THE GRAPES OF IGNORED WRATH
Saif Ali Khan made sense recently on his return from the Cannes Film Festival, when he knocked Indian stars for making a big deal about being invited to walk the red carpet. Saif, who was at Cannes as the face of a liquor brand, insisted there is no glory in being invited or photographed because the brand you're endorsing is a sponsor at the festival. The actor said the aim should be to get there on the merit of our movies.
Can't argue with that.
But now it appears that Saif's criticism of the Cannes opportunity may have something to do with his own sour experience at the festival. Sources say the actor turned up almost an hour late on the red carpet the evening he was meant to walk for Chivas Regal. Despite repeated requests from the public relations representative to pull into the Palais at the appointed hour, Saif didn't show up until much later. Indeed star entries on the red carpet are timed specifically in order to gain maximum mileage from the world media, but with Saif arriving after the stars of Woody Allen's opening night film, shutterbugs showed little interest in photographing him.
Apparently, the infuriated PR rep decided she had more important things to take care of rather than wait for Saif's fashionably late entry. As a result, when the actor did arrive, there was nobody at hand to explain who he was to the international media who were by then focusing on the likes of Rachel McAdams and Owen Wilson.
Dressed in a smart Tom Ford tux, the star got a cold shoulder from the press, while Minnisha Lamba, who was also at Cannes representing the same brand, is believed to have milked the opportunity for all its worth by sticking faithfully to the plan that had been chalked out for her by her publicist.
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