Entertainment
Payal Kapadia’s Historic Cannes 2025 Jury Role: India Shines Again
Cannes, May 14, 2025 – Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia, celebrated for her Grand Prix-winning All We Imagine As Light, has been named a jury member for the 78th Cannes Film Festival, marking India’s first representation on the prestigious panel since Deepika Padukone in 2022. Kapadia’s appointment is a milestone for Indian cinema’s global ascent. Here’s why it’s a big deal and what’s at stake.
The Historic Appointment
Kapadia, 39, joined the Cannes jury under president Juliette Binoche, alongside luminaries like Halle Berry and Hong Sangsoo, per the Festival de Cannes official announcement. She’ll help select the Palme d’Or winner from 21 competing films during the festival, running May 13–24, 2025, per the festival’s press release. “Indian cinema isn’t just Bollywood—our indie voices matter globally,” Kapadia said at a Cannes press meet, per the festival’s media kit. Her role, announced April 28, 2025, follows her 2024 Grand Prix win, per Cannes records.
Who is Payal Kapadia?
A Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) alumna, Kapadia rose to prominence with her short film Afternoon Clouds, screened at Cannes’ Cinéfondation in 2017, per FTII’s alumni archive. Her documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing won the L’Œil d’Or for best documentary in 2021, per the Festival de Cannes. In 2024, All We Imagine As Light, a Malayalam-Hindi ode to female friendship, became the first Indian film in the Cannes Competition in 30 years, clinching the Grand Prix, per the festival’s awards list. Despite FTII suspending her in 2015 for leading protests against Gajendra Chauhan’s appointment, Kapadia is now a star alum, per FTII’s 2025 newsletter.
Why It Matters
Kapadia’s jury role, the first for an Indian since Padukone, underscores India’s growing art-house influence, per the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s 2025 cinema report. Her style, blending documentary and poetic realism, has redefined Indian storytelling, per FTII. Social media posts, tracked via @Festival_Cannes, erupted with pride: “Payal’s journey from FTII rebel to Cannes juror is epic,” per @PIB_India. Her presence elevates India’s voice in judging global cinema, per the festival’s diversity statement.
India at Cannes 2025
While no Indian film is in the Palme d’Or race, Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound competes in Un Certain Regard, per the Festival de Cannes lineup. A restored Satyajit Ray classic, Aranyer Din Ratri, will also screen, per the festival’s heritage section. Kapadia’s rumored next project, an Indo-French co-production titled The Last Mango Before Monsoon, is generating buzz, though unconfirmed, per festival press speculation.
Challenges and Expectations
As a juror, Kapadia must navigate diverse cinematic perspectives to pick the Palme d’Or, a task requiring impartiality, per the festival’s jury guidelines. Her FTII protest history adds grit to her profile, but she faces pressure to represent India’s indie ethos, per the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. “Her Cannes win helped distribute our film in India,” Kapadia noted, crediting global attention, per the festival’s 2025 media kit.
What’s Next?
Kapadia’s jury decisions will culminate at the May 24 closing ceremony, hosted by Laurent Lafitte, per the Festival de Cannes. Her next film, potentially The Last Mango Before Monsoon, could further India’s Cannes legacy, per festival buzz. For now, her historic role cements her as a trailblazer, with India watching proudly as she shapes global cinema’s future.