Meet Payal Kapadia, FIRST Indian to score Best Director nomination at Golden Globe 2025

Filmmaker Payal Kapadia made history by being nominated for Best Director (Motion Picture) for her film All We Imagine As Light at the 82nd annual Golden Globe Awards.

All We Imagine As Light has earned two nominations at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, including one for Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language. This is a historic moment, as it marks the first time an Indian director has been nominated in this category. The film, starring Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Chhaya Kadam, is an official Indo-French co-production between Petit Chaos from France and Chalk & Cheese and Another Birth from India.

Earlier, Payal Kapadia made India proud as she created history by becoming the first Indian to win the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival for her film All We Imagine As Light. 

Who is Payal Kapadia?

Payal Kapadia, born in 1986, is an Indian filmmaker known for her impactful work. She won the Golden Eye award for Best Documentary at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival for her film A Night of Knowing Nothing. Her short film Afternoon Clouds was the sole Indian selection at the 70th Cannes Film Festival in 2017. In 2024, she earned the prestigious Grand Prix at Cannes for her film All We Imagine As Light.

Controversy

In 2015, Payal Kapadia played a key role in the 138-day protest at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). The protest was sparked by the students' objections to the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the chairman, as they believed he lacked the vision needed for the role. Payal, along with other students, boycotted classes and led the protest for over four months. As a result, an FIR was filed against her, and her FTII grant for the direction course was revoked. Additionally, in the same year, Payal and 34 other students were accused in an FIR for allegedly holding FTII director Prashant Pathrabe captive in his office. The protest was in response to Pathrabe's decision to assess incomplete projects of the 2008 batch students.

During the 138-day protest at FTII in 2015, Payal Kapadia faced disciplinary action, including the revocation of her grant. However, after Gajendra Chauhan's tenure as chairman ended, FTII expressed its support for her in 2017. By then, Payal was in her third year, and her short film Afternoon Clouds had been selected for the 70th Cannes Film Festival.

All We Imagine As Light

All We Imagine As Light follows Prabha, a troubled nurse who receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband, and Anu, her young roommate seeking intimacy with her boyfriend. A trip to a beach town allows them to confront their desires. The film stars Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Hridhu Haroon, all hailing from Kerala.

Earlier, Payal Kapadia's 'All We Imagine as Light' also won the Best International at the New York Film Critics Circle, and the Best International Feature trophy at the reputed Gotham Awards 2024. The nominations for the 82nd Golden Globe Awards were announced on December 9, by Mindy Kaling and Morris Chestnut. The other nominees include Jacques Audiard for Emilia Perez; Sean Baker, for Anora; Edward Berger for Conclave; Brady Corbet for The Brutalist; and Coralie Fargeat for The Substance.

Mindy Kaling and Morris Chestnut revealed the nominees across 27 categories. Kaling, known for her work on shows like 'The Mindy Project', 'Never Have I Ever' and 'The Office', currently serves as a writer and executive producer for the Max series 'The Sex Lives of College Girls', which she co-created. She's also writing and executive producing the upcoming Netflix comedy series Running Point, starring Kate Hudson, set for release in 2025.

Chestnut is the star of CBS' upcoming medical drama series Watson, set in the world of Sherlock Holmes with Chestnut playing Dr. John Watson, as per The Hollywood Reporter. 'Emilia Perez' leads the nominations for the 2025 Golden Globes. The film scored 10 nominations, more than any other title in film or TV. That breaks the record previously held by a comedy or musical motion picture, surpassing Barbie, which scored a total of nine noms last year.

Emilia Perez was followed on the film side by The Brutalist with seven nominations, Conclave with six, and Anora and The Substance with five each. 'The Bear' leads the TV nominees with five total mentions, followed by Only Murders in the Building and Shogun with four each, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Golden Globes recognize achievements across film and TV, with categories for cinematic and box office achievement in film and best performance in stand-up comedy on television, which were introduced last year and are set to return this year. The awards will stream LIVE and exclusively in India on Lionsgate Play this 6th January starting 6:30 AM IST.

(With inputs from ANI)