May 26th 2024.
At the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, Indian talent shone brightly as three filmmakers made history by winning major awards in each of the three competitive sections. Payal Kapadia, a graduate of the Film & Television Institute of India, became the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award for her feature film "All We Imagine as Light". In her acceptance speech, she thanked the festival for showcasing their film and urged them to not wait another 30 years to feature another Indian film. The movie, which revolves around three women on a road trip in Mumbai, was praised by international critics and has already secured a distributor for its North American release.
The festival also saw the first Indian female director to be featured in the main competition in 30 years, with Kapadia's "All We Imagine as Light". This year's Grand Prix winner was American director Sean Baker's "Anora". The second most prestigious prize at Cannes, Grand Prix has a rich history and includes titles like this year's Oscar winner "The Zone of Interest" and Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy". Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Kapadia for her achievement and said that her talent continues to shine on the global stage, inspiring a new generation of Indian filmmakers.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur also praised the success of Indian films at Cannes, with three films winning awards this year. He highlighted that "All We Imagine as Light" is also an official co-production with the Ministry's Film Incentive Scheme. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also commended the filmmakers for their historic wins, while writer-lyricist Varun Grover called it an "unbelievable day" for Indian cinema.
Apart from Kapadia's win, there were other notable achievements for Indian talent at Cannes. Production designer Anasuya Sengupta became the first Indian to win the Best Actress award in the Un Certain Regard section for her role in Bulgarian director Konstantin Bojanov's "The Shameless". Sengupta dedicated her win to the queer community and other marginalized communities, emphasizing the importance of fighting for equality and being a decent human being. Actor Tillotama Shome shared Sengupta's empowering speech on Instagram, urging everyone to listen to her words.
In addition, British-Indian director Sandhya Suri's "Santosh" was featured in the Un Certain Regard section, Neeraj Ghaywan's "Masaan" previously won two awards at Cannes, and Chidananda S Naik's "Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know" won the La Cinef first prize. India's presence at Cannes also included the restored version of Shyam Benegal's 1976 film "Manthan" in the Cannes Classics section, Karan Kandhari's "Sister Midnight" in Directors' Fortnight, and Maisam Ali's "In Retreat" in ACID Cannes. "Maya: The Birth of a Superhero", a virtual reality film with an Indian connection, was also selected.
Overall, it was an extraordinary year for Indian cinema at Cannes, with a total of eight Indian or India-themed films being featured at the festival. This further solidifies India's presence and contribution to the global film industry, with past Indian films like "Awaara" and "The Lunchbox" also receiving recognition at Cannes. It is a proud moment for the Indian film fraternity and a promising sign for the future of Indian cinema.
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