The highly anticipated 77th Cannes Film Festival is here and excitement is palpable for Indian cinema. This 12-day festival, starting on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, promises to be a historic moment for India as it features one of the most extensive lineups of a total of 12 films spanning various genres and themes ever seen at Cannes.
Which Indian movies will premiere at Cannes 2024?
Cannes, one of the most prestigious film festivals, is currently at 108 Village International Riviera. It is an event that observes talents, films, crew, and everything related to cinema worldwide at one stop.
Now, this year India will showcase six movies from around the country. Furthermore, an additional six will compete across various sub-sections of the festival. This milestone marks a significant leap from the five films India presented at Cannes in 2013, setting a feat for an unprecedented celebration of Indian cinema on the global stage.
Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light leads the pack, a coming-of-age movie competing for the coveted Palme d’Or. Furthermore, it is the first Indian entry in this category in three decades. The film explores the lives of two nurses who are bound together by circumstances yet separated by their individual journeys. Prabha (played by Kani Kusruti) observes her younger roommate, Anu (played by Divya Prabha), in a blossoming relationship while she is navigating her forgotten marriage in pursuit of self-discovery.
Under the Un Certain Regard section, India boasts Sandhya Suri’s Santosh and Konstantin Bojanov’s The Shameless, featuring Mita Vashisht. Another notable inclusion is the student project from FTII, Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know, competing in the La Cinef competition. The film revolves around an elderly woman who steals the village’s rooster, leading to chaos and expulsion from the community.
Along the same lines, Maisam Ali’s debut feature, In Retreat, marks a historic moment as the first Indian film to be featured in the ACID Cannes section. The film explores themes of identity, loss, and the search for meaning. Furthermore, Mansi Maheshwari’s Bunnyhood, an animated film, and Karan Kandhari’s Sister Midnight, featuring Radhika Apte, add diversity to the lineup.
More details on this year’s Indian movie lineup
Cannes this year has also introduced the Best Immersive Work prize. Paulomi Basu and C J Clarke’s Maya: The Birth of a Superhero offer a staunchly feminist perspective with a South Asian flavor. For those unaware, it is a 30-minute virtual reality (VR) piece. What’s more, Kooki, directed by Pranab J Deka, sheds light on the harrowing journey of a young rape survivor. While Sajeed A. Raman’s Vadakkan takes audiences on a thrilling ride with its paranormal investigation storyline.
Manoj Annadurai’s Iruvam breaks boundaries with its interactive format. In other words, it blurs the lines between film and gaming, providing viewers with a unique and engaging experience at the Let’s Spook Cannes event. Last but not least, Shyam Benegal’s iconic film Manthan returns with a 4K restored version in the Cannes Classics section.
From timeless classics to avant-garde innovations, these films represent the kaleidoscopic diversity of Indian cinema at this year’s Cannes.
