Payal Kapadia’s Cannes Triumph Lauded by PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi, and Anurag Thakur

Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia made history with her film ‘All We Imagine As Light,’ at the Cannes Film Festival 2024, as the film won the prestigious Grand Prix at the event. This remarkable achievement notably marked the first time ever that an Indian film has received the Grand Prix and the first time in 30 years that an Indian film has been nominated for the Palme d’Or, which was ultimately awarded to Sean Baker’s comedy-drama ‘Anora’.

Marking the occassion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Ms. Kapadia on her exponential win. He took to his social media handle on X, formerly Twitter, and stated, “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, her 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.”

Union Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur also took the opportunity to extend hiswishes to the director. He congratulated her and went on to highlight the significance of this achievement. “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,” Thakur said. He added, “Bharat’s creative economy is indeed shining with three films winning awards this year at Cannes.”

The moment was not missed by the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who also joined in the appreciation. He praised Kapadia, saying, “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’.”

‘All We Imagine As Light’ has been a well received film with a widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike. The film has made its mark in the history of the Cannes Film Festival history as the first Indian film in three decades and the first by an Indian female director to be featured in the main competition at Cannes. Ms. Kapadia, an alumna of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), is known for her acclaimed documentary ‘A Night of Knowing Nothing’, which premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival’s Director’s Fortnight section and won the Oeil d’or (Golden Eye) award.

The Indian film fraternity also joined in the celebration and cheered for Kapadia’s success. 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!”

Actor Mammootty expressed his pride, saying, “Making Indian Cinema Proud. What an amazing achievement. Congrats to Payal Kapadia, Kani Kusruthi, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam and the entire team of ‘All We Imagine as Light’.”

Film director, lyricist, and writer Varun Grover commented on the significance of the win for Indian cinema, stating, “Unbelievable day for Indian cinema. An independent filmmaker – from much-hated FTII – whose first film was a poetic love letter to the idea of dissent in a democracy, wins the second highest honour at the biggest film festival in the world. Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine As Light’ wins Grand Prix. Magical to see four Indian women on stage at Cannes.”

The Grand Prix win for ‘All We Imagine As Light’ at Cannes is a testament to Payal Kapadia’s extraordinary talent and a monumental moment for Indian cinema on the international stage.

Also read: Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine As Light’ Makes Cannes History With Grand Prix Victory