Cannes Film Festival 2026 | EXCLUSIVE with Gudgudi director Manisha K Makwana: Where does Indian cinema, ‘not just Bollywood,' stand in the global scenario?

The short film Gudgudi, starring Ahsaas Channa and directed by debutante Manisha K Makwana, has been selected for screening at the prestigious Marché du Film (film market) segment of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, running from May 12 to May 23, 2026. Backed by casting director Mukesh Chhabra, the film focuses on the emotional and financial struggles of a middle-class woman.

In an EXCLUSIVE chat from Cannes with Firstpost’s Lachmi Deb Roy, Manisha K Makwana also throws light on where does Indian cinema and not just Bollywood movies stand in the global scenario.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

Tell us about Gudgudi…

It's a short film. We just stuck to a teaser release, then went for a trailer for a film like this. Because it just builds the right amount of curiosity for people to come and figure out what the film is and at least have the conversations going. So Gudgudi is about this girl, called Ritu, who has taken up a job because her job applications have been rejected and she's in need of money.

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Under desperate times, she takes up this job at an amusement park as a mascot. And she lies at her home that she works at a bank. Her mother has this impression that she's finally got a job at a bank and now her life is going to get smoother. But she's lying because she's too embarrassed to accept mascot as a job. So her daily struggles revolve around being in that suit, being frustrated, paying EMI bills, taking care of a sick mother, a little brother and his demands and all of this. And in between all of this, where she feels unseen, there is one day on a school picnic, she meets this boy called Arav who starts seeing her for what she is beyond the suit. It is a film about a friendship between these two strangers and how both of them change perspective to look at life in their own respective ways.

Why is it called a Gudgudi? And what does it mean? Is it the same good goodie tickling that we’re talking about? 

Yes, tickling! So, you know, when you meet any stranger and you suddenly bond with them, like there’s a feeling of...tickle in the stomach like you start when somebody sees you for what you really are so there is also a dialogue in the film wherein Arav, whenever he met his grandmother used to feel that ticklish feeling.

Arav uses that phrase for Ritu after the school picnic ends. Arav is also a quiet child. He’s not somebody who likes rides and loves crowds. He’s somebody who would go on a picnic and read a book or find somebody who's around and you know kind of make friends. Arav meets Ritu in her desperate times where you know she’s so frustrated with her job so the takeaway for both of them is that you need to just shift the perspective of looking at life and that's where the film revolves around.

What do have to say about regional films doing well at Cannes?

I think it’s a great opportunity for a country like India because we are such a diverse country with so many different languages and it’s the only time that people start recognising our country for different kinds of talents, especially when we talk about cinema. So, I think it’s great that Cannes is representing so many regional film languages to begin with.

Where does Indian cinema stand in the global scenario?

The fact that Indian cinema is shown and appreciated at international film festivals, that by itself is a big thing because we are recognised by Hollywood and West as we say it. It brings a lot of opportunities with those associated with the film industry. Again, the fact that we sit here and enjoy a Korean series; it’s time that the world sees India also has some movies which are real work of art.

So, when RRR made it to the Oscars, it was a proud moment for the whole country and not just one part of the country. It’s not a Hindi- Bollywood main stream film, but a south Indian film. But the fact that we are getting all the recognitions and films from India are travelling to international festivals, that itself opens up a lot of career opportunities and collaboration opportunities for Indian filmmakers and Indian fraternity to work beyond what we have worked so far.