Cannes 2026 Indian Celebs Guest List: Karan Johar, Mouni Roy & Others Set To Shine At Gala Event - Update

Cannes 2026 Indian Celebs Guest List: The 79th Cannes International Film Festival, starting on May 12 at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, will see a strong Indian presence at Cannes 2026. Names spanning Punjabi, Marathi, Hindi and Gujarati cinema are on the list, with several artists set for red carpet debuts and screenings, plus representation in the festival’s juries and film market.

Among the biggest honours for India at Cannes 2026, filmmaker Payal Kapadia will lead the 65th Cannes Critics Week jury, after winning the Grand Prix in 2024 for All We Imagine As Light. Ashutosh Gowariker, recently appointed director of IFFI, will also travel to the French Riviera for the festival.

Cannes 2026 Indian celebrities on the red carpet

According to a News18 report, Punjabi star Ammy Virk is preparing for a first appearance at Cannes 2026, where Ammy Virk will attend the screening of Punjabi film Chardikala with Roopinder Kaur Gill. Tara Sutaria is also expected to make a debut at the event, though Tara Sutaria will be present as a brand representative rather than with a film.

Beauty label L'Oréal Paris will send a familiar group of faces to Cannes 2026. Representing the brand will be Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, a regular at the festival, alongside Alia Bhatt, Aditi Rao Hydari and Eva Longoria. Expanding regional visibility, veteran Marathi actor Ashok Saraf, Nivedita Saraf and Prakajta Mali are also scheduled to attend the film gala.

Cannes 2026 Bollywood directors and regular attendees

Karan Johar, who had just attended the MET Gala, is set to walk the Cannes 2026 red carpet again. In 2025, Karan Johar visited the festival for the premiere of Homebound. This year, entrepreneur Sanjay Nigam, producer of Pitch To Get Rich and founder of Fashion Entrepreneur Fund, will also be present at the international event.

Filmmakers Anubhav Sinha and Anurag Kashyap are expected at Cannes 2026 as well, though this time as viewers. Anurag Kashyap earlier showcased titles including Udaan, Gangs Of Wasseypur, The Lunchbox and Kennedy at the festival, screened in sections such as Directors' Fortnight and Midnight Screenings, but now plans to focus on watching new work.

Cannes 2026 Indian films and market presence

Indian projects will feature in the Marché du Film at Cannes 2026, giving producers a platform for buyers and distributors. Anshuman Jha’s productions have secured market screenings, including Malayalam feature Balan: The Boy, bilingual Hindi-Kannada film September 21 and the documentary Spirit Of The Wildflower, highlighting a mix of regional and cross-language cinema.

Gujarati actor-producer Manasi Parekh is turning attention to the Cannes Film Market at Cannes 2026 after the success of Laalo – Krishna Sada Sahaayate. We've also learnt that after the reverberating success of her Gujarati film Laalo – Krishna Sada Sahaayate, Manasi Parekh is taking her upcoming line-up to the Cannes Film Market. "After Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, National Award winner Mansi and her husband Parthiv Gohil will follow suit and are excited to speak to financiers and distributors for their next production ventures in what is often referred to as the world's largest film business event," reveals our source.

Television and film actor Mouni Roy returns to Cannes 2026 for a third appearance, having earlier attended the 76th and 78th editions for brands including Lenskart and Chopard. Jacqueline Fernandez is scheduled to visit for a second time after 2024. Their presence, along with other Indian names, points to consistent interest from global fashion and beauty labels.

A snapshot of Indian participation at Cannes 2026 is given below.

Category	Names	Purpose at Cannes 2026
Actors	Ammy Virk, Tara Sutaria, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Aditi Rao Hydari, Eva Longoria, Mouni Roy, Jacqueline Fernandez, Ashok Saraf, Nivedita Saraf, Prakajta Mali	Red carpet, brand representation, film screenings
Directors / Producers	Payal Kapadia, Ashutosh Gowariker, Karan Johar, Anubhav Sinha, Anurag Kashyap, Sanjay Nigam, Manasi Parekh, Parthiv Gohil, Anshuman Jha	Jury duties, festival attendance, market screenings, project pitching
Films	Chardikala, Balan: The Boy, September 21, Spirit Of The Wildflower, Laalo – Krishna Sada Sahaayate	Festival screening or promotion at the Marché du Film

With jury responsibilities, market screenings, brand showcases and first-time red carpet walks, Cannes 2026 will feature Indian involvement across many sections of the festival. From Punjabi and Marathi films to Gujarati and Malayalam projects, the line-up underlines how varied Indian cinema and talent appear at this year’s edition.