Filmmaker Payal Kapadia has made India proud by winning the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival for her film, All We Imagine As Light. Now, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated her for the achievement, lauding her for her creativity and inspiring a new generation of storytellers. 

PM Modi took to X, formerly Twitter, to send her best wishes, saying she has inspired a whole new generation of filmmakers.

Modi congratulates her

Calling it a historic milestone, Modi wrote, “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 honours her exceptional skills but also inspires a new generation of Indian filmmakers,” he added.

Payal's All We Imagine As Light has won the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Payal is the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award. The film bagged the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d'Or. Her movie was the first Indian film in 30 years and first ever by an Indian female director to be showcased in the main competition. She received the Grand Prix from American actor Viola Davis.

Payal was present with the cast of the film, Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam, at the awards ceremony held on the last day of the festival. The film was competing with features from Francis Ford Coppola, Paolo Sorrentino, Paul Schrader, and Yorgos Lanthimos.

About the film

All We Imagine As Light is an Indo- French production which follows the life of a nurse Prabha (essayed by Kani Kusruti), who receives an unexpected gift from her long estranged husband. In between, her younger friend and roommate, Anu (essayed by Divya Prabha) is on a lookout for a quiet spot with her lover. That’s when the two women decide to go on a road trip to a beach town where they find space for their dreams and desires to flow. After its premiere on May 23, the film got a hearty eight-minute standing ovation, which is among the longest in this edition of the film festival.

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