Ramanathan in front of a poster of Mother Teresa. Telegraph picture

Cannes, May 18: Cannes has acquired a new star ? Mother Teresa.

The surprise success at Cannes when it comes to selling Indian documentaries, not an area in which India is particularly strong, is one on Mother Teresa.

If the film festival proves anything about Mother Teresa, it is that there is still money to be made from the legend she has left behind.

This will not necessarily help Calcutta, which is trying to shed its image as the city which required her special healing touch while at the same time cherishing her memory.

But money is money and the Mother can be milked for many years yet.

“It’s a great success ? there is a lot of interest in the documentary on Mother Teresa,” disclosed Mahesh Ramanathan, vice-president of Percept, which co-produced the 80-minute documentary with Tribe K Films.

When it was suggested that some in Calcutta were getting fed up of having their city depicted as the last refuge for the destitute, Ramanathan defended the documentary: “Her message is positive and global. It’s a wonderful story.”

Mother Teresa shares something in common with Princess Diana, who died on August 31, 1997, five days before the former passed away in Calcutta on September 5. Although this ought to be put more delicately, both will remain cash cows.

Penelope Cruz plays the young Mother Teresa in the documentary, Beatification of Mother Teresa: Still Moving Souls, which has been directed by Gautam Das.

According to Ramanathan, “Penelope Cruz had a rapport with Mother Teresa and slipped in and out of Calcutta. Very few people knew about it”.

It is possible that Cruz did not charge a fee for her role in the documentary though Ramanathan was unable to confirm this.

“What is special about this documentary is that we have rare footage going back many years,” he said.

“Getting the old footage was very, very difficult but we did it. It starts with her train journey to Darjeeling in 1946. It takes us through to the beatification by Pope John Paul II in Rome.”

The documentary seems to go over well-trodden ground but there is clearly a large market among the faithful.

Ramanathan went on: “The Scandinavian countries are interested in the film which has not been shown in India ? in fact, it has just been released so it is fresh in Cannes. Germany is interested, so are Japan and the Benelux countries.”

It is easy to understand why the late Pope John Paul II, whose canonisation will be fast-tracked even more speedily than that of Mother Teresa (who has only been beatified), appreciated that she was the Catholic Church’s principal trump card.

“There are people from all over the world who have come to Calcutta and speak about her in the documentary,” said Ramanathan.

The publicity leaflet, which promotes the documentary, does say: “The celebrations in Kolkata, India, took place during the Indian festival of Diwali, which is a festival of lights. The film captures the streets of Kolkata coming alive with the spirit of joy and celebration.”

It adds: “Touched by Mother Teresa’s work, the beautiful and talented Penelope Cruz has supported and donated generously towards her different causes. And it is with as much heart that she participated in the making of this tribute to the Mother.”