BAFTA: Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light earns Best Film not in the English language nomination

Also Read | Lessons ‘All We Imagine as Light’ can teach Bollywood

Notably, AWIAL is only the seventh Indian film ever nominated in this category and the first in over a decade since director Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox (2013), starring Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur in the lead roles. Salaam Bombay! (1988), directed by Mira Nair, was the first Indian film to receive a nomination in this category, and Mira herself earned the country its second nomination with Monsoon Wedding (2001). Other Indian films that have been nominated over the years are Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas (2002), Asif Kapadia’s The Warrior (2002) and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Rang De Basanti (2006). The 78th BAFTA Awards ceremony will take place at London’s Royal Festival Hall on February 16.

One of the most widely acclaimed films in recent times, All We Imagine as Light — starring Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam and Hridhu Haroon — began its triumphant journey by winning the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first Indian film to receive this honour. Since then, the film — featuring dialogues predominantly in Malayalam, along with Hindi and Marathi — has maintained the same momentum at prominent award ceremonies, including the ones organised by the New York Film Critics Circle, National Board of Review, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, San Diego Film Critics Society, Chicago Film Critics Association and the National Society of Film Critics, among others.

All We Imagine as Light was not selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars. But the film is hoping to score nominations at the upcoming Academy Awards. The nominations for the same will be announced on January 23.