Representing Bollywood in Cannes is no small achievement for Arjun Rampal. As he gets set to walk the red carpet at Cannes Arjun admits, “I don’t think any male actor from Bollywood has been asked to represent our film industry before. So I feel good about this. Though I had been to Cannes earlier when I shared the stage with Nicole Kidman, this is something else. The closing ceremony is where I’ll be making an appearance. It is apparently the most coveted section of the Cannes festival. I expect to be meeting some of my favourite actors and filmmakers from Hollywood and the rest of world cinema.”
Arjun has given his wish-list of international actors and directors to the alcohol brand which he’d be representing. Though he isn’t revealing the names of the celebrities he is likely to meet we know for sure that Robert de Niro is on his wish-list. Arjun has met de Niro two years ago. “I doubt he’ll even remember that meeting. Chivas, the brand I’ll represent at Cannes, has something called a ‘creative brotherhood’. It’s a pool of talent from all over the world. There will be the best actors and filmmakers from France, Germany and America at Cannes. I’m hoping to meet them. It’s just so exhilarating to represent Hindi cinema in Cannes.” Arjun has grown a moustache for his part in Prakash Jha’s ‘Chakravyuha’. “This is the first time in my entire life that I’ve grown a moustache. It’s very difficult to maintain it. I don’t think I’ll do it again.” Contrary to rumours Arjun won’t use his moustache look to play Pran’s role in the new version of Zanjeer. “The director Apoorva Lakhia and I are still to sit on the script. Nothing has been decided. But the moustache is only for Prakash Jha’s film.”
