Bollywood may still be producing more films than Hollywood each year, but still few gain world attention at major international film festivals, something actress Aishwarya Rai has been trying to change for 15 years now at Cannes.But while her choice of dress for the red carpet tends to capture the most headlines in her home country, guests at the 69th Cannes Film Festival are more interested in her film, “Sarbiit,” directed by Omung Kumar.Based on real-life events, “Saarbiit” tells the story of Indian farmer Sarbjit Singh,(Randeep Hooda), who was arrested after straying into Pakistan from his local village. Accused of spying for the Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), he was tried and convicted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan for a series of bomb blasts in Lahore and Faisalabad in 1990, which proved fatal for 14 people. Singh died in 2013 when he was notoriously attacked by inmates and succumbed to his injuries almost a week later in a Lahore hospital.The movie is told from the point of view of Dalbir Kaur (Aishwarya Rai), Singh’s sister who fought endlessly for her brother’s life from the time he was arrested. The trailer for the film promises an intense, heart breaking depiction of the events, focusing on the India and Pakistan issue.Along with Aishwarya Rai, the Bollywood contingent included actress Sonam Kapoor making her fifth appearance on the red carpet. Kapoor’s latest film “Neerja,” a biopic on flight attendant Neerja Bhanot, was also screened in the Marche du Film section.Also a biographical film, “Neerja” tells the story of Pan Am Flight 73 head purser Neerja Bhanot, who managed to alert the pilots of a hijacking by the Libya backed Abu Nidal Organization, saving the lives of 359 of 379 passengers and crew. She died in the incident, and was posthumously awarded India's highest peacetime award for bravery, the Ashok Chakra, the youngest person to receive it.“Sarbjit” is slated to release on May 20 worldwide, but will make it to the UAE on May 19.
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