I could not recognise Russel Crowe at Cannes: Aditya Vikram Sengupta

Another Kolkata boy is fast becoming the toast of film fests abroad. Aditya Vikram Sengupta, who won the Best Debut Director at Venice Days, an independent sidebar of Venice International Film Festival and the coveted Indira Gandhi award for Best First Film of a Director for Asha Jaoar Majhe (Labour of Love), is making a splash at Cannes this year. His Memories and My Mother is an official selection at the Cannes L��� Atelier.

It is a programme in which the Cannes Film Festival selects 15 of the most promising projects from around the world that are in various stages of development. Interestingly, there is no application process but the Cannes Cinefondation team handpicks projects with great potential. Memories and My Mother is the first-ever Bengali film to be selected for L��� Atelier. Said Aditya from Cannes, ���We are busy with pre-scheduled meetings all day with potential sales and production companies all around the world. Which is why, unfortunately, we have not been able to watch anything yet. It���s very hectic. It���s an amazing experience... meeting people from all over the world who are interested collaborating on your project. It���s wonderful to see the project developing more and more every day.��� Sharing an interesting anecdote, Aditya added, ���On one occasion, I could not recognise Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, who were right next to me. People were screaming and shouting, and then I asked a friend what was the euphoria about. When he explained, I realised my mistake. It���s a fact that I can���t recognise most celebrities in person, but this was a little too much.���