From Anti-National To Nation's Honour: Payal Kapadia's Journey To Grand Prix At Cannes (Photo on X Roshan Rai @RoshanKrRaii)
Payal Kapadia, the winner of the Grand Prix at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, is being celebrated across the country after the historic achievement. Her journey to becoming the first Indian filmmaker to clinch the prestigious award at the Cannes Film Festival for her film “All We Imagine as Light” is being discussed by everyone now.
Born in 1986 in Mumbai, Kapadia went to study film direction at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, after completing her formal education in her home city. While being a student, Kapadia gained media attention for the first time in 2015 when she led a student protest against the appointment of actor-politician Gajendra Chauhan as FTII chairman. Noting the BJP member”s lack of qualification for the post, she led a 139-day protest, braving consequences such as the cancelation of her scholarship and police cases. With the FTII cutting her grants and many other obstacles, she continued her journey with determination.
Payal, along with 34 ex-FTII students are continue to undertake a legal battle on a case lodged by then FTII director, Prashant Pathrabe, accusing their association in gheraoing him and vandalising his office, Times of India reports.
In 2017, at the 70th Cannes International Festival, her short film, Afternoon Clouds, was selected for the competition category, forcing FTII to withdraw its punitive actions and support her as she shined in her career. In 2021, Kapadia got international attention for her documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing, which also premiered at Cannes in 2021 and won the Oeil d”Or (Golden Eye) award.
In her speech during the award ceremony, she urged for more Indian movies to reach international platforms. The success of the film in the Best International Feature Film category also enhances India”s prospects at the Oscar, as Cannes has been regarded as a defining component to reach the prestigious Oscar.
Praising the Grand Prix winner, Prime Minister Modi wrote on Sunday that Payal Kapadia is India”s proud and that her talents continue to shine on the global stage. “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 honors her exceptional skills but also inspires a new generation of Indian filmmakers,” he wrote on X.
Kapadia, during her acceptance speech, also acknowledged the contributions of the film”s three leading actresses: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Chhaya Kadam.
