Anurag Kashyap On Payal Kapadia's Cannes 2024 Win Being Called India's Win: 'Not A Single Of Those Films Are Indian'

Anurag Kashyap, known for his candid views on cinema and societal issues, has recently criticised the appropriation of Payal Kapadia’s Cannes 2024 victory as a collective achievement for India.

Anurag Kashyap has recently criticised the appropriation of Payal Kapadia’s Cannes 2024 victory as a collective achievement for India.

Source : Instagram/@anuragkashyap10

Anurag Kashyap, known for his candid views on cinema and societal issues, has recently criticised the appropriation of Payal Kapadia’s Cannes 2024 victory as a collective achievement for India. In an interview with PTI, Kashyap highlighted that India has yet to provide the promised rebate for the film 'All We Imagine as Light'. 

'India didn't have any moment at Cannes'

Expressing his frustration, Anurag stated, “I get very upset when it’s said ‘India@Cannes’. This is a boost… a shot in the arm for a lot of independent filmmakers but their victory is their own. India didn’t have any moment at Cannes, not a single of those films are Indian. We need to address it the way it should be addressed. India has stopped supporting such cinema, the kind of cinema that was at Cannes.” 

'Indian filmmakers face funding challenges'

Kashyap elaborated on the funding challenges faced by Indian filmmakers, noting, “Payal Kapadia's film happened because of the French fund. India did not even give the rebate promised to that film. Still it is not been given. Sandhya Suri's film was funded from the UK Film Lottery Fund. Karan Kandhari's film was funded from the UK. Konstantin (Bojanov, who directed The Shameless) film was almost self-financed and a company that funded it. He got no support from India. India just likes to take credit for a lot of things. They do not even support these films to release in cinema in India. Payal Kapadia's last film also won at Cannes. Has it released in India? We have two Oscar-nominated documentaries. Did they release in India? The government does not even have a support system for things that bring a lot of soft power, cultural respect to India. Let's stop this useless celebration.” 

Cannes 2024

India achieved an extraordinary milestone at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival last month by securing three prestigious awards. Payal Kapadia made history as the first Indian director to win the Grand Prix for her film "All We Imagine As Light." Anasuya Sengupta was honored as the best actress in the Un Certain Regard section for her performance in “The Shameless.” Additionally, FTII student Chidananda S. Naik won the best short film award in the La Cinef section for his film “Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know.”