Actor-politician Gajendra Chauhan, former chairman of the Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), congratulated director Payal Kapadia for winning the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her film, All We Imagine as Light. In 2015, Payal faced disciplinary action for opposing Chauhan’s appointment as FTII chairman.
Gajendra Chauhan, in a chat with Times Now, said, “I would just like to say, we are all very proud of her. I’d like to congratulate her for her achievement.” Speaking about Payal’s opposition to his appointment as FTII chairman in 2015, he added, “There is a vast difference between being talented and being disciplined. Talent is all very fine but being disciplined is also very important.”
Chauhan mentioned that he is unsure if Payal Kapadia was listed on the chargesheet filed against nearly 35 students for holding Prashant Pathrabe, the then-director of FTII, captive during the 2015 protests at the institute. “I don’t remember correctly if her name was on the chargesheet. But a large group of students had held and confined, actually hijacked, the then-FTII director Prashant Pathrabe. He was diabetic and was held against his will for 12–14 hours,” he said.
In 2015, Payal Kapadia and other students protested against Chauhan’s appointment as FTII chairman because they thought he wasn’t qualified. Kapadia stopped going to class in protest, and her scholarship was taken away. But later, when her short film ‘Afternoon Clouds’ made it to the Cannes International Festival, FTII changed its mind and supported her.
Payal Kapadia created history at Cannes when her film, All We Imagine as Light, won the prestigious ‘Le Grand Prix’ award at the renowned film festival. This marked the first time in 30 years that an Indian movie competed in the festival’s main competition. The film’s team, including director Payal Kapadia and actors Chhaya Kadam, Divya Prabha, and Kani Kusruti, attended the Cannes Film Festival 2024 to accept the award during the closing ceremony.
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