Chinese super star Gong Li has received as much recognition for her beauty as she has for her acting. Along with other luminaries of the movie world, she is in Cannes for the world's largest film festival. Another Asian celebrity, Indian actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is also making an an appearance in the French coastal city to talk about her latest film "Heroine".

As Modern Chinese cinema became ever more popular and more glamorous so did she. Gong Li is one of the most popular faces in Chinese film - from her appearance in Zhang Yimou's 1987 directorial debut "Red Sorghum", to her rise to international prominence in the Oscar-nominated "Raise the Red Lantern."

The actress says a lot of responsibility which goes with being an idol for the next generation - indeed, were she not a star herself, it would be today's young talent that would be an inspiration to her.

Gong Li, Chinese Actress, said, "This profession is absolutely indispensable. It is a very important part of their spiritual life. If I were not an actress, I would be like a simple spectator, excited to see the current generation of young stars."

Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai has been a regular at the Cannes Film Festival for the last ten years. This time she arrived with director Madhur Bhandarkar with whom she worked on the movie, "Heroine". Both came as ambassadors for Indian film.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Actress, said, "I think what is great is when we get the opportunity to do a variety of cinema and that is really what Indian cinema is. I think it is great that we do have the kind of cinema which are flights of fancy, of fantasy, then there is the kind of cinema which I guess gets defined or compartmentalized as serious, edgy, statement making, which is the voice of probably an individual, of an area of life or a society. It can be called art house, noir, but it is great that we encapsulate all of that today in Indian cinema. "

Rai - a former Miss World - will see her movie enter production this June.

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