be able to represent the country.

Though she's had a stronghold in Bollywood for a long time with roles in Gehraiyaan (2022), Chhapaak (2020), and Piku (2015), she also had a stint in Hollywood with Vin Diesel starrer xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. When asked if this global recognition was something she planned for or anticipated, Deepika stated that she always had this core idea that if one puts their energy behind something with the appropriate intention, it will manifest. All they need is the good aim and, she believes, patience. So, deep down inside, the actor has always believed that this is where we belong, and she is not just speaking for herself, but for all South Asian talent in general.

Deepika went on to say that it appears like this is finally happening. It should have happened much sooner, but the actor guesses things happen at their own pace. It took generations of effort from a variety of people to bring them to a global level.

Deepika, who has represented India on the red carpet, now hopes to do so as a jury member. Whenever she went to Cannes in the past, the expectations were quite different. When the actor had gone there before, there was a "fun factor," and she has never apologised for it. But Deepika believes that as a jury member, she will adopt a new perspective.

While India has had various jury members, celebrities on the red carpet, and film screenings at Cannes over the years, Indian films have been absent from the coveted competition categories since the 1990s. On being quizzed, what's missing Deepika responded by saying that India is such a vast country with 1.3 billion people. Within our own country, there are numerous countries. According to the actor, a significant portion of our creative energy has gone into sort of serving and meeting those desires. She also believes it will only be a matter of time until we see such a global breakthrough.