Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan honours Cannes laureates Kani Kusruti, Diya Prabha, Hridhu Haroon, Aziz Nedumangad; see pics

Kerala CM with winners of Cannes Grand Prix film

The Kerala Government has honoured the Malayali film professionals who shone at the Cannes Film Festival. The cast of the film 'All We Imagine as Light', which won the Grand Prix award, including Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Hridhu Haroon, and Aziz Nedumangad, were recognized for their achievements.

Additionally, Santosh Sivan, who received the Pierre Angenieux ExcelLens in Cinematography Award, was also honoured.

Filmmaker Payal Kapadia made history on May 25, bagging the Grand Prix Award for the film 'All We Imagine As Light'. 'All We Imagine As Light' premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in its much-feted 'competition section' on May 23. It was the first Indian film to feature in the festival's main segment in 30 years.

"It really takes a village," said Kapadia while thanking her team behind the film. "This film is about the friendship between three different women and often times women are pitted against each other. This is the way our society is designed and it is really unfortunate. But for me, friendship is an important relationship. It can lead to greater solidarity and inclusivity and empathy towards each other which is why I feel these are the values which we should always strive for," Payal said in her acceptance speech receiving a thunderous applause.

'All We Imagine As Light' follows the lives of two nurses from Kerala -- Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and Anu (Divyaprabha) - colleagues at a Mumbai hospital and roommates. When Prabha receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband, her regular life is disrupted. In the space-crunched city, her younger roommate Anu struggles to find a spot to be intimate with her boyfriend. When they take a trip to a coastal town, their lives undergo a change.

The update had left every Indian elated. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated filmmaker Payal Kapadia after her film 'All We Imagine As Light' won the prestigious Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.

Taking to his official handle X, he praised her for the historical win at the prestigious film festival. PM Modi wrote, "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."

(with inputs from ANI)