Cannes diary: Party Rush

STARRY DAYS AND NIGHTS

CELEBRITY stalking is a full-time activity. Theres always a massive crush outside Hotel Majestic,where most of the celebs stay. The Martinez is the other hot spot. If you stand outside long enough no one whos not on the roster can go in,you will be rewarded. Who cares if it is just Eva Longoria,and not Julia Roberts? Anyone who can kill a pair of six inch stilettoes,and carry off dresses which look as if theyve been glued on,is someone to gawk at. Yesterday it was Eva Longoria. Today,it is Jessica Chastain.

THE DESI FLAVOUR

THE Indian glamour contingent is very thin on the ground. Mallika Sherawat is here,minus the snake. She is the kind of celeb who,while not being quite A list,is quite the headturner in her own right. And shes charming in front of the cameras,dispensing wide smiles. Sonam Kapoor is here for LOReal. Her job is to look svelte on the red carpet. Her previous film is not something to talk about. Frieda Pinto has already done the red carpet on opening night,even if she didnt quite scintillate,but by now she can barely be called Indian. The amazing success of Slumdog Millionaire,and her making all the right moves films with such celebrity directors as Woody Allen and Michael Winterbottom has taken her straight to the top of the pile. Pinto is international A List,something not one of her contemporaries can boast of,not even Cannes darling Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.