Cannes 2025 kicked off in grand style on May 13 at the French Riviera, marking a global celebration of cinema, fashion, and art. Among the Indian celebrities making a striking appearance on the red carpet this year is actor and entrepreneur Parul Gulati. In an exclusive conversation with HT Lifestyle, Parul opened up about her take on fashion, beauty, and her much-anticipated global red carpet debut. (Also read: Tom Cruise makes a stylish return at Cannes 2025; proves he’s still Hollywood’s ultimate heartthrob at 62. See pics )

Excerpts from the interview:

What does attending Cannes mean to you personally and professionally?

Personally, it means a lot because it feels like a dream, a little girl who wanted to have her big carpet moment. She’s going to live that dream in a few days. Professionally, it is a huge accomplishment because being an actress means your fashion moments are secondary. But just being at the world’s biggest film festival, watching the best of the best films with the world’s best stars, that’s something else.”

Can you give us a sneak peek into your Cannes look, what’s the vibe you’re going for?

So, a sneak peek into what I’ll be wearing would be something that I do, something that I stand for, something that I am. That’s all I can say for now. I really want to keep it under wraps because I truly want the first look to be a surprise.

What’s your beauty and skincare routine like when preparing for such a glamorous red carpet-event?

I genuinely feel I should stress less and focus on doing things that make me happy and relaxed. I don’t want it getting to my head because that drives me nuts and adds to my stress, and I really don’t want that. That’s all.

How involved were you in curating your red carpet-outfit, and did you collaborate with any Indian designers?

I like to believe I was very, very involved, but it was a collaborative effort. I’m more of a helping hand to the stylist and the designer, we worked on the look together. We wanted it to reflect the essence of me, like I said, something that I truly stand for. So yeah.

Cannes is known for its fashion statements. Do you feel any pressure to stand out on the global stage?

I don’t think I’m stressed about the outfit I’m going to wear or making a fashion statement because I want it to be me, and there’s only one of me in this entire world. That’s what I’m going for. When you see it, you’ll say, ‘Only Parul could’ve pulled this off.’ So when people ask if there’s any pressure to stand out on a global stage, honestly, what’s more on my mind is whether I will even be able to walk the red carpet without tripping. That’s what I’m nervous about. But I’m going to take it easy because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I just want to live in the moment. I’m not going to let the pressure get to me.