A still from Pather Panchali (1955)
From Satyajit Ray to Neeraj Ghaywan, Indian films at the Cannes Film Festival have introduced India to the world. The India, that is beyond Bollywood glamour and expensive jewels. These films tell stories that few dare to show on the big screen: stories of real people, with dreams and challenges posed by society.
Neecha Nagar (1946), directed by Chetan Anand, was the first ever Indian film to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.Do Bigha Zamin (1953), directed by Bimal Roy was the first Indian film to receive the Prix International Pather Panchali (1955), a masterpiece directed by Satyajit Ray won the Best Human Document award Salaam Bombay! (1988) directed by Mira Nair received both the Caméra d’Or and the Audience Award The Lunchbox (2013), directed by Ritesh Batra earned the Critics’ Week Viewers’ Choice Award (Grand Rail d’Or)Masaan (2015), directed by Neeraj Ghaywan premiered in the Un Certain Regard at the festivalAll We Imagine as Light (2024), directed by Payal Kapadia, won the prestigious Grand Prix Homebound (2025), another gem by Neeraj Ghaywan, premiered in the Un Certain Regard section, famously receiving a nine-minute standing ovation