Nitanshi Goel pays beautiful homage to Rekha, Hema Malini, Sridevi, Madhubala, and other Bollywood icons with her Cannes 2025 look

Seventeen-year-old Nitanshi Goel, known for her role in ‘Laapataa Ladies’, made a dazzling debut on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet on Thursday. Her appearance was not just about style but also a heartfelt salute to some of Bollywood’s most famous female stars. Let’s take a closer look at how Nitanshi honoured these icons and made a mark on the world stage.Tribute to Bollywood iconsNitanshi first appeared at the India Pavilion at Cannes in an elegant ivory saree. Her look was more than just stylish – it was a beautiful nod to the golden era of Hindi cinema. What made her appearance truly stand out was her hairstyle. Her hair was adorned with delicate pins featuring the faces of some of Bollywood’s most iconic leading ladies, including Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Rekha, Waheeda Rehman, Sridevi, Nutan, Hema Malini, and Vyjayanthimala. Her look was a perfect mix of old-world charm and modern fashion.Glamorous in black: Evening red carpet lookLater in the evening, Nitanshi returned to the red carpet in a completely different but equally striking look. This time, she wore a dramatic black gown with gold embroidery. The gown’s grandeur flirted a little with Cannes’ new dress code, which discourages long trains and overly extravagant outfits to avoid causing inconvenience on the red carpet. She wore this to the screening of the film ‘Dossier 137’, showing her growing presence at the festival.Feeling the magic of CannesSpeaking to Brut, Nitanshi shared her excitement and nerves, "I am feeling very excited. I have butterflies in my stomach. Oh my God! This really feels like a dream come true. It feels incredibly special to be here at Cannes this year. It's my first time, and I am feeling very overwhelmed, and very grateful to be able to represent India on the global stage."Nitanshi isn’t the only Indian presence at Cannes this year. A host of Indian celebrities are expected to walk the red carpet. This includes debutant Alia Bhatt, Cannes veteran Aishwarya Rai, and actors Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor who are there for the premiere of their film ‘Homebound’. The Cannes Film Festival, which began on May 13 and will continue until May 24.