Payal Kapadia makes history as first Indian filmmaker to win Grand Prix award for ‘All We Imagine as Light’ at Cannes

Payal Kapadia made history as she became the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix prize at the Cannes Film Festival for her movie "All We Imagine as Light." Kapadia's film won the second-most prestigious award, while the Palme d'Or was awarded to American director Sean Baker for his work "Anora."

“All We Imagine as Light" was screened on Thursday night, marking the first Indian entry in 30 years and the first ever movie made by an Indian female director to be featured in the main competition. The last  Indian film to be selected was Shaji N Karun's "Swaham" in 1994.

"I'm very nervous, so I wrote something down. Thank you to the Cannes Film Festival for having our film here. Please don't wait 30 years to have another Indian film. This film is about friendship, about three very different women. Oftentimes, women are pitted against each other. This is the way our society is designed and it is really unfortunate. But for me, friendship is a very important relationship because it can lead to greater solidarity, inclusivity and empathy," said Kapadia, who was accompanied by the three actors on the stage," the director said.

She also gave a shout out to the festival workers who protested at the opening night gala, putting forward their demand for better wages and acknowledgement.

Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group, hailed Kapadia's achievement. "India in the limelight at #cannes2024 Intense Filmmakers . Intense actors. May their tribe flourish…," he wrote in a post on X (formally Twitter).

The Malayalam-Hindi feature film,“All We Imagine as Light," is a story about Prabha, a nurse whose life is turns upside down when she receives an unexpected gift from her long-estranged husband. Meanwhile, her roommate, Anu, struggles to find a private space in the busy city to spend time alone with her boyfriend.

The film marked the feature directorial debut of Kapadia who is an alumna of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII). Her acclaimed documentary “A Night of Knowing Nothing" was premiered at Director’s Fortnight in 2021 and even won the Oeil d’or (Golden Eye) award.