Since May 12, social media feeds have been flooded with Cannes content. But beneath the glitz and glam of the Cannes Film Festival lies a hidden cost that many pay to get clicked or walk the red carpet dressed to the nines.
Beauty and wellness influencer Tarini Peshawaria took to Instagram to expose the reality of Cannes – the good and the less glamorous side of the French Riviera film festival.
The red carpet is only 1-2 minutes long
“I went to Cannes 4 years ago, and here is everything that no one tells you about the film festival,” she said, beginning her video.
“Red carpet is literally 1-2 minutes long, and every red carpet is not the same,” the influencer shared. Big personalities like Aishwarya Rai get the whole red carpet to themselves. When someone like Tom Cruise enters the frame, everyone else is prohibited from entering for 10 minutes.
The cost of being photographed
“And no, not every photographer is there to click you. They don’t even know you. You actually have to pay a photographer who takes your pictures. I paid 400 euros (approximately Rs 44,500) for 7 videos and 7 photos,” she revealed.
This admission has sparked widespread discussion about the financial reality behind many Cannes red carpet appearances that appear spontaneous and glamorous.
The celebrity hub
Peshawaria then switched the frame to Hotel Martinez, which turns into a celebrity hub during the festival. A room there can cost Rs 2-3 lakh a night, but since her trip was sponsored by L’Oréal Paris, she was able to stay at one of the most glamorous addresses on the French Riviera.
She also noted how designer Manish Malhotra sent someone from his team to help her tie her saree. “I mean, what?” she said with surprise.
Bizarre conversations and celebrity encounters
The influencer shared that conversations at Cannes are bizarre. At one point, she was having breakfast sitting across from Eva Longoria. Another time, she overheard someone talking about hiring Will Smith for a movie.
The biggest highlight from her trip was meeting Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan. “They were the nicest, warmest people I’d met in the entire trip,” she said, praising the couple.
Still, she wonders how a girl from Amritsar who makes videos for a living ended up walking the Cannes red carpet.
Social media reactions
Actor Sameera Reddy commented, “Such a refreshing post about the experience. Real and raw.”
Another user wrote, “The way you tell your story is just so authentic. Nobody talks about these things, but you always amaze us with your honesty.”
Actor Amala Paul commented, “I couldn’t stop blushing till the last.”
The bigger picture
Peshawaria’s candid video has pulled back the curtain on an industry secret: not every red carpet moment is as spontaneous as it looks. For every Aishwarya Rai or Tom Cruise who commands the photographers’ attention, there are many others paying out of pocket for the privilege of being photographed.
As one user on X noted when Alia Bhatt’s Cannes video went viral: “Nobody knows her, no pap flashed a single camera at her.” The reality, it turns out, is that many attendees are paying for those flashes.
