What comes to your mind when you think of India? The Taj Mahal? Holi celebrations? A Kathakali performance? Depending on who is imagining the country, the symbols and clichés that describe it change. If the Western gaze has its exotica-tinted glasses — just think of how the likes of the film Slumdog Millionaire and the series Shantaram have depicted Mumbai, focusing on the city’s urban poor — then commercial Hindi cinema has its own set of preferred clichés. Fortunately, there are some Indian filmmakers who challenge the stereotypes and frequently, their films get noticed because of being selected by international film festivals. This year, for instance, Cannes Film Festival shone the spotlight on two unusual titles from India — Kennedy by Anurag Kashyap and Agra by Kanu Behl.

Over the years, being selected by Cannes Film Festival has helped many Indian filmmakers make a name for themselves and raise Indian cinema’s profile. Here are some of our favourites from what Cannes has picked over the decades:

1. Salaam Bombay! (1988)

Salaam Bombay! is a movie that catapulted Indian cinema onto the international stage. Directed by Mira Nair, the movie tells the story of a young boy named Krishna who runs away from his village and ends up in the slums of Bombay. The movie is a poignant portrayal of life in the underbelly of the city, and the plight of street children. It won the Camera d'Or at Cannes in 1988, and was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

2. The Lunchbox (2013)

The Lunchbox is a heartwarming tale of two strangers who develop a connection through letters exchanged in a lunchbox. Directed by Ritesh Batra, the movie stars Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur in leading roles. It premiered at Cannes in 2013 and was met with critical acclaim. The movie went on to win numerous awards at film festivals around the world, cementing its position as one of the finest Indian movies of recent times.

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