Cannes 2025: Sharmila Tagore and Simi Garewal make most graceful debut

Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore on Monday arrived in Cannes with her daughter and jewellery designer Saba Pataudi for the screening of Satyajit Ray`s 1970 film “Aranyer Din Ratri”. A 4K restored version of the Bengali-language movie, titled “Days and Nights in the Forest” in English, will be showcased at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival under the Classics section today. Actress Simi Garewal also arrived for the screening of the same. 

Sharmila and Simi Garewal make Cannes debut

Sharmila Tagore looked adorable and graceful in a bottle green bringing Indian culture on the global platform while presenting her film from decades ago. Simi Garewal was charming and arrived in her trademark white outfit. 

Simi Garewal#CannesFilmFestival2025 pic.twitter.com/knyDfXJo5m

— THE FASHION RESOURCE (@FashionRsource) May 19, 2025

Sharmila attended the screening at the prestigious gala along with co-star Simi Garewal, producer Purnima Dutta, Margaret Bodde, executive director of The Film Foundation, and FHF founder Shivendra Singh Dungarpur. The premiere of the film will be presented by renowned Hollywood filmmaker Wes Anderson, a long-time admirer of Ray.

About Aranyer Din Ratri

Aranyer Din Ratri is presented and restored by The Film Foundation`s World Cinema Project at L`Immagine Ritrovata in collaboration with the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF), Janus Films, and the Criterion Collection. The funding was provided by the Golden Globe Foundation. Tagore, who was part of the ensemble cast of Aranyer Din Ratri, which explores the themes of alienation, class, and modernity, follows the story of four city-bred men who escape to the forests of Palamau for a carefree holiday, only to undergo a journey of self-discovery. 

Based on the novel of the same name by author Sunil Gangopadhyay, the Bengali-language film—titled Days and Nights in the Forest in English—featured an ensemble cast of Soumitra Chatterjee, Subhendu Chatterjee, Samit Bhanja, Robi Ghosh, Aparna Sen, Sharmila Tagore, and Simi Garewal.

Aranyer Din Ratri had its world premiere at the 20th Berlin International Film Festival, where it was nominated for the top prize of the Golden Bear for Best Film.

The Cannes Classics section will also screen Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush to celebrate the movie’s centenary year. The film gala will also showcase Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Amores Perros to mark its 25th anniversary, as well as Edward Yang’s Yi Yi (2000), John Woo’s Hard Boiled (1992), Sri Lankan filmmaker Sumitra Peries’ Gehenu Lamai (1978), and Marcel Pagnol’s Merlusse (1935).

This article first appeared on Mid Day