Update: JAZBAA at CANNES: May 19(pg 1); UN Event on MAY 16(pg 2)

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will launch the first look of her comeback film at a UN panel discussion on gender equality.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will unveil the first look of her comeback film, Jazbaa, at the Cannes Film Festival at a closed door United Nations panel discussion on May 16, followed by a media event on May 19.

Besides Aishwarya, the elite panel includes Oscar nominated actress Salma Hayek, Adele Exarchopoulos, the Palm d'Or winning star of Blue is the Warmest Color and producers of the upcoming film Carol, Christine Vachone and Elizabeth Kushel. The group will talk about gender equality and the role of women in media.

The film's trailer will be showcased at the event in the presence of producer, Essel Vision business head Akash Chawla, and writer, co-producer-director Sanjay Gupta. When contacted, Akash told Mirror, "Most films define the man as the only hero but in this case all three actors, Aishwarya, Shabana Azmi and Irrfan Khan, have equally significant roles in taking the story forward. And since the trio have a prominent international presence, an event at Cannes, which is the most prestigious film fest, was a welcome opportunity to get the international media together under one roof."

The film opens on October 9 and Akash points out that Zee Entertainment, which has a strong US presence, is planning a widespread US and global release. "The Cannes market is a great place to connect with international distributors," he asserts.

Aishwarya will be returning to the big screen five years after Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish with the courtroom drama in which she plays a successful lawyer who has a week to win the most important case of her life.