Virtual Reality, Gaming, and extended Reality are the ever-expanding areas where young startups can pitch in with their fresh ideas, says minister
Our Bureau
Cannes (France)
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan on Sunday addressed the participants of the Start-up pitching session at Cannes Next, and said that India is one of the biggest and most lucrative movie markets.
At the onset, Murugan commended the organisers for the excellent initiative at Cannes Next, which has given a prominent platform to budding talent and startups in the field of audio-visual production and movie making. Speaking on the importance of India as film making hub, he said, “With more than 2,000 films being produced in so many different languages every year, India is the largest producer of films, full of talented and creative filmmakers. With a 1.3 billion population, it offers one of the biggest and most lucrative movie markets. India is a great land of storytellers and moviemakers and now it is emerging as a content hub of the world.”
He further added that being one of the largest producers and consumers of smartphones, movies now find their way to every individual through OTT platforms and other internet-based media, thus giving direct access to individual movie watchers. “With one of the biggest pools of technical and software talent, India has necessary skills and technology available in the modern business of films, especially in the field of technical aspects of film making,” he said.
Encouraging the start-ups, the Minister said that Animation, Virtual Reality, Gaming, and extended Reality are the ever-expanding areas where young startups can pitch in with their fresh ideas. Expressing happiness that five startups from India were pitching in Cannes, Murugan said, “I hope their ideas will influence the producers, and financers and business enthusiasts, and get the wider platform for their product. I am happy that they are moving from the Local stage to the Global stage. And what could be better than this platform available at Cannes Film Festival, itself.”
Cannes Next is an executive conference and innovation-driven business development platform, exploring the future of the entertainment sector. It is a unique gathering enhancing partnerships and fostering business opportunities by connecting world-class creativity with cutting-edge business and technological innovation.
Aditi Rao Hydari 
Deepika Padukone
This is a new segment inspired by top-tier visionaries and decision-makers through a tailor-made series of inspiring conferences, keynotes, and panel discussions; to grow the network with creatives, clients, and tech companies, among our various events.
Meanwhile, actor and filmmaker R Madhavan’s biographical drama movie ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’, which is based on the life of renowned scientist Nambi Narayanan, premiered at the 75th Cannes Film Festival on Thursday. Madhavan, who has directed, produced and written the film in addition to acting in it, was present at the screening along with Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur and Nambi himself. Nambi is a former ISRO scientist and aerospace engineer who was caught in the throes of a spy scandal and was falsely accused of espionage.
Following the film’s premiere, Madhavan expressed gratitude by saying, “We would like to really thank our Minister Thakur and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and everybody who came here and made it possible at such short notice. We couldn’t have asked for a better stage to showcase this film. Thank you so very much.”
“So proud of you,” Thakur said to Madhavan as he showcased his love for the film by hugging the actor. He further also addressed Nambi and said, “This is the least we could do.”
While Cannes Film Festival brings world fashion divas on stage, jury member Deepika Padukone stays steps ahead of her peers, dazzling in her versatile looks to send the shutter boxes on a tizzy.
Bollywood diva Deepika Padukone took to her Instagram handle and shared a series of pictures and video clips of her 5th day look at the festival. The ‘Padmaavat’ actor took to her Instagram handle and shared a series of pictures and video clips showcasing her look at the prestigious event.
The 36-year-old shared a stunning video, giving a glimpse of her OOTD.
Actor Aishwarya Rai and husband Abhishek Bachchan along with daughter Aaradhya were spotted at the Mumbai airport, on Saturday, May 21, as the three of them returned to India after attending the Cannes Festival of this year. The diva made headlines for her family outings, in addition to her stunning appearances at the festival. Aishwarya donned a printed long blazer teamed with denim, carrying a black coloured bag, simple yet gorgeous.
Junior Bachchan chose to wear a green coloured long jacket and might have also paired yellow rimmed glasses with his attire, as they can be seen hanging to his tees.
