Filmmaker Payal Kapadia has made history by becoming the first Indian to be nominated for Best Director at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards. Her film All We Imagine As Light, set in Mumbai and revolving around the friendship of three women, received two nominations on Monday – one for Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language and the other for Best Director – Motion Picture.
The film, which made history earlier this year by winning the Grand Prix at Cannes, continues to gain recognition and accolades as the Hollywood awards season heats up, culminating in the Oscars. At the Golden Globes, All We Imagine As Light will compete for Best Non-English Language Motion Picture alongside films like Emilia Perez (France). The Girl With the Needle (Poland), I’m Still Here (Brazil), The Seed of the Sacred Fig (USA), and Vermiglio (Italy).
In the Best Director category, Kapadia will face stiff competition from directors Brady Corbet (The Brutalist), Coralie Fargeat (The Substance), Jacques Audiard (Emilia Perez), Edward Berger (Conclave), and Sean Baker (Anora).
Kapadia expressed her gratitude for the nomination, stating. “I’m deeply honoured by this nomination and grateful to the HFPA for this recognition. This is a celebration of everyone who worked so passionately on the film. To everyone in India, All We Imagine As Light is still in theaters—please go watch it and support us.”
Since its premiere at Cannes, Kapadia’s feature debut has garnered significant international acclaim. At Cannes, the film not only won the prestigious Grand Prix but was also one of the best-reviewed films of the festival.
Kapadia’s Previous Works and Oscars Prospects
A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Kapadia previously directed the acclaimed short film Afternoon Clouds and the documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing. Though All We Imagine As Light was not chosen as India’s official entry for the Academy Awards in the International Feature Film category. It is still expected to receive nominations in other categories at the Oscars. India’s official entry for the Academy Awards is Laapata Ladies by Kiran Rao.
Recently, All We Imagine As Light was named Best International Film by the New York Film Critics Circle. And also won the same category at the Gotham Awards. Additionally, it topped Sight and Sound magazine’s annual list of the 50 best films of the year.
Distributed in the US by Janus Films and Sideshow. Rana Daggubati’s Spirit Media released the Malayalam-Hindi film across India in November.
The film stars Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Chhaya Kadam. And explores themes of love and friendship through the lives of three women in bustling Mumbai. The characters include two Malayali nurses—Prabha and Anu—and their friend Parvati.
In 2022, SS Rajamouli’s RRR earned two Golden Globe nominations, winning Best Song for “Naatu Naatu”. The film later replicated this success at the Oscars. Shekhar Kapur was nominated for Best Director at the 1999 Golden Globes for his film Elizabeth, while Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay (1989) and Monsoon Wedding (2002) were nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. Which has since been renamed Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language.
Lionsgate Play will stream the 2025 Golden Globe Awards live in India on January 5. When they take place in Los Angeles.
