In an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, actor Karan Tacker shared his experience of attending the Cannes Film Festival for the first time—an occasion he described as a personal and professional milestone. Recalling his walk down the iconic Red Carpet, Karan admitted to initial skepticism about the event’s grandeur: “Well earlier before I walked the Red carpet, I was really wondering what the hype is all about but truly once I was around it I couldn’t believe that my heart was pounding and it was really funny because as actors we’ve done a bunch of Red Carpets back at home, but this was really overwhelming and at the same time It was just a lot of fun.”
Cannes 2025 EXCLUSIVE: Karan Tacker on his Red Carpet debut, “A ‘first’ is always special”
He added, “It was just a dream, especially because my greatest idols Denzel Washington and Spike Lee were right beside me when we were walking the red carpet, so that’s as an experience in itself, which was amazing and of course when you’re doing anything for the first time as a ‘first’ it’s always special so for me this year will always be a core memory, coming with my film and walking the red carpet for one of the biggest films that opened at Cannes itself.”
On the topic of fashion—a significant talking point at Cannes—Karan highlighted his balanced, understated approach to style. He expressed his practical view of the festival’s fashion culture: “For me Cannes is just about the cinema and but, of course, you know you gotta be dressed for the event and there’s something really sexy about the fact that you have to wear a full tux with a bow tie and attend a gala screening and a premier with everyone dressed impeccably. And it took me one second to go to Manish because he does this the best and I was really happy that he dressed me up in a lovely double-breasted suit with a big bowtie which I actually borrowed from Anupam Kher because I dropped mine by mistake back at home. And truly I wasn’t making a statement necessarily. I just wanted to dress like the way I like to dress and I think when you’re an extension of your own personality, it always makes you feel good about yourself.” His appreciation for classic menswear paired with an emphasis on personal comfort illustrated a thoughtful yet unpretentious take on red-carpet dressing.
When asked about what it meant to be part of Cannes, Karan was thoughtful and introspective, emphasizing the festival’s unparalleled power to bring together the global film community: “It was truly fascinating for me this being my first time just seeing people from all around the world—distributors, exhibitors, actors—come all under one roof for one single goal: to make movies and content and to cross cultures and cross borders and make cinema in the world just larger and as a single appeal.” The magnitude of this international convergence struck a chord with Karan, revealing a deep respect for the unifying nature of storytelling.
He also highlighted his pride in Indian representation at the event, stating, “I think it’s amazing to see Indian representation in the event in itself—be it the Red Carpet or the Indian Pavilion—which is so beautifully organised by NFDC, FICCI and of course opening doors like this for Indian actors, directors, producers to come and be under all one hub definitely cuts through different diaspora and makes the world very global.” Karan acknowledged the critical role that national platforms play in amplifying Indian voices on international stages.
Speaking on the deeper impact Cannes had on his perspective as an artist, he commented: “For me, Cannes actually is not about glamour at all. It’s truly and purely just about films, international interactions, and the world becoming one. I was really impressed by the fact that there are so many international filmmakers that I ended up bumping into who wanted to make films which had an Indian angle in it and they were at the Pavilion of India scouting for talent and just general distribution and sales.”
What caught him off guard was the scale and energy of the event beyond the media spectacles. “I think just the energy and the movement and the pace and the number of people that fly out from every part of the world was something that I didn’t expect”, he stated.
Regarding the growing presence of Indian talent at Cannes, Karan was optimistic about what this shift means for the future: “I think it’s great, especially because I am an actor of Netflix and Hotstar which has a global reach and distribution, so I have always enjoyed being consumed worldwide. And when you have a film that you go there with and that is consumed for an international audience and a distribution base, it of course opens a lot of doors for Indian talent.” His openness to storytelling across geographies underscored a forward-looking vision for Indian cinema.
On fashion’s role and whether Indian men are finally making a mark internationally, he responded with characteristic humility: “I’m not sure if I’m the correct person to answer any fashion questions. My fashion is very basic. I personally like to dress up as minimally as possible, but of course for the ones that enjoy fashion and like to push boundaries I guess for them coming to the international carpet and putting yourselves out there could be a great way of a form of expression.” This statement reflected a grounded understanding of fashion as both personal choice and cultural signal.
Finally, reflecting on what it felt like to attend Cannes with his own film, Karan concluded with
heartfelt emotion: “Being at Cannes for the first time with my own film will always be special. Like they say, the first in life is something you don’t forget and this is one for the core memory. And being with such a passionate team—with Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Pallavi Joshi and Shubhangi—and the great memory that we are all taking back will always remain with us for the rest of time.”
Karan Tacker’s Cannes debut was not just a career milestone but a richly layered experience of culture, creativity, humility, and ambition. His reflections paint a portrait of an artist grounded in his roots, yet eager to participate in the global evolution of cinema.
On the work front, Karan Tacker stars as Captain Samar Raina in Anupam Kher’s directorial Tanvi The Great, which had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival as part of the Marché du Film lineup.
Also Read: Karan Tacker wears rare Rolex worth Rs 18 lakha at Tanvi: The Great Cannes panel
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