Indian film distributor Avinaash Jumani in front of a Chokher Bali poster at the Cannes market. Telegraph picture

Cannes, May 22: Chokher Bali has turned out to be the bestselling Indian film in the Cannes Market, it was revealed today.

Avinaash Jumani, one of India’s biggest international distributors of Bollywood films, stood in front of an Aishwarya Rai poster and said: “Foreign buyers want sexy Bollywood movies but my best selling film has turned out to be rather a surprise — Chokher Bali.”

There has even been one buyer from Brazil, said Jumani, who runs WEG India from Bombay with his father and brother and comes to the Cannes Film Festival every year. Rituparno Ghosh, the director, should not flatter himself, though, that the world has suddenly appreciated he is the new Satyajit Ray. It is Aishwarya Rai, the belle of the Ball, buyers want.

“There has been interest in Chokher Bali from so many territories because Aishwarya has become famous among territories which are not the regular ones for us,” explained Jumani.

He gave reasons for why foreign buyers asked for her films. “It’s thanks to Devdas. Then being on the jury here last year helped her.”

Jumani said: “We have two titles this year with Aishwarya. One is Chokher Bali, and the second one is an untitled movie directed by Rajiv Menon with music by A.R. Rahman. It is a family love story which is coming out in September.”

The latter has a poster which shows Aishwarya, rising nymph-like from the water. “This year Aishwarya was here again for one day but she came. I have had many buyers here, stopping at my stall only for Aishwarya. The buyers come mainly from France, European territories like Germany and I have got a lot of interest from Italy. There are a lot of buyers who have come from Israel and the Far East like Taiwan and Korea.”

Jumani added: “We had two screenings for Chokher Bali here at the Cannes market. I would not say it was house full; there was 50 per cent attendance in both screenings but, most important, people liked it.”

Jumani said: “I have to be honest, I have not closed a single deal here because many people negotiate here, but I have had 15 meetings only for Chokher Bali from different territories. Generally, deals are not finalised here.We are still negotiating with them, so as soon as we have concrete agreement on the prices we will close them.”

Although there have been no Indian films in competition, India has not done badly in the market.

Jumani pointed out: “There is even more interest in Bollywood than last year. I have had more people here who want to add Bollywood to their library. This is because movies like Monsoon Wedding, Bend It Like Beckham, Lagaan and Devdas have been in the limelight.”

Jumani, who attends most of the film markets in the world including Los Angeles, Milan, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Singapore, Locarno — this year he will go to Dubai in December for its debut film festival — declared: “Cannes in the best market in the world and I go to all of them. Last year we had Jism, which was good for us, and this year we have Chokher Bali. It is normally sex which sells — this year Paap, directed by Pooja Bhatt, is doing very well for us. It has John Abraham and Udita Goswami. She’s a nobody but buyers like the content.”

Chokher Bali has gone against the trend towards more explicit sex. “Buyers do like it, even though it is art house but it is because of the presence of Aishwarya Rai,” said Jumani. “The subject is different. Buyers have not seen her in such a role before.”

Palme d’Or

Michael Moore’s controversial anti-Bush documentary Fahrenheit 911 won the Palme d’Or best film award at the Cannes film festival today.

Japanese child actor Yagira Yuuya won the best actor award for his role in Nobody Knows. Chinese actress Maggie Cheung won the best actress for her role in Clean.