Why are there influencers at Cannes?

[00:00:08] So, Shunali, I'm so very proud of Payal Gopadia to get the Grand Prix.

[00:00:15] And after all that happened in 2015, after being suspended and after having a grand revoked,

[00:00:22] to get this award it was like, you know, reparation happening.

[00:00:27] Did you watch any footage from the festival at all?

[00:00:30] I just watched the footage of her team rejoicing and celebrating the award.

[00:00:36] And then there was another Indian actor who was a production designer who's acted in a movie.

[00:00:43] Anusuya Sen Gupta, who is acted in The Shameless. She got the best actor award in one of the categories.

[00:00:50] So, it is a very proud moment for Indians and India that our creativity is being recognized at Cannes, no less.

[00:01:01] However, I feel that the kind of attention they should have garnered has somehow been hijacked by the influencer brigade that got so much more mileage from it.

[00:01:16] Maybe that was the intention right behind getting the influencer brigade out there.

[00:01:20] Was to?

[00:01:21] To get the attention and the mileage and to create the noise about Cannes.

[00:01:26] Because most of them, all of them had nothing to do with films or acting or directing.

[00:01:32] They were there because of the followers they brought to the table.

[00:01:37] Kiran, so there are, you know, I mean, there are different versions of this. It's all alleged, right?

[00:01:41] So one cannot really quote unquote, no veracity to this.

[00:01:44] So we can't say that this is true or not.

[00:01:46] But it is being said that none of these influencers who've gone are people that you, I or people we know have heard of.

[00:01:55] I have never heard of a younger generation ask your son as he heard of them.

[00:01:58] He has not heard of a single name, neither have I.

[00:02:01] Right? So how would Cannes, you know, the organizers of Cannes then now this is not to say that there are no bodies.

[00:02:07] But there is today this country or any country for that matter, but specifically India has such a vast pool of influencers on what basis were these people handpicked and invited.

[00:02:24] And so the other theory is and that a journalist has recently done an ex journalist recently did an expose on her Instagram handle where she has quoted the rate card who has paid how much to walk the red carpet.

[00:02:41] And the other thing is that by the way, there are many categories of red carpet at Cannes, right?

[00:02:46] And you can imagine that the one that happens in the evening with all the formal wear, the tuxedos and the gowns is the real the real one where the main actors get blanched and a shredder I walk.

[00:02:58] And then there are other smaller gigs happening here or there where these people go and pose.

[00:03:03] And they're so proud to have represented India.

[00:03:05] Masu Minawala is a big enough influencer.

[00:03:08] I had heard of her. She's written a book as well now.

[00:03:10] But the others are hadn't.

[00:03:12] So there's something to this theory then.

[00:03:15] So there was Kusha Kapila last year. There was Masu Minawala and there were some other names that I'd heard of from last year.

[00:03:23] The batch this year I had not heard of a delightful find for me was Nancy Tiagi.

[00:03:28] She was wonderful.

[00:03:30] This little girl from Uttar Pradesh who stitched her own dress with 1000 meters of fabric and

[00:03:36] Wey 20 kgs.

[00:03:38] Wey 20 kgs stitching it on a hand machine.

[00:03:40] Yeah, over two months.

[00:03:42] Over two months of effort. I mean, I thought that was lovely. Absolutely lovely.

[00:03:46] And there was another influencer Asta Shah who is a bit like a sufferer and she was there and looking beautiful, radiant, gorgeous and

[00:03:55] I think it must have been mustard.

[00:03:58] Yeah, I didn't know that she had vitiligo until you mentioned this to me.

[00:04:05] And I think it's lovely that these two got featured and they were out there.

[00:04:10] But having said that, I wonder why they were out there because they have nothing to do with film and nothing to do with cinema.

[00:04:18] What did they bring to the table?

[00:04:19] So there are two things here. One is that influencer economy has taken over every industry, including the industry where the rightful right,

[00:04:28] the industry that's rightfully should be giving attention to people who are active participants in that which are actors, filmmakers.

[00:04:39] I think probably it is to do with wanting to really get penetration across tier two cities because a lot of these influencers are from tier two cities.

[00:04:49] Nancy Tiaghi story is beautiful. And last night I was watching her given interview to Ranveer Alabadia and I actually tears in my eyes.

[00:05:00] Her story, I mean, it is really the underdog story.

[00:05:04] If you if you view her story individually, it's really poignant and beautiful. She is a girl as you said from Uttar Pradesh.

[00:05:11] She was preparing for UPSC COVID struck.

[00:05:16] Her mother had her mother lost a job with a small time school teacher.

