Payal Kapadia: India celebrates historic win at Cannes Film Festival

CNN
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Film director Payal Kapadia created history on Saturday by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Grand Prix, the second highest award after the Palme d’Or, at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

Kapadia’s film All We Imagine As Light is a beautifully shot drama that revolves around two Malayali nurses who move to Mumbai and explore life, love and sisterhood.

This is the first Indian film in 30 years to be shown in the main competition section at Cannes.

“It was already a dream to be selected for the competition, but this exceeds all my expectations,” Kapadia told the Cannes jury, which this year included director Greta Gerwig and actress Lily Gladstone, in her acceptance speech.

“Please don’t wait another 30 years for an Indian film to come out,” she told the audience.

The win reverberated across the country, with many on social media, including top politicians, commenting on its significance.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the event that the country was “proud” of Kapadia’s “historic achievement.”

“Her incredible talent continues to shine on the global stage, offering a glimpse into India’s rich creative potential. This prestigious award not only celebrates her exceptional skills, but also serves to inspire a new generation of Indian filmmakers.”

Rahul Gandhi, leader of India’s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, also congratulated the director, along with Anasuya Sengupta, the first Indian actress to win the best actress award in the festival’s Un Certain Regard category for her performance in “Shameless.”

“India’s stars are shining…These women have made history and inspired the entire Indian cinema,” he wrote on the platform.

Sooni Taraporevala, screenwriter of “Salaam Bombay!”, which won the festival’s Camera d’Or in 1988, told CNN that Kapadia’s “unprecedented” win was “a personal touching moment for women and people in independent film.”

“(The film) gave us dreams and hope and allowed us to celebrate her unashamedly and with pride and joy,” she said, adding that independent cinema in India can sometimes feel “hopeless” in an industry “dominated” by mainstream productions.

“All We Imagine As Light” debuted during the festival and received an eight-minute standing ovation.

At a time when the country is increasingly polarised along religious lines, some have pointed out that the film is particularly bold in its portrayal of the romance between the protagonist, Prabha (Kani Kusruti), and her Muslim boyfriend (Hridu Haroon).

India is the world’s largest film-producing nation, but it still lags behind Hollywood in producing films that receive international acclaim and win major awards.

Last year, Telugu historical fantasy “RRR” became the first feature film from the country to win the Oscar for Best Original Song. The song “Naatu Naatu” was praised for its catchy beat and dynamic dance moves.

Indian filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves’s “The Elephant Whisperers” also won the Best Documentary Short award at the ceremony.

In 1947, film director Chetan Anand won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his film Neecha Nagar, becoming the only Indian to receive this honour.

Kapadia previously won the festival’s L’Ouille d’Or award in 2021 for “A Night of Knowing Nothing,” a highly acclaimed documentary about an Indian film student’s attempt to maintain a relationship with an ex-girlfriend despite being from a different caste.