This year feels even more special for Rahul. Not only is he promoting a unique story set in the heart of the Kumbh Mela, but he's also catching international attention. Within days of arriving, Rahul received three film offers from global filmmakers. In this exclusive chat with Filmfare, he opens up about the magic of Cannes, the soul of Lost & Found in Kumbh and why Indian stories are ready to take on the world.
Congratulations on taking Lost & Found in Kumbh to Cannes 2025. How has the experience been?
We just launched that teaser here at the Indian Pavilion. There were many people who came at 10 am in the morning. Shekhar Kapur is here. It was great because it's my third time in Cannes. After Ugly was in Director's Fortnite, then Kennedy was an official selection. Now no better place to launch the teaser of Lost & Found in Kumbh than Cannes. It's been a beautiful experience.
You mentioned your appearances for Ugly and Kennedy... How has your connection with the festival grown over time? Does anything feel different this time?
Nothing feels different. Cannes is the Mecca of cinema. It's an amalgamation of so many countries that come here with their films. Many filmmakers come here. The energy is always the same. It's buzzing with cinema; specifically the sun, sea and cinema. It has its own vibe. There are many film festivals around the world, but Cannes has its own vibe. There is something magical about this place.
What drew you to Lost & Found in Kumbh?
Mayur Puri, the director, is also a very big lyricist. He has given us super hit songs. He has done more than 300 songs and some of them have crossed billions of views. He is also a writer of Om Shanti Om, Happy New Year and ABCD. He has been associated with some major commercial hits. He's my friend and we did a short film called Firdaws first. It went to many film festivals because it was only meant for festivals. It won many awards around the world. And then when he wanted to do a feature film, he came up to me and said we were toying with different ideas. But when he came up with this unique idea of Lost & Found in Kumbh, it really struck me. I agreed to be a part of it. We have these two lovely ladies from Los Angeles. Rashaana Shah and Cristy Beasley. They came on board and this became a reality. It is a Hollywood production. We have shot this film in English but we shot it in Kumbh when it was happening. 600 million people were there. It was a production nightmare, but we pulled it off. And here we are with the teaser launch.
Do you have special moments from Kumbh that you remember while you were shooting the movie?
We shot it when Kumbh was happening. It was really special. I took the dip in the holy Ganges on the last day of the shoot. I was at the place where Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati meet. I'm telling you, there is something special about it. There was some energy in the water. It was overwhelming.
Cannes is known to promote boundary pushing or thought-provoking movies. How do you think Lost & Found In Kumbh fits the bill?
It is not a regular Hindi commercial film set up. We have shot the entire film in English. It's about an Indian professor who lives in England with his British wife and their son. They visit Kumbh in Prayagraj and see that the professor's father is missing. They also find is that his Indian ex-wife and their son from that marriage is there. It's about a family, where the half-brothers meet for the first time. Then they go look for the father, but the two little boys get lost in Kumbh. The parents are in search for the little boys. While searching for them, they also find the purpose and meaning of life. They understand how life can be incredibly beautiful. What is Kumbh all about - it's the meeting point of three sacred rivers.
What was the reaction from the audience when you launched the teaser?
They were overwhelmed. They loved it. Kumbh is a part of Indian culture, which is very interesting thing for them. It describes us as a nation. India is an interesting country for mostly these foreigners. Movies from India show how poor Indians are. But our movie is about how interesting this festival is and what how vibrant and colourful our culture is. It's fascinating.
Now that you have represented India at Cannes three times, do you feel you a responsibility with that as an actor?
My films have gone all over the world now. Kennedy was almost in festivals from Toronto, America, Europe and Australia. I'm very lucky that I got to work with incredible directors in my life. I got to showcase my films around the world and represent my country.
It is a moment of pride for me. I feel that I have to come again next year and compete. The responsibility is to push harder, break boundaries and go ahead.
Talk to me about your Cannes ensemble.
The ensemble is from Honey and Me in Jaipur. This is very interesting linen. I have received compliments about it. I chose to wear this today because it's a beautiful day. I thought a colourful jacket would be a good idea.
Are you planning to promote Lost & Found In Kumbh in other film festivals?
Yes. Right now, it is in post-production. There is a lot of buzz here. Festival directors are already asking us. There have been so many requests for Lost & Found In Kumbh to be at other festivals. I'm quite surprised. I think they want to see innate Indian stories. This move just fits that bill. What is so great about India? Nation and festivals. We are a culturally strong country with approximately 1.5 billion people. And half of the billion people were there in Kumbh.
Now that you are making your Hollywood debut, are there any other plans?
I got three movie offers here in Cannes this year. When I arrived here in Cannes, my accreditation had not be done by then. In the first hour of my arrival, I had to go to the Palais, the festival office to get my accreditation done. I was standing at the queue and a gentleman arrived in front of me. He is Jason, a big director in England. He recognised me from Kennedy. He said he was here when I was promoting Kennedy. He offered me a movie. He was looking for me, he said. While we were walking towards the accreditation, he was narrating me the story. That is what Cannes can do to you. I have two to three interesting films now. I am signing here at Cannes this year. It looks interesting.
See Also: Sunny Leone calls the screening of Kennedy at Cannes the ’proudest moment’ of her career
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