[00:05:21] And I don't think her parents are together. She had to move to Delhi and her mother got a job in some factory where one of the challenges that one of the

[00:05:33] major risks was of losing a limb.

[00:05:37] And it was an e-waste factory, apparently.

[00:05:43] She's broke down on the show because she said that I don't care for fame. I don't care for money.

[00:05:49] All I care for is that I wanted to get my mother out of that life.

[00:05:54] And she said every day my brother and I used to sit and pray that nothing happens to her today because these accidents were so frequent.

[00:06:01] And she broke down on the show. It was a very, very emotional moment.

[00:06:07] And she's such a simple girl. She barely speaks English.

[00:06:10] Her Hindi also is a very dialect Hindi, which the elite would call vernacular Hindi.

[00:06:17] Okay.

[00:06:18] And I love that but she got told for speaking in that Hindi at gun.

[00:06:23] But that was so adorable. She was so excited and she was so over the top trying to explain to that person how she created her gun.

[00:06:31] And there was somebody helping her translate, of course.

[00:06:34] That was a lovely moment. I thought I don't understand why she would get trolled for that. It was such a genuine raw moment.

[00:06:39] And she was being herself.

[00:06:41] You get trolled if you speak in an accent.

[00:06:43] Yeah, you get trolled if you speak in an accent.

[00:06:45] So this is the problem. We as a country, we can't see anyone doing too well.

[00:06:49] Yeah. You can't win anyway. So you might as well just do what you have to do.

[00:06:52] And I know we are digressing from our main conversation, but I wanted to just add one more thing to it.

[00:06:57] I went and looked up an Instagram account. It is so innovative.

[00:07:01] She really is a proper content creator.

[00:07:03] And I would say that in this vast sea of digital content creators, she's the one who really, really stands apart.

[00:07:12] She in this small UP town goes and buys a fabric.

[00:07:17] And her whole thing is DIY from scratch to finish address in 100 days.

[00:07:24] So she openly copies looks of different actors or celebrities or wearing gowns or dresses.

[00:07:32] She goes in a manual rickshaw or an auto rickshaw cycle rickshaw to buy a fabric.

[00:07:37] Then you show her buying reams of this fabric and then she comes back home and every few days she gives an account of how far she's reached with that fabric.

[00:07:46] How lovely.

[00:07:47] And this is all she does. It's on a sewing machine and goes at it day and night, day and night.

[00:07:51] And her brother said that in the month leading up to her cantrip, she was belly getting by on two to three hours of sleep a night.

[00:08:00] What a story of real passion and talent. And certainly if you look at the dress that she'd created.

[00:08:06] It was wonderful.

[00:08:07] You know, Jambatista Wally is a designer who creates those kind of dresses that it looked like a multi tiered cake.

[00:08:14] Correct? Her dress, a very elaborate dress, a very high end designers take hours of manual work.

[00:08:22] Train to manual.

[00:08:23] Yeah, to create that kind of an outfit and this little girl has done it herself. She's all of 23.

[00:08:28] I know. And her outfit, I think was much better than Aishwarya Rice, but that's a topic for another discussion.

[00:08:34] Yes.

[00:08:35] So coming back to the point that you were making, I think you are right.

[00:08:39] Why are these people there when we are celebrating the arts and culture?

[00:08:44] And why are we bringing influencers into every space and legitimizing their ownership without the requisite talent for that particular skill?

[00:08:57] I have been thinking if Nancy Thiagi was there, because she's a creator, why was Ulfi Javed not there?

[00:09:05] She didn't pay for a pass, you think?

[00:09:08] Possibly.

[00:09:09] She's also very talented.

[00:09:11] Because she has been innovating and she is, I think more of an influencer in terms of visibility and mileage and attention seeking or maybe they felt she might create something totally outrageous for the red carpet and not have her there.

[00:09:25] That's also true.

[00:09:26] Just don't tell me what you would come up with.

[00:09:28] No, I think maybe this is really true. They've got a pass to the event. That's what it is.

[00:09:33] How does it help them is what I'm trying to get. You're already an influencer. You have your following. You have your brand sponsoring you.

[00:09:41] How does it help you to be at count?

[00:09:44] It increases your follower count.

[00:09:47] Followers who do not know that you have paid your way through this event.

[00:09:52] Now they do, but I mean until the story broke then people assume that if you're worthy of being called at Cannes, you really are a person of a certain metal.

[00:09:59] But what I find really false is all these people saying I'm so honored to be here.

[00:10:05] This is like this awards we get in our DMs. We can pay and become woman influence of the year.

[00:10:11] Women achiever, women entrepreneur, women influencer. I'm so honored to be here.

