Javed Akhtar lauded filmmaker Payal Kapadia after her historic win at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Kapadia’s debut feature film, ‘All We Imagine As Light,’ clinched the prestigious Grand Prix award in the Cannes Critics’ Week section, marking a significant milestone for Indian cinema on the international stage.
Akhtar, known for his insightful commentary on Indian art and culture, expressed his delight at Kapadia’s achievement. In a post made on X (previously Twitter), the lyricist-screenwriter wrote, “Dear Payal Kapadia , heartiest congratulations to you . It is a great achievement. Very very proud of you . Do get in touch whenever you are Mumbai . Shabana and I will love to host you for a meal (sic).”
This milestone also signifies the first Indian film to vie for the Palme d’Or award in nearly three decades, the most recent being Shaji N Karun’s ‘Swaham’ in 1994.
Kapadia’s film stood in competition alongside creations by esteemed directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Sean Baker, Yorgos Lanthimos, Paul Schrader, Magnus Von Horn, and Paolo Sorrentino. The jury, chaired by Greta Gerwig, the director of ‘Ladybird’ and ‘Barbie’, presided over the event.
Three years ago, Payal Kapadia clinched the ‘le prix du documentaire’ for Best Documentary with ‘A Night of Knowing Nothing’ at Cannes. ‘All We Imagine As Light’ marks her debut as a feature film director.
‘All We Imagine As Light’, an Indo-French collaboration, narrates the tale of Prabha, a nurse who encounters an unexpected gift from her estranged husband, leading to upheaval in her life.
Source Agencies
