Cannes 2025| Simi Garewal Set To Make Her Cannes Debut

Simi Garewal is most famous for her television chat show, Rendezvous with Simi Garewal. Running in the early 2000s, she did some of the best interviews with celebrities, such as Rekha, Amitabh Bachchan–Jaya Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Kajol–Karan Johar, and Shah Rukh Khan–Gauri Khan. The clips of the interviews still circulate on social media today, revealing the impact of the show in bringing the realness of stars to the audience and dissecting who they are as people beyond their dialogues and characters.

But who is Simi Garewal? Growing up in England, the actress-host debuted in films as early as 14 and was one of the actresses considered pathbreaking for the kind of roles she did. They portrayed women as multidimensional, complex, bold, and sensual—everything Indian cinema shied away from portraying women as in the 1960s and 1970s.

Today, she will make her debut at the Cannes Film Festival as Satyajit Ray’s 1970 film Aranyer Din Ratri—starring her, Soumitra Chatterjee, and Sharmila Tagore—will be screened in the Cannes Classics section in a newly restored 4K version. She is expected to share the stage with Wes Anderson and Sharmila Tagore.

She took to Instagram to announce that she will be collaborating with Karleo, adorning yet another look in white, the colour she is mostly seen wearing. In an interview with The Times of India, she said, "I feel happy when I wear white. If I happen to get attracted to designs in another colour, I buy them, but they remain in my wardrobe, unworn. I also like cream, ivory as colours – but they are extensions of white, really."

Read below to learn lesser-known things about her career.

Simi Garewal as Princess Kamara alongside Jock Mahoney as Tarzan in Tarzan Goes to India (1962)

The film, produced by Sy Weintraub, was Simi Garewal’s debut. At a time when few Indian actresses were comfortable acting in English-language films, Garewal stood out. Having spent part of her childhood in England and being fluent in English, she could perform naturally in a Hollywood production without the need for dubbing. Critics believe Garewal was the ideal choice for the role—not only because casting an Indian actress added local authenticity, but also because her modern and graceful persona appealed to Western sensibilities.

Portrait of Simi Garewal at the age of 16. The actress was only 14 years old when she debuted in the international production Tarzan Goes to India.

Pasand Apni Apni (1969)

Simi Garewal played a dual role in this British-Indian film, directed by Brij Katyal. In this romantic comedy, she portrayed two characters: Rita, a cosmopolitan Londoner, and Sita, an Indian bride brought to London by her mother. Garewal's performances as both Rita and Sita showcased her versatility, capturing the contrasting personalities and cultural backgrounds of the characters. The film is notable for its early fusion of Bollywood elements with British cinema, set against the backdrop of 1970s London.

Simi Garewal as Rita in Mera Naam Joker (1970)

Rita was confident, independent, and sensual—a departure from the more demure female roles common in Indian cinema during that era. Rather than being a simple love interest, Rita was nuanced, representing the modern woman’s aspirations and emotional complexities. Garewal’s appearance in the film, critics believe, established her as a sophisticated, urbane actress willing to take on roles that challenged social norms of the time.

Simi Garewal described this as her 'first ad,' which was published in leading newspapers and magazines and created a sensation at the time. She was photographed by Jehangir Gazdar for the campaign.

Simi Garewal as Shilpi Mitra alongside Dhritiman Chatterjee as Sumit in Padatik (1973)

Shilpi Mitra, an advertising executive, provides refuge to Sumit, a fugitive political activist, during the Naxalite movement in Kolkata. Her character—a modern, intelligent woman—stood in contrast to the representation of Indian women in films at the time. This portrayal was considered bold due to its progressive representation of women and the film’s critical examination of political ideologies.

Ahsaas (1979)

In this romantic drama, Simi Garewal portrayed Asha Choudhry. Her role reflected the challenges faced by women in society and showcased the internal conflicts that arise when love and ambition collide.

Simi Garewal receiving an award from the late director-editor Hrishikesh Mukherjee, with actress Rekha also in the frame. Mukherjee had collaborated with Garewal on films like Namak Haraam (1973).

Karz (1980)

Simi Garewal as Kamini Verma in Subhash Ghai’s Karz is one of her most celebrated performances. Kamini is the film’s antagonist who marries Ravi Verma (Raj Kiran) and murders him to seize his wealth. Initially, Garewal was hesitant to accept the role, as she was concerned about being typecast as a vamp. However, her performance was critically acclaimed, earning her a Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Simi Garewal inaugurating the International Film Festival in Delhi. She performs aarti and puja to the camera to mark the ceremonial beginning of the festival.