Hina Khan is ‘disappointed’ that she was not invited to the opening ceremony of the Indian pavilion at Cannes 2022: ‘Elitist system’

Hina Khan, who is currently attending the Cannes Film Festival in 2022, expressed her disappointment at not being invited to the Indian delegation’s opening ceremony. She said in an interview that while things have changed in the industry (and for her) in recent years, particularly since her first appearance at Cannes, not nearly enough has happened to blur the lines between movie stars and television stars.

On the sidelines of the event, she told Film Companion that the industry still has a ‘elitist’ attitude toward ‘television stars’ like herself. Hina stated that she would have liked to attend the opening ceremony, even as a spectator, but that she was not invited. At the 75th Cannes Film Festival, India is the guest of honour.

“I wouldn’t deny that things changed for me after Cannes,” she said. “Things have gotten a little easier in terms of work, meeting people, how they look at you, how they greet you, and the designer clothing that we wear… Of course, some people still have reservations, but many others have reached out to me and said, ‘We are not like others, you can reach out to us.’ In terms of work, it’s been interesting and enjoyable. I always try to see the bright side, but it’s not always easy… Sometimes you’re not allowed to enter a certain space, so you have to make your own table…”

On the sidelines of the event, she told Film Companion that the industry still has a ‘elitist’ attitude toward ‘television stars’ like herself. Hina stated that she would have liked to attend the opening ceremony, even as a spectator, but that she was not invited. At the 75th Cannes Film Festival, India is the guest of honour.

“There is still an elitist system, this elitist game,” she continued. At the Indian pavilion, there was an official opening ceremony. Everyone was there, including my contemporaries and not just from Bollywood. I don’t envy them; rather, I am incredibly proud of them. On the other hand, it’s a little disheartening; why wasn’t I there? Why wasn’t I present? I could have been there, at the very least in the audience, cheering them on as they performed the Ghoomar. I was so proud of my country after watching the video.”

Deepika Padukone, Pooja Hegde, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Urvashi Rautela joined I&B minister Anurag Thakur at the opening ceremony of the India pavilion earlier this week. They danced together to the song Ghoomar, and the video went viral online.

Hina believes in being open and honest about her feelings. “Let the world know how I feel,” she said, hoping to be invited again next year.

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