Indian presence at the Cannes International Film Festival is increasing in a good way this year. Besides Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan which is up for the “Un Certain Regard” category, the festival authorities have decided to screen Mrinal Sen’s “Khandhar” (The Ruins) in their “Cannes Classic” section.

Released in 1983, “Khandhar” features stalwart actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Pankaj Kapur in lead roles. The movie was favourably received by critics and public alike on its release and even got the special jury prize at the Montreal Film Fest in 1984.

This is not the first time that Cannes has expressed interest in Sen’s films. A Cannes jury prize winner in 1983 for “Kharij”, Sen’s Calcutta trilogy films - 'Interview', 'Calcutta 71' and 'Padatik'- were to be showcased at the 2009 Cannes International Film Festival. But the screening fell through due to poor quality of the negatives.

Following media reports about the decrepit condition of Sen's films, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had asked the Information and broadcasting ministry to restore the classics and 17 of the films are now being restored at the Pune archives. Sounding pleased about the restoration work done by Reliance Mediaworks, the Dadasaheb Phalke winning filmmaker says “"They had undertaken a pristine restoration process removing dust, dirt and scratches frame by frame making it fit for screening at the section". Heath permitting, the 86 year old filmmaker intends to make it for the “Khandhar” screening in Cannes.

Cannes 2010 may well be the year for independent filmmakers in India. For the first time in seven years, an Indian film – Udaan - has been selected as an official entry at Cannes International Film Festival. Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, Udaan is the story of a young boy’s (Rohan) return to his home in Jamshedpur, after being abandoned for eight years in a boarding school. Against his wishes, Rohan is forced to study engineering and work at his father’s steel factory whereas he dreams of being a writer. How young Rohan tries to forge a way out of his circumstances and follow his passion is what the film is all about. Udaan will be screened under the “Un Certain Regard” category in the Cannes International Film Festival. This is the first time in sixteen years that an Indian film is being featured in this category.

A man of many trades, Vikramaditya Motwane has served time as a Song Director (Anurag Kashyap’s Paanch, Deepa Mehta’s Water), an Assistant Director (Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam), an Associate Director and Sound Designer (Bhansali’s ‘Devdas), and Screenplay Writer (Goal and DevD). Motwane finished the script for Udaan in 2003 but had to wait for six long years before it became a finished cinematic product. Motwane says, “In late 2003, I gave my out-of-work director friend Anurag Kashyap the first draft of my new screenplay to read. He read it in an hour, gave it back to me, went back to what he was doing and told me that one day he will produce this film that nobody else will.” Prophetic words indeed for the film is jointly produced by Anurag Kashyap, his friend Sanjay Singh and Ronnie Screwvala.

Udaan is to be screened on 19th and 20th May at the Cannes International Film Festival.