Anasuya Sengupta creates history, becomes 1st Indian to win Best Actress at Cannes Film festival

• Image Credit: Google

• May 25, 2024 | Pinaki Goswami

Anasuya Sengupta’s victory at Cannes not only marks a personal achievement but also represents a significant moment for Indian cinema...

Digital Desk: Anasuya Sengupta has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Indian to win the Best Actress award at the prestigious Un Certain Regard segment of the Cannes Film Festival. She earned this accolade for her powerful performance in the film "Shameless," directed by Bulgarian filmmaker Constantin Bojanov. The film tells the harrowing story of a sex worker who flees a brothel in Delhi after a violent altercation with a policeman.

In her heartfelt acceptance speech, Anasuya dedicated her award to marginalized communities worldwide. "You don’t have to be queer to fight for equality, you don’t have to be colonized to understand that colonizing is pathetic — we just need to be very, very decent human beings," she said, as quoted by Variety. Her words resonated deeply, highlighting her commitment to social justice and human decency.

The victory was celebrated widely, with fellow actor Tillotama Shome expressing her joy on Instagram. "Just beautiful!!!!!!!!! Making history. Putting us on the map!!! Unfortunately, I don't have my glasses and can't seem to figure out how to share this! But I can't even begin to describe the JOY!!!! Kisses to Anasuya for me please (sic)," Shome posted, underscoring the communal pride and joy felt by many.

Anasuya, primarily known for her work as a production designer in Mumbai currently resides in Goa. Her notable contributions include the set design for the Netflix series "Masaba Masaba." Originally hailing from Kolkata, Anasuya studied at Jadavpur University and made her acting debut in Anjan Dutt's rock musical "Madly Bangalee" in 2009. Despite initial struggles to secure acting roles in Mumbai, she found her niche in the art department of films, which paved the way for her current success.

At the same festival, the Un Certain Regard Prize was awarded to "Black Dog," directed by Chinese filmmaker Hu Guan, while the Jury Prize went to Boris Lojkine's "The Story Of Souleymane," a poignant narrative about an asylum-seeker.

Anasuya Sengupta’s victory at Cannes not only marks a personal achievement but also represents a significant moment for Indian cinema on the global stage.