Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia creates history winning Grand Prix at Cannes

Payal Kapadia has made history by becoming the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival for her film ‘All We Imagine as Light’.

The film, which was screened last Thursday night, received the festival’s second-most prestigious prize after the Palme d’Or at the closing ceremony on Saturday.

The historic win not only celebrates Payal Kapadia’s exceptional storytelling but also highlights the increasing recognition of Indian cinema on the global stage.

It marked a significant milestone, as Payal’s film is the first Indian entry in the main competition in 30 years and the first ever by an Indian female director. The last Indian film to be selected for the main competition was Shaji N Karun’s ‘Swaham’ in 1994.

Accompanied by the film’s leading actors, Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Chhaya Kadam, Payal Kapadia expressed her gratitude during her acceptance speech.

“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,” she said.

Kapadia elaborated the theme of her film, which revolves around friendship among 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,” she noted.