Malayalam film industry and FTII Pune make a mark at Cannes

Though it is not a Malayalam film per se, Malayalam film buffs too are celebrating and rejoicing over this huge achievement as four of the main cast members are from Kerala. Moreover, these talented actors from Malayalam cinema have in no small measure contributed to the film's success, a fact that was acknowledged by the film's director in her interaction with the media.

Multi-lingual Indian cinema

This Cannes milestone has underscored the talent and potential present in Indian cinema, with Kerala playing a notable role. 'All We Imagine as Light', which is set in Mumbai and Ratnagiri, celebrates the diversity and richness of India's cinematic landscape, as the film features characters speaking in multiple languages including Malayalam, Marathi and Hindi.

In the post-award presentation news conference, Kapadia spoke about how Indian cinema makes films in different languages and specifically mentioned the Kerala film industry, which boasts of an assured audience for arthouse movies as well as commercial flicks. She highlighted Kerala's unique position in supporting diverse cinematic expressions.

Kapadia said in the press conference, “We have our own festivals, and many people go out to watch films. India has a diverse film culture. Everything is changing, even Bollywood is evolving constantly. It's not just one kind of cinema, especially films from Kerala. There is an immense range – even arthouse films get distribution, which doesn’t happen in any other industry in the country. The audience in Kerala is really open to watching different kinds of cinema.”

Further, the filmmaker continued, “There is an interesting variety of films made in India, and I am a product of that. It’s not just Bollywood; every state has a strong film industry. We have been around for a long time, but for some reason, it took thirty years for another film to be selected for the competition.”

It was a Malayalam film directed by Shaji N Karun, 'Swaham,' that had made it to the competition section last time in 1994, which was a first then. In 1999, another Malayalam film, 'Maranasimhasanam' (Throne of Death) directed by Murali Nair, won the Caméra d'Or for debutant directors at Cannes.

Contribution of Malayalee actors

Payal Kapadia’s film featured noted Malayalee actors Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha in lead roles alongwith the versatile Marathi actor Chhaya Kadam.

According to the director, these actors, known for their proactive presence in Kerala's cultural milieu, also played a role in adding value to the screenplay.

“When you have these wonderful actors, you really get close to them. We really had a strong friendship and connection, and that is what the film is about. When you have that in real life, it shows in the film. I was really grateful to work with them; they gave me a lot of time, and we spent a lot of time working on the film. I don’t speak Malayalam, so we worked together on the language so that I could be comfortable working with it,” acknowledged Kapadia.

Kani Kusruti, one of the protagonists in the film, who hit the headline globally when she flaunted a watermelon bag in support of the Palestinian cause, while she walked the red carpet in Cannes, acknowledged Kerala's support for women filmmakers. She spoke about the strong sisterhood shared among the women artists in the state.

“The Kerala government actively backs female filmmakers, offering grants to support their endeavours albeit within their means. Mainstream cinema enjoys broad viewership, yet there's also an audience for independent, contemporary, or experimental films. There's definitely a strong sisterhood where Divya and I come from in southern India. I'm feeling it more and more now,” said Kusruti.

FTII flaunts its alumni

Meanwhile, the Film and Television Institute of India, the nation's premier film school, also gained a lot of attention as three of its alumni, including Payal Kapadia, finished on the podium. Interestingly, Payal Kapadia, the daughter of renowned artist Nalini Malani, had a troubled past with FTII since she was involved in a protest at the institution in 2015.

An FIR was filed against her, among others, and her FTII grant for her director's course was suspended. Disciplinary action was taken against her for leading a four-month boycott against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan, a former TV actor turned politician, as the institution's chairman.

"This is a triumph for the artist, the student, the political Voice, the few who continue to stand up and persevere with their art in an atmosphere that has demonstrated time and time again that it has no patience for it,” said Kapadia during her acceptance speech.

Chidananda S Naik, another FTII Pune student, too garnered acclaim with his film "Sunflowers were the First Ones to Know," clinching the top prize at the Festival de Cannes's La Cinef section, designated for entries from film schools. The third FTII alumnus, which won recognition at this year's Cannes, was renowned cinematographer Santosh Sivan. He became the first Asian to be awarded the prestigious Pierre Angénieux Tribute award at the 2024 Cannes film festival in recognition of his "career and exceptional quality of work".

Meanwhile, the official FTII handle shared images from the Cannes Film Festival featuring alumni Payal and Chidanand Naik, the latter winning the La Cinef Award for Best Short for "Sunflowers were the first ones to know."

The institution was proud of its history-making alumni and celebrated Indian cinema's exceptional year at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, cherishing their accomplishments on this global cinematic platform.

However, many social media users hit out at FTII for being hypocritical over Payal Kapadia's win. In fact, actor Ali Fazal took to social media to slam the institute.

He reposted FTII's message with the succinct caption mocking them, “Uhhh… please don’t. Just don’t.”