[00:10:16] It's literally like you and me saying right I'm so honored to be on this podcast.

[00:10:21] Kiran, the truth is that this shows that we are living in a very, very false world.

[00:10:27] The whole influencer economy is built on a false premise of a perfectly curated life, perfectly curated looks, perfectly curated meals.

[00:10:37] And we're following this hook line in SINCA.

[00:10:41] The trouble is we are not questioning what gives this person the credibility or the aspirational value to be an influencer and why do we want this person to have any influence over us?

[00:10:54] It doesn't have to be always aesthetics. There has to be more that they bring to the table apart from aesthetics.

[00:11:00] My only truck with most of the fashion influencers I see today and not a fashion person though I used to write on fashion when the dinosaurs were roaming the earth.

[00:11:08] I will not carbon date myself now. Is that they have no knowledge of fashion. They only know brands.

[00:11:13] They only put together looks, they put together makeup. That is about it. How a garment is cut and finished, fabrics.

[00:11:22] No, they have no knowledge of fashion.

[00:11:24] History of fashion. How this particular style came into being? Who innovated this style first? Nothing. Zero. Zilch.

[00:11:31] Some of them do. There are some fashion writers who are now in the space do.

[00:11:36] But for the most of them, by and large they don't. You're quite right.

[00:11:40] I think the fact is that it requires a certain degree of talent to be an influencer because you have to constantly create content and you have to think of ideas that other people haven't yet executed.

[00:11:53] So there is that.

[00:11:54] There's persistence. There's grit. I give them all of that.

[00:11:56] And there's a lot of hard work involved.

[00:11:59] I give them all that.

[00:12:00] But I just think that the degree of untruth here, okay? And the degree of creating this mirage of a life which really doesn't exist at all is what is extremely problematic for those who can't see through that.

[00:12:17] We are old enough today, but for young people to easily get influenced and then what in that and in desire that.

[00:12:24] So if you ask some youngsters what their aim in life is to be, it is to be an influencer.

[00:12:30] Yes, because that is the that seemingly is the easiest ticket to fame and wealth, but it isn't really so.

[00:12:39] So what happens when this influencer bubble burst?

[00:12:41] Will it burst is why question.

[00:12:43] Of course it'll burst. It has to burst.

[00:12:46] I think maybe they'll become truth influencers perhaps or the influencers already taking up space.

[00:12:52] It's already out there. People are influencers.

[00:12:55] People are going to do influencers to learn what they should not consume and what they should not buy.

[00:13:01] That's a trend that's really picking up.

[00:13:03] Yeah.

[00:13:04] And in this era of consumerism, there is a backlash towards consumerism.

[00:13:08] So I do see this taking off in a certain while, maybe not immediately but maybe in a year or two.

[00:13:15] I definitely see that happening.

[00:13:17] I hope so. I should hope so.

[00:13:19] On the flip, if everyone is going to be an influencer, who's going to be watching those reels?

[00:13:27] So the other day I was speaking to a very dear friend of mine. She's an influencer.

[00:13:31] She's highly qualified. She studied engineering and then she went on to study luxury marketing in France.

[00:13:40] Got a degree in that.

[00:13:41] Lovely.

[00:13:43] Because then by the time she finished engineering, she realized that this is what she was more drawn to.

[00:13:49] She came back to India and this is very early days of influencing and a handle is called the image code.

[00:13:56] And Tina actually started, you know, she's one of the earliest influencers I would say because while she was looking for a job for herself in the

[00:14:07] at the time, the Indian luxury industry was a very narrow. There were very few jobs to be had.

[00:14:12] She started creating content. It was static content at the time.

[00:14:16] And then it changed and it went on to video content or whatever.

[00:14:19] So, you know, I was talking to her about the hardships of this job and the challenges.

[00:14:24] And then she mentioned, and I've heard many other influencers talk about it as well, that there are some people who are paying their way through influencing.

[00:14:33] So not only are they paying their way through, you know, a ticket to Cannes or something.

[00:14:37] I mean, I personally have heard of people who will go and buy out an entire store.

[00:14:44] So Dior has a collection and you go and buy seven bags from Dior when then Dior had the big event in town that they will feel obliged to invite you.

[00:14:52] Then they will ask you to host an event.

[00:14:55] And so your content is constantly being created in the luxury space.

[00:14:59] And if you can afford to travel around the world to Milan to attend the Fashion Week and you can afford to buy the latest luxury brands, then you buy those brands but you make your follower somehow.

[00:15:15] You don't reveal the truth that you've purchased these yourselves.

