Exclusive | Payal Kapadia on All We Imagine As Light's Golden Globe nominations: 'Means the world'

The film released in India last month

Payal Kapadia's dream run with All We Imagine As Light is unstoppable. On Monday evening, the Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam-starrer made India proud again as it bagged two nominations at the prestigious Golden Globe Awards 2025. The drama about female friendship scored a nomination in the Best Motion Picture (Non-English Language) category, and another in the Best Director category, making Kapadia the first Indian director to achieve the feat.

When mid-day texted Kapadia minutes after the nominations were announced, the director shared her exhilaration with us. The first-time feature filmmaker told mid-day, "This is amazing news! Many people worked so hard on this film and it's because of a collective effort that it has reached here. I'm very thankful to them. The film is back in cinemas on Friday, so I hope that more people go to see it."

Payal Kapadia

When asked how it felt to be the first Indian filmmaker to earn a Best Director nomination, Payal Kapadia said, "Every milestone helps the film reach wider audiences. What more can a filmmaker hope for?" She is nominated alongside Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez), Sean Baker (Anora), Edward Berger (Conclave), Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) and Coralie Fargeat (The Substance). Thrilled at the double nominations, co-producer Zico Maitra said, "This recognition means the world to our entire team."

At the 82nd Golden Globes that will be held on January 5, 2025, All We Imagine as Light will vie for the Best Motion Picture (Non-English Language) alongside Emilia Pérez, I'm Still Here, The Girl with the Needle, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, and Vermiglio. In May, it won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. However, it was pipped by Laapataa Ladies in the race for India's Oscar entry.