‘We bonded so well at Cannes’

Aishwarya smiles at the memory of bonding with Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives). “We bonded so well at Cannes. No one would believe we had just met. Actually, Eva, Rachida Brakni (who did the original French version of Chaos which Ash was supposed to do) and I got married recently. So we bonded over that common element,” says Aishwarya.

She then talks excitedly about another memorable moment at Cannes. “Jean Reno, the wonderful French actor, came up to me and said he has heard good things about my film, Pink Panther. These legendary actors are so hassle-free! They don't think twice about approaching you with a smile and kind words. That stays with you and is easier than making an effort to avoid people,” she says.

Aishwarya tells us about the films she saw at Cannes. She says excitedly, “I caught three-and-a-half films, including the opening movie Blindness, and the new Indiana Jones film. I could only catch half of Kung Fu Panda because I had to do some press interviews. I also saw the new Woody Allen film, Vicky Christina Barcelona. And yes, I met Woody Allen, he's wonderful!”

On her stunning sartorial grace on the red carpet, Aishwarya says, “This time around, I guess I had more time to prepare.”

While Aishwarya understands that people check out her clothes and accessories at important events, what she can't understand is why the clothes she wears at Cannes become more important than what she does at the annual event.

An exhausted and jet-lagged, Aishwarya laughs and says, “I don't even want to think about what people thought of my clothes. To me, how I conduct myself at Cannes and how people react to me is far more important than what I wear. Cannes has always been a marvelous and memorable experience. And this time too, it was no different!”