India is proud of you

New Delhi: Filmmaker Payal Kapadia scripted history after her film 'All We Imagine As Light' won the prestigious Grand Prix at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The film was a strong contender for the top award, Palme d'Or, at Cannes, which was awarded to Sean Baker's comedy-drama Anora.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Kapadia for the feat and said, "India is proud of Payal Kapadia for her historic feat of winning the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her work 'All We Imagine as Light'.” “An alumnus of FTII, Kapadia’s remarkable talent continues to shine on the global stage, giving a glimpse of the rich creativity in India. This prestigious accolade not only honours her exceptional skills but also inspires a new generation of Indian filmmakers," the PM posted on X.

“Many congratulations to FTII alumnus Payal Kapadia for winning the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her film All We Imagine as Light. This makes it the first Grand Prix win for the country and a nomination in the Palme d’Or after 30 years,” Union Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said. “Bharat’s creative economy is indeed shining with 3 films winning awards this year at Cannes,” he added.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi congratulated Kapadia and said, “Indian stars shining bright at the 77th Cannes Film Festival! Congratulations to Payal Kapadia and the entire team of ‘All We Imagine As Light’ for clinching the prestigious Grand Prix award.” “Kudos to Anasuya Sengupta for winning the Best Actress award under the Un Certain Regard section for her performance in ‘The Shameless’,” he said.

Kapadia’s directorial debut received good reviews in the media and scripted history after it became the first Indian film in 30 years and the first ever by an Indian female director to be showcased in the main competition.

An alumna of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), Kapadia is best known for her acclaimed documentary “A Night of Knowing Nothing”, which premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival’s Director’s Fortnight side-bar where it won the Oeil d’or (Golden Eye) award.

She received praise from the film fraternity in India. Actor Mohanlal called it “A momentous occasion for Indian Cinema as Payal Kapadia, Kani Kusruthi, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, and the talented team behind “All We Imagine as Light” bask in glory!”

Best year yet for Indian filmmakers

Cannes: It was a triple feat for Indian talent at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival with Payal Kapadia's "All We Imagine As Light", "Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know" by FTII student Chidananda S Naik, and Anasuya Sengupta of "The Shameless" fame winning major awards in each of the three competitive sections of the prestigious gala. The 77th edition of Cannes, which concluded on Saturday, was undoubtedly the best year for the country which found space at the fest through eight Indian, or India-themed, films.