Indian film “All We Imagine As Light” has made history by winning the prestigious Grand Prix award at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival on Saturday night. This accolade is considered the second-most coveted prize at the festival, following the Palme d’Or.
Directed by Payal Kapadia and featuring a cast including Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, and Hridhu Haroon, the film marks a significant milestone for Indian cinema. It is the first Indian film to ever receive the Grand Prix at Cannes, adding a remarkable achievement to its name.
“All We Imagine As Light” had its premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it was showcased in the esteemed ‘competition section’ on Thursday (May 23). This became the first Indian film in 30 years and the first ever by an Indian female director to be showcased in the main competition. After its screening that saw the team received an eight-minute standing ovation and glowing reviews from the international critics.
Notably, this marked the first time in three decades that an Indian film was featured in the festival’s main segment. The last Indian movie to achieve this feat was Shaji N Karun’s “Swaham” in 1994.
The Kapadia directorial is a Malayalam-Hindi feature that tells the story of Prabha, a nurse, and her roommate Anu, as they navigate life in a big city. The film explores themes of friendship, solidarity, and inclusivity, resonating strongly with audiences and critics alike.
Kapadia received the Grand Prix from American actor Viola Davis. In her speech, the filmmaker thanked the three leading ladies of the film — Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam — and said the film would not have been possible without them.
“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 success of “All We Imagine as Light” adds to India’s impressive showing at Cannes, with other Indian films also receiving major awards at the festival. This includes Chidananda S. Naik’s “Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know…” winning the La Cinef first prize and Anasuya Sengupta becoming the first Indian to win the best actress prize in Cannes for her role in “The Shameless.”
Other Indian films that were selected for Cannes Competition segment included Mrinal Sen’s “Kharij” (1983), M S Sathyu’s “Garm Hava” (1974), Satyajit Ray’s “Parash Pathar” (1958), Raj Kapoor’s “Awaara” (1953), V Shantaram’s “Amar Bhoopali” (1952) and Chetan Anand’s “Neecha Nagar” (1946).