Meet Payal Kapadia: Director Who Went From Facing Disciplinary Action, FIR in FTII To Winning at Cannes

Indian director Payal Kapadia made history at Cannes 2024. The filmmaker bagged the Le Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival for her film, All We Imagine as Light. The film not only became the first Indian movie in 30 years to compete in the film festival, Payal also became the first Indian to win the Grand Prix. But who is Payal Kapadia? Well, she’s made headlines for reasons beyond her films. Let’s take a look at her journey to winning at the Cannes Film Festival.

Who is Payal Kapadia?

Director Payal Kapadia is an alum of the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India. Before winning over Cannes with All We Imagine as Light, she had caught everyone’s attention with her film A Night of Knowing Nothing in 2021. Another Cannes winner, the film bagged the best documentary award at the 74th Cannes Film Festival. But Payal’s association with the headlines goes far beyond just the films she’s making. The daredevil director had everyone’s attention while she was still a student at FTII.

According to a report by The Print, Payal studied at FTII in 2015. During her course at the institution, Payal faced disciplinary action after she boycotted classes to lead a four-month-long protest against the appointment of TV star-turned-politician Gajendra Chauhan as the chairman of the institution.

In the same year, an FIR was filed against her and a few other student after they held director Prashant Pathrabe captive after he decided to go ahead with the assessment of the incomplete projects of the students of the 2008 batch. Hindustan Times reported that a total of 35 students were charge sheeted by the Pune Police.

A year after the incident, in 2017, FTII decided to support her when her 13-minute film, Afternoon Clouds, was selected for Cannes. FTII director at the time, Bhupendra Kainthola, said they decided to support her after they “observed Kapadia being disciplined” on the campus.

“Our decision to support students or deny them scholarship previously was based on how their conduct has been on the campus,” Kainthola told HT before adding, “Few days after the protest got over, many students came to me and said they never realised that their past actions will haunt them through their life. Some of them even cried and regretted their actions.”

Payal Kapadia at Cannes 2024:

Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light bagged the Le Grand Prix. In videos from the film festival, Payal accepted the award with the film’s actors Chhaya Kadam, Divya Prabha and Kani Kusruti. Accepting the award, she urged Cannes, “Thank you to the Cannes Film Festival for having our film here. Please don’t wait 30 years to have another Indian film.”

“This film is about friendship between three women and oftentimes women are pitted against each other. This is the way society is designed and it is very unfortunate. But for me friendship is a very important relationship because it can lead to greater solidarity, inclusivity and empathy towards each other,” she added, as reported by The Indian Express.