[00:15:18] So the follower thing that brands are tying up with you because you tag the brands.

[00:15:22] Okay. And this is how you grow your base because when people think if Bottega Veneta thinks that they should collaborate with Kiran Mandarala and if she's wearing something by them then...

[00:15:35] Ki Shakkar in your mouth.

[00:15:37] So, right Kiran.

[00:15:40] So then not your auntie presented to you by Bottega Veneta.

[00:15:45] So I'm just saying that what happens then is that these people are creating an illusion of luxury collapse.

[00:15:54] So that luxury collapse will eventually come to them.

[00:15:57] So then what happens to the organic person who's going the organic way, creating content so that they get noticed and they get collapsed.

[00:16:05] It's the same as verified accounts.

[00:16:07] Our Instagram and Twitter accounts are verified way back.

[00:16:11] Way back.

[00:16:12] Now people can buy verification.

[00:16:14] So this is the whole game.

[00:16:16] So money, a lot of content creators are paying their way through it and I'm...

[00:16:21] It's a bit problematic.

[00:16:23] Yeah because it's a false, as you said, it's an illusion.

[00:16:26] It's an illusion that is being perpetuated and people are believing them and believing that this is what it has to be.

[00:16:34] That brands have to be lining up outside your door and sending you stuff and only then are you an influencer worth talking about.

[00:16:42] But influence can be so many other things.

[00:16:45] Not just fashion, not just beauty, but other aspects of influencers.

[00:16:50] I know that Khan is a fashion place.

[00:16:53] It's the red carpet is primarily fashion and beauty which is fine.

[00:16:57] Influencers in other spaces such as wellness, fitness.

[00:17:02] There seems to be what I worry about and I'm digressing again from our topic now is that there seems to be no checks and errors.

[00:17:12] There seems to be no checks and balances in place.

[00:17:15] Like in this space, as you mentioned, they're buying the stuff and giving off this illusion that okay, it's coming to me.

[00:17:23] In the wellness and the fitness space, who's to know what qualifications those people have to dispense the information that they're giving you?

[00:17:31] Of course.

[00:17:32] And how harmful can that be?

[00:17:34] Also the products that are sent to you.

[00:17:36] I remember through the lockdown and just soon after that friends and PR companies would say sending a little hamper to you.

[00:17:43] Try it out if you like it post about it.

[00:17:46] Now this was early days, you thought you were helping a friend and doesn't take much to give a shout out.

[00:17:53] And so one did that.

[00:17:55] And then I reached a stage where I said, you know, till I've tried it, I can't now I'm not even an expert.

[00:18:01] I'm not going to speak for myself.

[00:18:02] And I think people are okay if you're not an expert, you're a lay consumer and your opinion will then influence the consumer of the next.

[00:18:10] And the follower.

[00:18:14] But I reached a stage where I really I had it with this.

[00:18:19] So a couple of these PR agencies text me and say, ma'am, we've got an eco friendly hamper for you.

[00:18:25] If it's eco friendly, don't send it because eco friendly means not making and buying and selling more things.

[00:18:30] Firstly, then ma'am, there is a health food product we've come out with.

[00:18:34] We'd love to send it to you.

[00:18:36] It comes in a packet.

[00:18:38] Okay, like some special healthy chips or whatever.

[00:18:41] So I have now started saying I don't want these freebies.

[00:18:45] I don't want these freebies because if I take a freebie, you will expect a plug from me.

[00:18:52] I don't want to give you that plug.

[00:18:54] You can't justify the plug most of the times.

[00:18:56] I can't.

[00:18:57] Yeah, and that's where the I don't think everyone has the same conscience as you do.

[00:19:02] Unfortunately, because look at what we see on Instagram.

[00:19:06] The thing is my conscience is limited to, you know, healthcare products and beauty products.

[00:19:11] No, obviously like if Chanel was to send me something, I'm not going to question anything at all.

[00:19:21] So this is already convenient as virtue signaling, but I'm just trying to tell you that everyone there's a whole pyramid, right?

[00:19:30] Hierarchical pyramid of people in the space, you know, who have an influence or say over a small base of followers.

[00:19:40] They're called micro influences that are macro influences, but and which is absolutely fine.

[00:19:45] But do it responsibly.

[00:19:47] But the problem is that people are so consumed by the desire to earn more.

[00:19:53] That is just a transactional plug then and that's where it ends.

[00:19:57] So the personal shot changes the follow.

[00:20:00] But I think followers are also wise, Ninhapande.

[00:20:03] They also sort of see through this whole thing and they know that something is a plug and something is genuine and they can discern.

[00:20:09] I'm hoping, I'm really hoping that followers are more discerning.

