The Killers of the Flower Moon breakout Lily Gladstone, Palme d'Or-winning Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, and French stars Eva Green and Omar Sy on Monday were announced among the members of the 77th Cannes Film Festival Competition jury panel, headed by Barbie filmmaker Greta Gerwig.
According to the festival website, the nine-member jury will also include Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan (co-writer of 2014 Palme d'Or winner Winter Sleep), Lebanese director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki of Capernaum fame, Society of the Snow director Juan Antonio Bayona from Spain, and Italian actor Pierfrancisco Favino.
With Gerwig at the helm, the panel comprises five women and four men.
The American filmmaker will award the Palme d'Or, the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival, to one of the 22 films in Competition at the closing ceremony on May 25.
Francis Ford Coppola's passion project Megalopolis, Yorgos Lanthimos' Kinds of Kindness, David Cronenberg's The Shrouds, Ali Abbasi's The Apprentice, and All We Imagine As Light, directed by Payal Kapadia are some of the films in the race for the top honour.
Justine Triet's courtroom drama Anatomy of a Fall, fronted by Sandra Huller, was last year's Palme d'Or winner.
Cannes Film Festival 2024 will open on May 14 with The Second Act, a surreal comedy from French director Quentin Dupieux and starring Lea Seydoux and Vincent Lindon.
A scene from The Thursday Murder Club, where four retirees turn amateur detectives in a quiet British village shaken by a real murderInstagram/NetflixUK
Stills from Andaz Apna Apna
Stills from Andaz Apna Apna
Vinay Kumar Sinha
Rahul’s casual dismissal of that controversy has added fuel to the fire
Rahul Bhatt sparks controversy over 'insensitive' remarks about sisters Alia and Pooja Bhatt
Rahul Bhatt, fitness trainer and son of veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, has found himself at the centre of a social media storm following controversial remarks about his half-sister, Alia Bhatt. In a recent interview, Rahul drew comparisons between Alia and their older sister Pooja Bhatt, calling the latter more talented, attractive, and principled.
The comments, which many have labelled inappropriate and insensitive, have sparked widespread criticism online. During the interview, Rahul stated, “In my opinion, she (Alia) is not even half of what my real sister Pooja is. Not in talent, not in looks, not in terms of being sexy. In front of my sister, she is ‘paani kam chai’ (watery tea). Amongst the siblings, the most talented and the most moralistic is Pooja.”
Social media users reacted strongly, questioning why Rahul would compare his sisters in such personal terms. Several users were particularly disturbed by his reference to their appearance and sex appeal, pointing out that such comparisons within a family cross boundaries of propriety. One comment read, “This is disturbing. Why talk about your sisters like that? It’s not just weird, it’s wrong.” Another post said, “There’s nothing respectful about comparing your siblings’ attractiveness in public.”
The backlash also reignited conversation around a decades-old controversy involving Mahesh Bhatt and Pooja Bhatt. Rahul was asked about the infamous 1990s magazine cover where the father-daughter duo shared a kiss, which had stirred public outrage at the time. Dismissing the criticism, Rahul said, “It doesn’t make any difference. It’s like water off a duck’s back. We know the truth, and we’ve seen everything since childhood.”
Rahul’s casual dismissal of that controversy has added fuel to the fire, with critics saying it reflects a broader issue of the Bhatt family being insensitive to public perception and boundaries. Many users questioned the need for bringing up old incidents in a bid to defend new and equally questionable statements.
As of now, neither Alia Bhatt nor Pooja Bhatt has issued any public response to Rahul’s remarks. Both actors, known for their significant contributions to Indian cinema, have typically kept family matters private despite living in the public eye.
This episode has also sparked debate over the role of public figures in maintaining respect when discussing family matters in the media. Observers say such comments, especially when involving women’s appearance and personal qualities, reinforce problematic attitudes and fuel unnecessary controversies.
While Rahul Bhatt is not as prominent in the entertainment industry as his father or sisters, his comments have made headlines and placed the Bhatt family in the spotlight for reasons beyond their creative work. For many, this serves as a reminder that public platforms come with responsibility, and that family ties should not be trivialised or dissected for attention or comparison.
The backlash is unlikely to subside soon, especially as fans and followers of Alia and Pooja continue to express disappointment over the way the situation has unfolded. Whether or not Rahul chooses to clarify or apologise remains to be seen.