'Actors put together money to fly to Cannes', reveals Tillotama Shome after India's big win at Cannes

Tillotama Shome

Actress Huma Qureshi hopes brands and companies that spend a whopping amount of money sending people who have nothing to do with films will now find a way to support small and independent films. Huma's comments come after Anasuya Sengupta became the first Indian actor to win the Best Actress award at the Un Certain Regard segment and Payal Kapadia's 'All We Imagine as Light' bagged the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

The actress took to her Instagram stories and shared a picture of the 'All We Imagine as Light' team getting honoured with the Grand Prix, the second-highest award at the Cannes Film Festival.

"So proud of you all @payalkapadia @kantari_kanmani @divya_prabha @chhaya.kadam.75. Hope. There is hope," she captioned the image.

Huma then wrote a post that read, "Cannes Film Festival is a film festival where Art is celebrated for Art's sake... I really hope some of these brands/ companies that spend hundreds of dollars sending people who have nothing to do with films instead now find a way to support small and independent films."

"I really am so proud of all the incredible women who have brought home such glory! More power to them and to our homegrown storytellers," she said.

Actress Tillotama Shome also highlighted the plight of independent filmmakers and how they lack on support from the country to present their films on prestigious platforms. She revealed that the talents who made India proud at Cannes had to fund their own tickets to attend the festival.

Highlighting the films and talents that did India proud this year at Cannes, Shome wrote, "I wanted to put some flowers out today, to celebrate the women from my country at Cannes. How did they get there? Ask them and you will weep."

"It is nothing short of a miracle for an Indian indie film with no institutional, financial or emotional support from the country, to make it this big.
How were the films funded, how difficult was it complete the film in that budget, oh and how did the actors put together the money to fly to Cannes, so they could bring home the prize, that we are so proud of? Let's put some skin into this game, if we are feeling so proud. Otherwise it's not pride, just shame for not believing in your own storytellers, until the world asks you to look at them. These women are filling the cracks and saving the building," she added.