Six years after she first turned up on the Cannes red carpet to promote a film she had eventually dropped out of, Shruti Haasan is set to return to the gala. This time around, Haasan, in the capacity of the chief guest of honour, will participate in a round-table discussion on gender parity. Titled Activating Change, and hosted by Breaking through the Lens, the talk will focus on challenges and opportunities that the under-represented genders in the film industry face.

“I have spoken to my co-stars about [gender parity] but, it is not a conversation we get into in detail, because it is still awkward and hasn’t been dealt with openly. I am happy to start talking about it. A lot of us are in the process of [effecting] change, be it about mental health, or pay parity. I was always influenced by musicians who spoke about their struggles, or of their triumphs and tribulations,” she says.