Payal Kapadia reacts to Anurag Kashyap’s views on lack of support to indie films

Payal Kapadia is currently geared up for the India release of her movie All We Imagine As Light. The filmmaker recently gave her views on whether independent cinema gets enough support in India. Payal, in an interview with News 18, reacted to Anurag Kashyap’s statement on her drama film not getting the rebate it was promised in the country. (Also read: Why India’s Cannes winner All We Imagine As Light has released only in limited Kerala theatres)
The filmmaker while agreeing with Anurag’s opinion stated that, “To be honest, I don’t know what can bring about change. We need structural changes in the industry, opportunities for independent filmmakers, grants that they can apply for or some kind of support system.” She further said, “And I’m not just talking about the support needed in making an independent film. The bigger question is, how do you distribute a film like that? That’s why I’m very happy that Spirit Media is distributing my film. It’s a great thing for me that an independent film like All We Imagine As Light will get distributed and be shown in so many cities.”
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Anurag, in an interview with PTI, reacted to Payal’s Cannes 2024 victory and pointed out, “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.”
He further said, “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 as funded from UK Film Lottery Fund. Karan Kandhari’s film was funded from 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, and cultural respect to India. Let’s stop this useless celebration.”
All We Imagine As Light recently opened with a full-house screening at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. The film made history as the first film from India to win the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in May this year. It is a Malayalam-Hindi language movie about Prabha (Kani Kusruti), a Mumbai nurse whose life is thrown into disarray when she receives a rice cooker from her estranged husband.
Divya Prabha plays Anu, her roommate and colleague, who struggles to find a private spot in the city to spend time with her boyfriend. Prabha’s best friend Parvati (Chhaya Kadam), a widow, is being forced out of her home by property developers.
All We Imagine As Light will be releasing in Indian theatres on November 22.