India Shines at Cannes 2024: Payal Kapadia’s Film Wins Grand Prix

India shined bright throughout the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, and the closing ceremony was the cherry on top. Filmmaker Payal Kapadia made history on May 25 by bagging the Grand Prix Award for her film ‘All We Imagine As Light.’

‘All We Imagine As Light’ premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in the highly acclaimed ‘competition section’ on May 23. It was the first Indian film to feature in the festival’s main segment in 30 years. The last Indian movie to make it to the competition section was Shaji N Karun’s Swaham in 1994.

The news has left every Indian elated. Members of the Indian film industry have been beaming with joy ever since learning about Payal winning the Grand Prix Award.

Actor-director Farhan Akhtar took to Instagram and wrote, “Heartiest congratulations #PayalKapadia and team #AllWeImagineAsLight .. first Indian film to win the Cannes Grand Prix.”

Kiara Advani also extended heartfelt greetings to the team of ‘All We Imagine As Light.’ “Congratulationsss,” she wrote.

Aditi Rao Hydari gave a shout-out to the film, writing, “At a very perplexing time in history where only the noise from my incredible country seems to get amplified, here is an independent film by a first-time director that wins the Grand Prix honour at @festivaldecannes. Please take a moment and let us all stand and applaud this monumental achievement. This is the crowning glory of the fight for good Cinema in India. It may happen again, but not without the impact of #PayalKapadia’s spectacular achievement. So proud, so grateful. My love and congratulations to the entire team! India in all Her glory, and on Her own terms… What a moment.”

Tovino Thomas also penned a note on Instagram: “Wow!! what an incredible achievement for Indian cinema! ‘All We Imagine As Light’ scripts history, becomes the first Indian film to win Grand Prix at Cannes Film Festival. Take a bow!!”

Taking to X, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur wrote, “Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine As Light’ won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival! .. what an honour for her and her team. It seems to be India’s year at Cannes. This is the 3rd, but the biggest award to Indian Cinema this year.”

‘All We Imagine As Light’ follows the lives of two nurses from Kerala—Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and Anu (Divyaprabha)—who are colleagues at a Mumbai hospital and roommates. When Prabha receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband, her regular life is disrupted. In the space-crunched city, her younger roommate Anu struggles to find a spot to be intimate with her boyfriend. When they take a trip to a coastal town, their lives undergo a change.