Aishwarya's footage from Jazbaa wows Cannes

A 7-minute sequence from her comeback film Jazbaa where Aishwarya plays the mother of a kidnapped daughter had all of Cannes swooning in support of her comeback to acting.

Director Sanjay Gupta, who accompanied Aishwarya to Cannes, reveals that he did not prepare a trailer for Cannes. "Instead I took out one dramatic sequence from the film where Aishwarya kills it. We did the entire post-production of that sequence and took it to Cannes. Believe me, the real hero of that scene is the sound designer Resul Pookutty. He has taken that dramatic scene and Aishwarya's performance to another dimension."

While Sanjay Gupta is not willing to reveal more about the scene, one got to know its a scene where the mother pleads for her daughter's life. As a real-life mom, Aishwarya tapped into her personal emotional reservoir.

Says Gupta, "At Cannes they watched the scene in rapt attention. We are going to show the entire 7-minute scene in a theatre for the Indian press next week."

Apparently, one German critic burst into tears when he saw Aishwarya's mother act. Says Gupta, "American and European critics are not used to the heightened emotions that we believe in. Yet when they say Aishwarya's scene they were bowled over. It was reassuring to see how foreigners responded to these Indian emotions."

Speaking of his experience in Cannes, Sanjay Gupta says, "It was my first. I am not the kind who enjoys running in and out of screenings at festivals. I like to savour my movie experience."