Actor Anasuya Sengupta has made history as the first Indian to win the Best Actress award in the Un Certain Regard segment at the Cannes Film Festival. She earned this prestigious accolade for her compelling performance in the film Shameless, directed by Bulgarian filmmaker Constantin Bojanov. The film follows the harrowing journey of a sex worker who escapes from a brothel in Delhi after stabbing a policeman.
Anasuya dedicated her award to marginalized communities worldwide. In her acceptance speech, she stated, 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 emphasized solidarity and the importance of supporting the struggles of marginalized groups.
Celebrating her victory, fellow actor Tillotama Shome expressed her joy on Instagram, saying, 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).
Anasuya Sengupta is primarily known for her work as a production designer in Mumbai and currently resides in Goa. She contributed to the set design of the Netflix show Masaba Masaba. Originally from Kolkata, she pursued her education at Jadavpur University and made her acting debut in Bengali director Anjan Dutt's rock musical Madly Bangalee in 2009. After moving to Mumbai, she transitioned to the art department of films due to the lack of acting opportunities.
Meanwhile, the Cannes Un Certain Regard Prize was awarded to Black Dog, directed by Chinese filmmaker Hu Guan. Boris Lojkine's film The Story Of Souleymane, which narrates an asylum-seeker's journey, received the Jury Prize.
Complete List of Un Certain Regard Winners:
Prix Un Certain Regard: Black Dog, Guan Hu
Jury Prize: The Story of Souleymane, Boris Lojkine
Best Director (ex aequo): The Damned, Roberto Minervini; On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, Rungano Nyoni
Performance Awards: Shameless, Anasuya Sengupta; The Story of Souleymane, Abou Sangare
Prix de la Jeunesse (Youth Prize): Holy Cow! (Vingt Dieux), Louise Courvoisier
Anasuya Sengupta’s groundbreaking achievement at Cannes not only marks a significant milestone in her career but also highlights the global recognition of Indian talent in cinema.
