Preity’s participation in the Cannes Film Festival this year is particularly special as she is there to present the prestigious Pierre Angenieux ExcelLens in Cinematography honour to her longtime collaborator, Santosh Sivan. Their collaboration dates back to Preity’s debut film, Mani Ratnam’s romantic drama Dil Se (1998), where Santosh served as the cinematographer. Their professional relationship has come full circle as they reunite for Preity’s first film in seven years, Rajkumar Santoshi’s upcoming period drama Lahore 1947.
In an interview with DD India from Cannes, Preity shared her fond memories of working with Santosh Sivan on Dil Se. She recounted how his exceptional cinematographic skills helped her look stunning despite director Mani Ratnam’s insistence on a no-makeup look. Preity also reminisced about the filming of the iconic song “Jiya Jale” in Kerala. “While we were shooting in Kerala, the song had a little light rain. You don’t really see the rain, but it was there. So in the four days there, my bones were hurting in the rain, I had a fever, I wasn’t feeling well. Santosh came and got me rasam and all the food, and said, ‘Why don’t you eat this? It’s hot.’ He was really sweet and took care of me,” she recalled. Santosh’s thoughtful gestures and care during the shoot left a lasting impression on Preity.