Director Payal Kapadia and cinematographer Ranabir Das speak to Anupama Chopra about their film All We Imagine as Light, which is the first Indian film to be part of the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 30 years. Kapadia talks about the themes that inform the film — which had been in the works for many years — from the contradictions of city life to the power of friendship. Das talks about how he captured the grim beauty of Mumbai, while Kapadia shares about how the actors and their camaraderie elevated the project. The duo speak about the importance of a space like the Film and Television Institute of India in providing opportunities to aspiring filmmakers across the country, as well as their hope to eventually release the film in India.

Ayush Mehra chats about hectic festival life with Sneha Menon Desai over coffee and croissants. He speaks about watching Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga as a George Miller fan at Cannes this year and fanboying over Chris Hemsworth. He reflects on his 15-year journey, his chemistry with Viraj Ghelani, and how he once imagined attending film festivals with his own film. Now, he appreciates the joy of watching great films. For Mehra, Cannes is inspiring and motivating as a cinephile and actor. He shares his inclination towards filmmaking, with plans to direct and produce in the future. Mehra acknowledges that success doesn't happen overnight, and that he believes in the slow and steady approach.

The cast of Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light speaks to Anupama Chopra about their film. Kani Kusruti talks about her journey to getting the part, and how she was initially supposed to play the role of Divya Prabha. Divya Prabha talks about the experience of working with a collaborative filmmaker like Kapadia. Chhaya Kadam, who felt like the part was written for her, talks about the attention to detail on set, and how she immersed herself in the life of her character. For Hridhoo Haroon, the acting workshops and shooting of All We Imagine as Light felt like an acting school, and how this was the project where he learnt the most.

Santosh Sivan speaks with Anupama Chopra about receiving the prestigious Pierre Angénieux tribute at the Cannes Film Festival. During the conversation, Sivan reflects on his journey, recalling his first film, which he completed in just six days. He shares his unique approach to cinematography, likening his process to creating music, where light and shadow play like a melody. Sivan also discusses his positive view on the widespread use of camera phones, believing they enhance the audience's understanding of visual language. Additionally, he recounts his decision to forge his own path after graduating from the Film and Television Institute of India, choosing not to follow the conventional route.

A. R. Rahman speaks with Anupama Chopra about his latest production, Headhunting to Beatboxing, a documentary that celebrates the musical renaissance of Nagaland. Rahman shares his long-standing fascination with Nagaland's musical culture and his reasons for producing the documentary. He emphasises the importance of integrating the culture and music of the North East into the mainstream. Additionally, Rahman discusses his experience composing for Amar Singh Chamkila and how he drew inspiration from legends like Madan Mohan for the song "Vida Karo." The musical maestro also talks about embracing technology, using AI positively, and staying attuned to audience preferences and current trends.

Maisam Ali speaks to Anupama Chopra about his film In Retreat, which is India’s first entry into Cannes’ sidebar programme ACID (Association for the Diffusion of Independent Cinema). The director opens up about how he took a risk by deliberately leaving things unanswered in his feature debut, his unconventional portrayal of Ladakh, and how he incorporated his own personal gaze into the film. Ali also shares about being FTII classmates with Payal Kapadia, acknowledges his team’s support in his journey to Cannes, as well as what’s next in store for him.

Sandhya Suri and Shahana Goswami speak to Anupama Chopra about their film Santosh, which was shown at the 77th Cannes film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section. Suri shares that the inspiration for Santosh stemmed from a photograph taken during the Nirbhaya protests. Goswami explains that trusting the director fully helps her overcome her insecurities as an actor. Suri emphasises the significance of details in filmmaking and why she avoids didactic cinema. Goswami delves into the creation of her character, developed through a scene-by-scene exploration of intention, and expresses her enjoyment of playing with emotional layers. Additionally, the actor talks about the economics of filmmaking and how she feels ready for the big stuff to come her way.

