Alia Bhatt skips Cannes 2025 opening ceremony due to India-Pakistan tension: Report

Mumbai/IBNS: Bollywood star Alia Bhatt skipped the opening ceremony of the 78th Cannes Film Festival in view of the India-Pakistan tension, media reports said.
As per a report by Mid-day, Alia, who was gearing up for her Cannes debut, decided to skip the opening ceremony, which was held on May 13, though a ceasefire was announced last Saturday.
However, the leading Hindi film actress may consider attending the prestigious festival at a later date.
Alia, a hugely popular actress in India, was attending the Cannes Festival as a L'Oreal ambassador. The festival will run till May 24.
In an Instagram post, Alia on Tuesday paid her tributes to the soldiers after the Indian Armed Forces conducted Operation Sindoor that decimated nine terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and beyond on the intervening night of May 6 and 7.
She wrote, "The last few nights have felt... different. There’s a certain stillness in the air when a nation holds its breath. And over the past few days we’ve felt that stillness. That quiet anxiety. That pulse of tension that hums beneath every conversation, behind every news notification, around every dinner table. We have felt the weight of knowing that somewhere, out there in the mountains, our soldiers are awake, alert, and in danger.
"While most of us are tucked into our homes, there are men and women standing in the dark, guarding our sleep with theirs. With their lives. And that reality... it does something to you. Because you realise this isn’t just bravery. It’s sacrifice. And behind every uniform is a mother who hasn’t slept either. A mother who knows her child is facing a night not of lullabies, but of uncertainty. Of tension. Of silence that can shatter in an instant."
"On Sunday we celebrated Mother’s Day. And while flowers were being handed out and hugs were exchanged, I couldn’t help but think of the mothers who raised heroes and carry that quiet pride with just a little more steel in their spine. We mourn the lives that have been lost, soldiers who will never come home, whose names are now etched in the soul of this country. May their families find strength in the nation’s gratitude."
"So tonight, and every night forward, we hope for less silence born of tension, and more silence born of peace. And send love to every parent out there holding prayers, holding back tears. Because your strength moves this nation more than you’ll ever know. We stand together. For our protectors. For India. Jai Hind."
On the work front, Alia is currently filming for Shiv Rawail's Alpha, which co-stars Sharvari.
Alia will also feature in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love & War where she reunites with husband Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal on screen.