Payal Kapadia interview: ‘Laapata Ladies was a sensible choice for the Oscars as lobbying in Hollywood takes money’

When director Payal Kapadia’s film All We Imagine As Light won the Grand Prix at Cannes 2024, she became an overnight global sensation.

However, this was not the first feather in the cap for the 38-year-old – her documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing won L’Œil d’or (The Golden Eye) Award at Cannes 2021, among numerous other awards. All We Imagine As Light is the Film and Television Institute of India graduate’s first feature and she’s excited to see it release on screens across India on November 22.

Featuring Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha as two Malayali nurses, Prabha and Anu respectively, and Chhaya Kadam as Parvaty, the cook, the film about these three migrants is set in Mumbai and takes us through their stories. In this exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, Payal Kapadia talks about her film, her journey and what’s next.