When the world seems close to pear shaped,
When leaders fill you with despair
When things look dark and dreary
And love seems far too rare -
CUDDLE A DUCK
[ It works ...]
Having me here in Paris and screening my films is itself an honour for me. But a sweet surprise I never saw coming. It is a feeling I cannot fully put into words. To have a permanent place in the halls of one of the world’s most legendary film institutions, named after the great Henri Langlois himself, is something I will carry with me forever.
My deepest gratitude to the legendary Mr. Costa Gavras and the entire Cinémathèque Française family for this honour, and for embracing Indian cinema with such warmth and love. 🙏
Visited the Lumière Museum and the screening room where Eega and RRR was screened to a full house in Lyon, France.
Thierry Frémaux, the director of the Institut Lumière and the Cannes Film Festival, was gracious enough to introduce me. Then he said he had planned a surprise and walked me through the very street where cinema was born. I was already emotional for everything that was happening around me.
And there is this wall full of plaques. Names of legends like Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Quentin Tarantino, Francis Ford Coppola… and then I noticed a plate covered with a red cloth. My mind went blank.
I don’t even know what to say for the honour of having my name permanently placed on the Mur des Cinéastes, along with the greats.
Only gratitude. Deeply, deeply humbled. 🙏
Thank you @InstitutLumiere for a memory I will carry for a lifetime.