Bollywood actors have no spine left, they are busy promoting brands: Vivek Agnihotri on Cannes Film Festival

The Cannes Film Festival is all about fashion, not movies, according to filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri.

Vivek Agnihotri, a director, recently tweeted that the just-ended Cannes Film Festival is intended for "showcasing films and it's not a fashion show." He further explained his position to reporters, saying, “Films have been replaced by fashion. And that too, with the kind of fashion which is to create sensation, instead of being real. Now, looking weird and to shock the audience is in fashion".

Agnihotri recalls the time he attended the Cannes Film Festival for his movie The Tashkent Files and understood right away that "it has become more of a fashion show." He said, “I witnessed that fashion models (actors and influencers) wearing weird costumes was the main attraction at the red carpet. And the greatest of the actors and directors walked by and nobody cared about them. In fact, they were being pushed around".

When asked why Bollywood actors are quiet on this whole scenario of fashion taking over films at Cannes, Agnihotri retorts, “They are busy doing brand promotions and that’s why they have to keep quiet. It’s like if you dance at somebody’s wedding and take money for it, you can’t criticise the food at the wedding. They have no spine left. Also, Bollywood actors have become social media influencers, so they are not acting anymore. For them, life is cool.