Cannes 2026: Alia Bhatt Wants Films To Be “Gender-Agnostic,” Says Conversations Are Often About Male Audience. Agreed!

During her Cannes 2026 appearance, Alia Bhatt spoke about how conversations about box office cater to the male audience.

Alia Bhatt once again made a powerful style statement at the Cannes Film Festival. She wore a coral strapless dress and paired with a dupatta that stole the show. However, what she had to say during an interview at the red carpet was even more powerful. The actress spoke about how a film’s story should be given more importance rather than the gender of the star that would feature in it. Let’s dive in deep to know what she stated exactly.

Alia Bhatt Wants People To Focus On Film’s Story Rather Than Gender!

During her conversation with The Hollywood Reporter at the Cannes Film Festival 2026, Alia Bhatt stressed that the global box office has shown that women-centric films have become major successes in the past few years. She cited the example of Barbie and The Devil Wears Prada 2. Further, the actress highlighted that the conversation in India mostly revolves around catering to a male movie-going audience.

The Jigra star stated that it should not matter whether a film stars a man or a woman, but the story should matter the most. When she talked about how the discussion about box office numbers is mostly about 75 per cent of moviegoers being male, she asked: what about the women if the films are made only with men in mind? Alia made sure to say that she didn’t want men to be alienated; however, her point was that films should be “gender-agnostic,” where storytelling shows play a huge role. She hoped to witness more women-led films in theatres in the future.

Also Read: Alia Bhatt Serves Coral Glam At Cannes 2026 Red Carpet And We’re Not Disappointed!

This Was Alia’s Second Cannes Appearance

This year marked Alia Bhatt’s second Cannes appearance. In 2025, she made her debut at the event and turned heads with her outfit. In 2026, she arrived at the red carpet on May 12 wearing a strapless gown that gave the ultimate coral vibes. The actress paired it with a dupatta and a statement necklace along with earrings.

What Alia said about the importance of a film’s story and how the gender of the actor should not play a role deserves a standing ovation. The best part is that she said this during an international festival, which will hopefully bring more impact and garner more attention, leading to a greater change in the future.

Also Read: Alia Bhatt X Carlos Sainz At Cannes 2026 Is The Crossover Nobody Prepared Us For. Both Smooth Operators!

First Published: May 13, 2026 12:44 PM