Huma Qureshi says Aishwarya made Cannes important, recalls being inspired by her
At the Cannes Film Festival 2026, actor Huma Qureshi expressed that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's presence helped make global film festivals matter more to Indian actors and audiences. She said watching the Devdas actor on the red carpet made her want to do it too.
Actor Huma Qureshi spoke about Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's long association with the Cannes Film Festival. She recalled how the Devdas actor's red carpet appearances inspired her to do the same one day and said she made international film festivals matter more to Indian audiences and actors.
Huma also said her saree look at this year’s festival, was inspired by Aishwarya’s appearance at the premiere of Devdas (2002). The actor, who first came to Cannes with Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), was speaking at the Cannes Film Festival during the Red Sea Film Foundation’s Women in Cinema gala.
Inspired by Aishwarya
During a conversation with journalist Sucharita Tyagi, Huma recalled how closely she followed Aishwarya’s Cannes appearances in earlier years. She said, “I used to watch Aishwarya coming over here and doing her red carpet moments. I swear, ever since that, I was like ‘I want to do this once’.”
Huma also spoke about her outfit choice and linked it to one of Aishwarya’s best-known Cannes moments. Referring to Devdas, which premiered at Cannes in 2002, she said, “My saree look is a homage to her Devdas look,” before adding with a laugh, “I just made that up right now.” Aishwarya had attended that premiere with Shah Rukh Khan and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
“She’s really sort of made these festivals so important,” Huma added.
Why festivals still matter
Huma was also asked about taking films to festivals at a time when some filmmakers are said to be avoiding festival screenings because of concerns that reviews may affect box office collections. In response, she underlined the importance of such spaces for cinema.
She said, “In a time like this, in a world that we live in, where everything is so dependent on the algorithm working or whatever the understanding is, I feel like film festivals like this are so important.” She added, “This is nuanced, geographically, filmmaking at its finest where you have emotionally evocative stories that cut across barriers.”
Her comments come amid continuing attention on Aishwarya’s Cannes legacy. Alia Bhatt also recently called Aishwarya’s Devdas premiere look one of the most iconic Cannes appearances in her memory.