Bhubaneswar, May 11: He is neither a director nor an actor par excellence, yet he will represent Odisha at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

Sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik has been invited by the Indian Embassy in Paris to attend the festival and pay tribute to Indian cinema with his art. The artist left for Cannes this evening.

Patnaik, who received the news on Saturday, was overwhelmed. “It came as a surprise. I believe this is the first time that a sand artist from India has been invited to be part of the coveted festival. I am excited to meet eminent dignitaries from across the globe,” said Patnaik. Accompanying Patnaik is his 34-year-old student Bulu Mohanty. Air India and Union tourism ministry have arranged their trip.

Patnaik has been asked to create sculptures themed on Indian cinema. Given his portfolio, the task would be a cakewalk for him because he has created numerous sculptures paying tribute to Indian and Odia cinema in the past.

“Though I have been to France, I never visited Cannes. France has some lovely beaches,” said Patnaik, who has won many International Sand Sculpturing Championships.

Asked if he has anything-specific idea in mind, he said: “My works would revolve around the legends of Indian cinema and the greatest films that India has produced. It would be something that will appropriately represent Indian cinema. I might even create some sculptures on Hollywood celebrities and films.”

Patnaik is an avid fan of Amitabh Bachchan and the great actor had also shared Patnaik’s sculpture on him on his Facebook page. In March, the artist had promoted Archita-Sabyasachi starrer Smile Please with a sand sculpture.