Azmeri Haque Badhon dazzled in a jamdani saree at Cannes 2021

The first-ever Bangladeshi film in the official line-up of the Cannes film festival, "Rehana Maryam Noor", directed by Abdullah Mohammad Saad, earned a standing ovation after its screening on Wednesday.

The actress who played the title character Azmeri Haque Badhon shed tears of Joy as she witnessed the standing ovation at Cannes.

The most beautiful attire for a Bengali woman is Saree; especially, if it's a Jamdani- the handloom originated in Dhaka, it brings out the essence of Bangladeshi culture. Azmeri Haque Badhon dazzled in an exquisite Jamdani saree at the red carpet of Cannes and took our traditional attire to an international platform.

Badhon looked like a woman coming out of an elegant art work in a beige coloured Jamdani saree with silver-toned intricate handwoven motifs. Smoky kohled eye, centre-parted sleek bun, contoured cheekbones and matte mauve lipstick have further accentuated her look. Nothing was over the top in her look as she wore minimal but elegant jewellery and carried a clutch that matches her saree's colour pattern.  Her ear studs, bracelet and blouse, has contrasting green jewels embedded on them. Keeping the pandemic in mind, she also had a matching face mask.

The halter neck blouse with jewelled belts at the back added a westernized touch to her traditional look.

As she posed at a beach with her arms outstretched and glorious smile on her face and her Jamdani saree floating in the air; it looked as if she is embracing the historical moments of Bangladeshi films. 

While speaking about her saree, Badhon wrote on her social media account, "Thanks to Aarong and the entire team who have worked so hard on my sharee and jewellery. It was so nice to wear my deshiDhakai Jamdani at the event. When it comes to Jamdani, I never think about anything other than Aarong! Thanks for arranging such an exclusive one within a very short time. Special thanks to Asif Saleh Bhai, who simply said 'Yes' to Jamdani when I expressed my interest to wear one from Aarong."

The entire film was based on the title character Rehana, a professor at medical college and a single mother and her struggles to seek justice for her student who was sexually assaulted by one of the college professors. The movie questions the long-known sexist environment where resilient women had to battle against injustice constantly.

The director Abdullah Mohammad Saad said he wanted not just Bangladeshi women but women all around the world to have a sense of connection with the character of Rehana. When he hears from international female audiences, he felt glad that they somehow feel connected to Rehana's character.

During an interview, Badhon said that being a part of such a huge achievement is exciting and stressful at the same time. She felt a huge responsibility on her shoulder as there wasn't a single scene on the film without Rehana. She kept thinking about how the international audiences would react after seeing her performance.

Badhon gave credits of success to the team members of the film as she mentioned that the success of the movie would never have been possible without the dedication of the team members. "I am not sure if I am worthy of such love", said Badhon. Whereas, the director Saad acknowledges Badhon's hard work for the film; he said Badhon did not pursue any other projects but dedicated her time solely to the film for 9 months.

International audiences were thrilled by Badhon's performance. Alongside uplifting Bangladeshi film with her devotional acting, she has been praised for slaying the red carpet with the traditional ensemble. Indian news portals complemented Badhon's look on the deshiDhakai saree.