Payal Kapadia's historic Grand Prix win at Cannes sends the internet to a daze; Anurag Kashyap, Richa Chadha and Varun Grover react

India accomplished a historic first when Payal Kapadia's "All That We Imagine As Light" won the coveted Grand Prix. (Image via X)

India made a monumental feat of history on the final day of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival with Payal Kapadia's "All That We Imagine As Light" securing the prestigious Grand Prix. Featuring stellar performances by Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Chayya Kadam, the film explores the depths of female friendship set against the vibrant backdrop of Mumbai. Remarkably, "All That We Imagine As Light" is the first Indian film in three decades to be chosen for the main competition for the Palme d'Or.

Unbelievable day for Indian cinema. An independent filmmaker - from much hated FTII - whose first film was a poetic love letter to the idea of dissent in a democracy, wins the second highest honour at the biggest film festival in the world.

Payal Kapadia’s ALL WE IMAGINE AS… pic.twitter.com/0YPOSxPScG

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— वरुण (@varungrover) May 25, 2024

Indian actor and comedian Varun Grover captured the sentiment of many in the country with his praise for Payal Kapadia's "All We Imagine As Light." He remarked, "Magical to see four Indian women on stage at Cannes. Dissent, in art and in life, is a tough path to choose. But sometimes it does create magic.”

The “All India Rank” director, who has worked on movies like, “Masaan” (2015), “Qala” (2022), “Dum Laga Ke Haisha” (2015), also wrote in his tweet, "Unbelievable day for Indian cinema. An independent filmmaker - from much hated FTII - whose first film was a poetic love letter to the idea of dissent in a democracy, wins the second highest honour at the biggest film festival in the world.”

Anurag Kashyap, the filmmaker, also stood at the forefront of the congratulatory chorus, hailing Payal as a beacon of hope and inspiration.

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A post shared by Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap10)

Heeramandi actress, Richa Chadha took to her X account to applaud and cheer for Kapadia's success and historic feat too. "HISTORIC!!! Just beaming from this news! Congratulations Payal Kapadia, Ranabir Das, Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Hridhu Haroon, Chhaya Kadam and the whole team of ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT! Just overjoyed! Independent filmmaking at any point of time is hard, but now is actively scuttled , and then to win a GRAND PRIX ! Ooof. Just thrilled."

HISTORIC!!! Just beaming from this news! Congratulations Payal Kapadia, Ranabir Das, Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Hridhu Haroon, Chhaya Kadam and the whole team of ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT!
Just overjoyed! Independent filmmaking at any point of time is hard, but now is actively… https://t.co/KwdsnKRUtB

— RichaChadha (@RichaChadha) May 25, 2024

Kapadia’s film, a poignant study of solitude and connection in an urban setting, features Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha portraying two Malayali nurses navigating life in Mumbai. The movie captures the uniquely bittersweet essence of big city existence, where the pursuit of dreams is intensified by Mumbai's vastness. Amidst this bustling metropolis, the women find solace in the anonymity and security it offers, despite the city's inherent challenges.

This year's Cannes Film Festival spotlighted remarkable accomplishments from India. On Thursday, Chidananda S. Naik, a student from FTII, secured the prestigious La Cinef first prize for his film "Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know…". The following day, Anasuya Sengupta made history by becoming the first Indian to clinch the Best Actress award for her performance in Konstantin Bojanov’s "The Shameless.”

Kapadia’s "All That We Imagine As Light" was met with an enthusiastic eight-minute standing ovation and glowing reviews from critics worldwide, positioning it as a formidable candidate for the highest honor, at it’s premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.