Can Ash, Nandita 'n' Mallika do it?

They have invaded the perimeters of the most famous festival at the French Riviera, making it different from before, writes Meeta Bhatnagar.

It's that time of the year again. The 58th chapter of the International Cannes Film Festival. The art élevé of movie shindigs began this Wednesday and with it a slew of opinions and commentaries that normally, would have nothing to do with the 'desi junta' in Atlanta.

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So, why is it making so much hoopla this year? Three reasons - Aishwarya Rai, Nandita Das and Mallika Sherawat.

Which basically mean that Indian cinema, rather a confounding and entertaining jamboree of Indian actresses has inadvertently invaded the perimeters of the world's most famous festival at the French Riviera and in dong so has for better or worse become the 'slice of life' that the world will recognise as the prototype of Indian filmdom.

Interestingly, between them the three actresses represent everything that Bollywood is and is not. Or so we think.

There's Aishwarya Rai, who is becoming the favourite target of the Diaspora angst and ire owing to her cagey, giggly and incoherent mumbo jumbo at Letterman and Oprah.

There's Mallika Sherawat, the spitfire in-your-face persona of the rebellious new brat pack whose infamy goes a notch higher, as her lips never tire of working overtime - on screen and off it.

And then there's Nandita Das, who most would agree is a 'serious' actor, the antithetical figure of a heroine in a song and dance trapeze. In short, she is what Ash is not (even down to her bright red sari) and she is most certainly what Mallika is not (is she now? She 'fire's differently).

However, we the Indian outlanders here are apt to be more charitable than the press back home and therefore have taken a long time mulling over the very premise that sees these three ladies at the helm of affairs at an event that most people feel should woo the crème de la crème of Indian cinema and not a shadow montage and freak phenoms.

Fans of the 'mistress of spice' (sometime back she was just cold ice) would vehemently disagree on Ash being a freak success. Ash, who was on the Cannes jury in 2003, has consistently mapped her success route internationally and (to her credit) is probably the only ex Miss World who has been reminded that she is (not was) the most beautiful woman on earth, even the most 'searched' on the Web.

But for someone who has now gone on to open the festival with Alexander Payne, she has only a handful of serious performances to her credit and for whatever it's worth, even fewer critics' nods.

Yet, we are stuck on her garb. We are happy that Neeta Lulla is out and Armani and Gucci are in.

Nandita Das who makes her debut as a juror this year in the company of director Agnes Varda, director Emir Kusturica, actress Salma Hayek, actor Javier Bardem and director Benoit Jacquot looks almost as anxious as the rest of us to set herself up as a quintessential, true-to-the-roots Indian actress representing the creative, original, artsy, gutsy and nouveau side of the Bollywood pie. And what does she do? She turns up in scorching scarlet on the opening night.

Finally, Mallika who is expected to do the rounds beginning May 15 to promote her movie The Myth in which she plays an Indian princess is revved up with her big leap from Haryana to Cannes in a matter of months.

One doesn't know what to rue here - the fact that it's not a great idea to harangue about 'coming from a small town and making it big'- it has been done before with half the resources and publicity, or the fact that here is an actress who does in fact have a bona fide claim to international stardom, playing as she does Jackie Chan's leading lady - and blows it prematurely by waxing eloquent about donning diamonds instead of priding herself about her as yet unique achievement.

Someone needs to tell her that there is a difference between thirty kisses and Chan, it's the difference that could turn her notoriety into fame - and then she can ramble on endlessly about her humble beginnings - to an international press fraternity who'd be keen to lap up the Indian rags to riches saga anyway!

While a fresh-cut restored print of Satyajit Ray's classic Pather Panchali makes a splendid return and while Darshan - The Embrace, a film on Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, (Amma), directed by French film maker Jan Koun gets an official nod in the shadow of the prestigious Palme d'Or, one can only hope that India's cinematic showcase does indeed find positive expression in the person of these three actresses.

In the final analysis it will not matter whether Ash looks better this year, or whether Nandita looks all set to fly into medieval India or if Mallika's body is indeed guarded, precious. It will not matter that other hugely talented actors fade away as the curtain goes up on this year's gig. It will matter though if these brides make the myth a reality, unprejudiced that is.