Mumbai, June 1 (IANS): Actress Anasuya Sengupta, who bagged the Un Certain Regard Best Actress award for her film 'The Shameless', at the 77th edition of the recently concluded Cannes Film Festival, has said that sex work is the oldest profession in the world and the film’s team wanted to highlight the lives and the struggles of the sex workers.

The actress interacted with the media on Saturday and shared her experience of being at Cannes, and also spoke up for sex workers.

She told the media: “There was a lot of research that all of us put into it. We, as actors, educated ourselves on the subject. These are real people, I would prefer to use the term ‘sex workers’ for them rather than prostitutes. It’s the oldest profession in the world, everyone benefits from them except the ones in it.”

She said that it was important for them to inform themselves better, respect them as human beings before anything else, and tell their story as truly as they could.

Sharing her experience of being at the Cannes, the actress said: “It was amazing. To be at the biggest film festival in the world, the feeling was exceptional. We didn’t work on the film thinking that it will go to the Cannes Film Festival or the film will bag an award at the Cannes. We put our honest work into it. The accolades came later. Hence, it was all the more special.”

She shared that the team has been trying to make this film for the past 12 years. “The director is a Bulgarian, he doesn’t know Hindi. It takes a sea of people to make a film,” she added.

She also lauded other talents from India who registered a historic win at Cannes this year, saying: “Being there and looking at India’s moment at the Cannes with Payal Kapadia’s win, Chidananda S Nai’s and the honour for Santosh Sivan. So, it was very proud feeling to be there, and it felt like one big team with the world looking at us, well bonded, supporting each other and making good art.”