Star struck at Cannes

Today, I interviewed the cast of Restless, the new Gus Van Sant movie about a relationship between a boy obsessed with death, and a girl dying of cancer. The film features three pedigree names: producer Bryce Dallas Howard, actor-daughter of filmmaker Ron Howard (two time Oscar-nominee director of films like Frost/Nixon and A Beautiful Mind; the lead actor, Henry Hopper, son of legendary actor Dennis Hopper; and, Schuyler Fisk, daughter of Oscar-winning actor Sissy Spacek. The cast is intriguing, as there seems to be less nepotism in Hollywood than there is in Bollywood. Moreover, unlike Bollywood kids, these actors weren’t fiercely encouraged to join showbiz from the day they were born.

When Bryce told her parents that she wanted to be an actor, Ron discouraged her. He said that if there was anything else that interested her, she should try that first. While, Henry, who started out as a painter, said his father’s advice to him was: be cool. Bryce said she was aware of the privileged position she enjoys. This made me wonder, why we rarely hear our actors say so? Why is stardom and an acting career taken for granted?

The most poignant part of the interview was when Van Sant said that Dennis Hopper, who died last year, saw Restless on a DVD and said that Henry reminded him of himself when he was young.

Demure Diva

Actor and jury member Uma Thurman continued her winning streak at the red carpet with this white Chanel gown at the screening of Pirates of the Caribbean. Thurman has been spending lot of time with actor and co-jury member Jude Law.

India effect

Filmmakers Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Shekhar Kapur arrived on the red carpet before the premiere of their film Bollywood — The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, and were welcomed by dancers in Indian outfits. The festival director Thierry Fremaux asked the audience to dance during the film too, but no one took up the invitation; also a number of viewers were seen leaving early.