Payal Kapadia’s winning the Grand Prix prize at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on Saturday was not just an occasion for celebration for being India’s first director to get the laurel but also a time to recall her anti-establishment image. 

Nine years ago, Kapadia was on a warpath with the government of India-run Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune when she had led a student protest against the appointment of actor-turned-politician Gajendra Chauhan, best known for his portrayal of Yudhisthir in the mega TV serial “Mahabharat,” as the chairman of the premier institute.

During the 139-day strike, the students had also allegedly confined the then FTII Director Prashant Pathrabe in his office over some academic issues. This had led to the police entering the campus and arresting some of the protesters.

Later, 35 students, including Kapadia, were booked under Indian Penal Code sections dealing with offences related to unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation, and rioting. The charge sheet in the case was filed in 2016. The defence lawyer, representing the students, said the next court hearing is scheduled for 26 June.

However, FTII said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that “we congratulate Payal Kapadia for winning the Grand Prix Award, Santosh Sivan for receiving the Pierre Angénieux Tribute Award, Maisam Ali for his debut at ACID & Chidanand S Naik for winning La Cinef. Their achievements are taking Indian Cinema to greater heights.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Kapadia. In a message on X, he said, “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.”

Modi also tagged a photo of Kapadia at the award-distribution event in Cannes on Saturday.

Kapadia's film is the first Indian film in 30 years and the first-ever by an Indian female director to be featured in the main competition of the Cannes Film Festival.

American actor Viola Davis presented Kapadia with the Grand Prix. In her acceptance speech, Kapadia said "please don't wait 30 years to have another Indian film."

Kapadia’s film was granted official Indo-French co-production status by the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under the signed audio-visual treaty between India and France. The permission for shooting the film was also granted by the ministry in Maharashtra.

The film received interim approval for 30% of the qualifying co-production expenditure under the Incentives Scheme of the Government of India for official co-production.