Diipa Büller-Khosla speaks to Sneha Menon Desai about what draws her back to Cannes Film Festival year after year. The influencer, model and entrepreneur opens up about her passion for fashion and film, her long history with the festival, and the love she gets from her online community. She shares her top tips to working the Cannes red carpet, her struggles with insecurity, and how far Indian representation has come since her debut at Cannes. For Khosla, the notion of proving people wrong in a male-dominated world is what fuels her.

Viraj Ghelani speaks to Sneha Menon Desai about his journey from SoBo (South of Borivali) to SoFra (South of France). The actor, comedian and content creator opens up about what it’s really like to attend the Cannes Film Festival, his upcoming Gujarati film Jhamkudi, and what it means to represent his community at a global platform. He also addresses the lack of respect that content creators receive online, emphasising that “all art is art”. For his part, Ghelani tries to stay true to himself, constantly strives to be better, and doesn’t let the fame get to his head.

Naseeruddin Shah and Shivendra Singh Dungarpur speak to Anupama Chopra about their film Manthan (1976), which was shown at the 77th Cannes film Festival as part of Cannes Classics. Directed by Shyam Benegal, the film was crowd-funded by 500,000 farmers from the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Federation, each contributing two rupees. Shah reflected on Manthan’s unexpected success and the experience of presenting it to a non-Indian audience. Dungarpur speaks passionately about the work of the Film Heritage Foundation and their efforts to preserve and restore Indian films. Shah hopes that the Cannes screening of Manthan and its re-release in India spawns a generation of people who care about the preservation of important cinema.

Taha Shah Badussha talks to Sneha Menon Desai about Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, the global appeal of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and the overwhelming response his character Tajdar has received from fans. Badussha speaks fondly about watching Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis at the Cannes Film Festival, and how Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light is going to open doors for Indian cinema. The actor also discusses the importance of networking and spending his life on “jugaadu passes” until he struck gold with Heeramandi. Badussha reveals that he was thrown out of 7-8 big films before he landed the role of Tajdar on Bhansali’s magnum opus series on Netflix.

Kiara Advani speaks to Anupama Chopra about making her international film festival debut with the 77th edition of Cannes. The actor, who will represent India at the Women in Cinema Gala Dinner, opens up about the importance of gender representation in filmmaking, her desire to blend content and commerce, and leaving her mark on the industry. Advani also speaks about her role S. Shankar’s upcoming Telugu film Game Changer, how “Jaragandi” was the hardest song she’s ever shot, and trusting her instinct when it comes to picking her projects.

Sobhita Dhulipala speaks to Anupama Chopra at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, 2024. Dhulipala talks about being a part of Dev Patel’s Monkey Man and the West’s idea of Bollywood. The actor also takes a trip down memory lane and speaks about her debut film Raman Raghav 2.0 and how she auditioned for the part of Simmy. Dhulipala reveals her idea of success and how she would like to find a balance between mainstream roles and parts that she can have fun with. She also discusses how, for her, fashion has come to mean more than just a look.

Niharika NM speaks to Sneha Menon Desai about how she manifested her film debut at the Cannes Film Festival last year. The digital content creator announces that she will be in a Tamil film with Atharvaa Murali, directed by debutant Aakash Baskaran under the banner of Lyca Productions. She also opens up about her intense prep over the last couple of years, her desire to “earn respect” by making the best of this opportunity, and working towards reaching a space of peace and acceptance.

Director Chidananda S Naik speaks to Anupama Chopra about making Sunflowers Were the First to Know, which was selected for La Cinef at the 77th Cannes Film Festival out of 2,623 submissions. Naik has wanted to tell this story, based on folklore from Karnataka, from a very young age. He opens up about how his friends from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) came together to make this film, the importance of meticulous pre-production, the story behind the title, and what he’s looking forward to at the Festival this year.#FCAtCannes in Association with: Podcast Partner: Amazon Music India

In the coming week, the tiny French town of Cannes will once again, transform (for 12 days) into the world’s film capital. There will be premieres, parties, red carpet drama, headline-grabbing fashion and eventually, a slew of winners will emerge, which might go the distance to Oscars ‘25. A number of Indian films have made the official selection – watch this video to know which ones and stay tuned to Film Companion for all the action out of Cannes.