Meet Payal Kapadia, First Indian To Win Grand Prix At Cannes, Arrested For Protesting Against FTII

Payal Kapadia is one of the leading names among the fraternity of filmmakers as she has won multiple accolades at Cannes. Her triumph at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her debut feature film, All We Imagine As Light, gave a remarkable turning point in her career. Now, the acclaimed filmmaker made her Cannes red carpet debut and returned to the French Riviera as a jury member.

Payal will serve as a jury member at Cannes 2025 along with actors like Juliette Binoche, Halle Berry, Jeremy Strong and others. For the opening night, Payal gave Boss Lady vibes as she was dressed in a tailored suit by designer, Arjun Saluja. As Payal made headlines, let's look back at the time when this FTII alumnus faced disciplinary action for leading a protest in the prestigious institute.

Payal Kapadia led a 139 day long protest against FTII Chairperson, Gajendra Chauhan

Born to painter and video artist, Nalini Malani and psychoanalyst Shailesh Kapadia, Payal was exposed to films and theatre during her boarding school days. After her graduation and Master’s, Payal tried to get admission at the Film and Television Institute of India and was only selected on the second attempt.

When she was a student at the FTII, Payal led a student protest against the appointment of actor-politician Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of the institute. Gajendra Chauhan is popular for his portrayal of ‘Yudhisthir’ in the mega TV serial Mahabharat. As per the students, Gajendra did not match the stature of the FTII governing council.

They also stated that Gajendra’s appointment was done merely on the basis of his political power. Payal was at the forefront of the historic 139 (almost four-month) long protest.

Payal Kapadia was arrested and denied a scholarship

Not just this, Payal and other student protestors confined the then FTII Director Prashant Pathrabe in his office over some academic issues. As a result, disciplinary action was taken against Payal and 35 other students. They were booked under Indian Penal Code sections, including 143, 147, 149, 323, 353 and 506, dealing with offences, some of them non-bailable, related to unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation and rioting. Not only this, the arrested students were also denied scholarships.

Payal Kapadia created history at Cannes

It was in 2017 when Payal Kapadia’s 13-minute short film, Afternoon Clouds, was the only Indian film selected for the 70th Cannes Film Festival. In 2021, she returned to Cannes and won the Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary Film for her debut feature film, A Night of Knowing Nothing.

In 2024, Payal won the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her fiction feature debut All We Imagine As Light. The film was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Director. After Payal’s tremendous win at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, FTII posted a congratulatory note and wrote:

“It is a moment of pride for FTII as its Alumni create history at Cannes. As we witness a phenomenal year for Indian Cinema at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, FTII cherishes the glorious achievements of its Alumni at this Mega International Stage of Cinema. We congratulate Payal Kapadia for winning the Grand Prix Award.”

What do you think about Payal Kapadia and her achievements? Let us know.

Also Read: Meet Amol Parashar, Aka 'Dr Prabhat' From 'Gram Chikitsalay', IIT Graduate, Dating Konkana Sensharma

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