The results for the Direct, Promo, Radio, Outdoor and Media are out and the final metal tally is not too good for India between these categories. In comparison to the eight metals last year between these categories, this year we only have five. All hopes are now on print and films.

The mood is a little low and a little birdie told us that Leo Burnett is not so kicked about winning a Silver as it is upset about not winning anything in Outdoor. The case is not too different for other agencies as well. Media agency officials are not here in high numbers, but the ones that are here are visibly upset.

Where all this is happening on one hand, on the other hand officials from agencies like JWT and Leo Burnett are counting how much agencies like O&M and Rediffusion DY&R have bagged, as these agencies are counting what the others have bagged --- the competitive spirit is still alive in this foreign land.

Some more Indian delegates surface today. Some unusual faces are here like Zee Enterprises’ Joy Chakraborthy, Marico’s Ashish Bhargava, and STAR News’ Probaal Ganguly giving company to the festival’s India representatives Times of India’s Bhaskar Das and Sujoy Ghosh. Radio Mirchi’s Kaushik Ghosh is here too and Bhaskar’s Sanjeev Kotnala was happily sipping on his wine. None looked too kicked about the sessions (even as they are attending it) but every one was charged about hitting the bar and the local joints in the evening --- that is of course after they have attended the Cannes Lions Opening Gala on June 19.

The younger delegates do seem more excited about the sessions than the ‘older’ ones. We ran into Rediffusion DY&R’s Montoo Bassi and Anto Noval, who enjoyed the Hertz session and are looking forward to the Contagious and Leo Burnett session. Anto didn’t look disappointed here but he did say, “Goa can kick Cannes’ ass. Cannes should be going to Goa --- everything is real there and plastic here (Cannes)!” Bassi, though reluctant, did nod his consent.

The other creative professionals to be seen here were Whodunit Films’ Sujoy Shetty, Ambience’s Ramanuj Shastri, Leo Burnett’s Vinod K, better known as KB, and they inform us that they have already completed one round of St Tropez (Monte Carlo), but are looking forward to marking their attendance also at the likes of St Paul’s.

We also met an exhausted Ravi Deshpande, who is busy judging the Films Lions, the shortlist of which would be distributed on June 21, 2007. Ravi is not complaining about the work but he did have a problem with the judging room’s temperature – “it’s freezing in there!”