[00:20:13] Or if they would discerning, they wouldn't be followers.

[00:20:16] Is that like a chicken in the neck?

[00:20:18] No, no, I think you can still follow somebody because you think that they're authentic.

[00:20:21] The problem is authenticity itself now is such a commodity.

[00:20:27] It is so hard to find and the influence of space has only amplified the exact antithesis of authenticity in authenticity.

[00:20:37] They're all by and large. They're inauthentic.

[00:20:39] They don't talk about their problems when I see an influencer living the high life, getting off a plane, going in a yacht, enjoying a great life,

[00:20:47] posing happy pictures with the husbands and the children, coming back, posing in more clothes, going to weddings.

[00:20:53] What am I going to think that if I am having a dark mood on a particular day or an unpleasant day,

[00:20:59] or if I'm unhappy or sad or dealing with the life's challenge, I'm going to think I have a mental health problem because this is not what life really looks like.

[00:21:06] Now that you mention it, there was a very interesting poster in viral on Insta about this influencer who was posting wonderful little reels and pictures of her in first class of some aircraft.

[00:21:18] And then a passenger clicked her going right back to economy and sitting in the seat.

[00:21:21] Are you serious?

[00:21:22] Yes.

[00:21:23] Indian influencer?

[00:21:24] I don't know, not an Indian influencer but this is what it is.

[00:21:27] This is what it is and it is like Kavyaa Temptor by a Biver.

[00:21:31] Illusions of grandeur.

[00:21:35] They're creating that.

[00:21:36] And they sell, that sells.

[00:21:38] And that's a tragedy because we are consuming it.

[00:21:41] We're consuming these illusions and believing them to be true.

[00:21:44] But that's why when I went to Landor I told you that I took my reel of Landor down because at that time when I visited Landor it was a gorgeous place and there were no traffic jams.

[00:21:53] It wasn't littered about.

[00:21:55] I took that down because I realized that this make, it's a beautifully made reel if I may say so myself.

[00:22:02] I realized that if I'm going to post about a place now, I'm going to reveal everything about it.

[00:22:07] What's in all?

[00:22:08] Please do.

[00:22:09] Please do.

[00:22:10] We need to know.

[00:22:11] Yeah.

[00:22:12] You know A.A. Gill, the food critic.

[00:22:15] Food writer.

[00:22:16] Always paid for his meal no matter where he died in whatever country he traveled to because he did not want to forfeit his right to give an honest review.

[00:22:26] To criticize.

[00:22:27] To criticize.

[00:22:28] But because the influencer economy is built on freebies, fat chance you're going to get an honest review.

[00:22:34] At least with advertising it's very open.

[00:22:37] It's apparent.

[00:22:38] It's out there.

[00:22:39] Yeah.

[00:22:40] It's in your face.

[00:22:41] You know that there's money has changed hands.

[00:22:43] So Kiran, do you think that whatever can set out to do by allowing agents to invite influencers to can has backfired and diluted the whole essence of the can.

[00:22:57] Film festival.

[00:22:58] I definitely would think so.

[00:23:00] I'm not a cinema person.

[00:23:02] I'm not a film person, but I am somebody who loved the glamour and the glitz of the red carpet and you saw names who are inaccessible names.

[00:23:09] You hero worshiped on it.

[00:23:10] Now when I see people, I don't even know who they are.

[00:23:13] And you can see the paparazzi has no clue who they are either and they're not bothered about them.

[00:23:18] It's lovely to have people want to go there.

[00:23:21] But what is the purpose for the festival?

[00:23:24] The festival seems to have lost its purpose.

[00:23:27] You know I posted recently the who's who of who are they at Cannes right now.

[00:23:32] That's lovely.

[00:23:33] So they really lowered their standard.

[00:23:35] The who's who of who are they at Cannes right now because that was my reaction.

[00:23:40] Who are these people?

[00:23:42] And Brut India had a woman in tears saying some influence and said this was my dream.

[00:23:46] I can't believe it.

[00:23:47] Thank you for having me here.

[00:23:48] After having paid.

[00:23:49] I mean if she did pay which apparently she did but I'm just saying that this is not the Cannes that I want to see.

[00:23:56] I want to watch Brad Pitt in Cannes.

[00:23:58] I want to watch Brad Pitt and Kate Blanchett walk the red carpet at Cannes.

[00:24:03] Absolutely.

[00:24:04] With a little green satin flag which she discreetly flashed at the camera.

[00:24:10] Lovely.

[00:24:11] That's what we should watch next year hopefully.

[00:24:13] I hope they learn their lesson.