Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Cannes do: On a big win for indie cinema at the 77th edition of the film festival

Cannes do: On a big win for indie cinema at the 77th edition of the film festival

Indian films are beginning to make a splash on the international stage

The moment after Payal Kapadia scripted history by becoming the first Indian film-maker to win the Grand Prix (it is an award of the Cannes Film Festival bestowed by the jury of the festival on one of the competing feature films. It is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d’Or) award at the Cannes film festival (The Cannes Film Festival was born out of defiance against the Axis powers during World War II. In 1938, at the Venice Film Festival, Hitler and Mussolini infamously rigged the results to favor propaganda films, outraging the international film community. Determined to establish an apolitical festival free from such interference, French diplomat Philippe Erlanger spearheaded the creation of a new festival in the idyllic coastal town of Cannes. It is finally more than a year after the end of the war in 1946, was born the first edition of the International Film Festival in Cannes) for All We Imagine as Light will be etched (अंकित करना, उकेरना) in cinematic memory. As the 38-year-old walked to the stage, she pulled along (साथ खींचना, साथ ले जाना) the three main women protagonists (मुख्य पात्र, नायक) of her film, Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam, and the four posing with the prize has become the shot of the 77th edition of the festival, definitely for Indians. Bagging (get, obtain, win, secure, acquire) the second highest honour after the Palme d’Or (which went to American director Sean Baker’s Anora) for her trilingual (त्रिभाषी) debut feature (a full-length film (often abbreviated to feature)), an Indo-French collaboration, which shines a light (स्पष्ट करना, उजागर करना) on the story of two Malayali nurses and migrants (प्रवासी) working in ‘Maximum City (nickname of Mumbai, India)’ Mumbai, is a big win for indie (short form of ‘independent’; relating to a film or music company that is not owned by a larger/major (production) company) cinema. The last time an Indian film was in the competition section was 30 years ago with Shaji N. Karun’s Swaham in 1994. “Please don’t wait 30 years to have another Indian film,” Kapadia said in her acceptance speech. Eschewing (त्यागना, परहेज करना) the usual song-and-dance trope (figurative expression, metaphor, comparison, symbol) or larger-than-life (exceedingly imposing, impressive, celebrated, famed, famous) heroes, Kapadia’s film is about a friendship between three very different women. She said friendship is a very important relationship for her, “because it can lead to (कारण बनना, उत्पन्न करना) greater solidarity (एकजुटता, एकता), inclusivity (समावेशिता) and empathy (सहानुभूति, संवेदनशीलता) towards each other. These are the values we should all be striving for (प्रयास करना, लक्ष्य करना)”.

The other important takeaway (मुख्य बिंदु, महत्वपूर्ण बात) is Kapadia’s remark that “it takes a village (it takes many people) to make a film”. Thanking her cast and crew (कलाकार और दल), Kapadia talked about the Indian film-making ecosystem (पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र) — “There are interesting films being made in India, and I am only a product of that.” She also rooted for (show support for) the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) (The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was set up by the Government of India in 1960, in the premises of the erstwhile Prabhat Studios in Pune), with which she had a run-in (preparation (a period of time leading up to an important event)) in 2015, where she said she watched world cinema. She was effusive (enthusiastic, demonstrative, wordy, extravagant, lavish, outpouring, passionate, emotional, unrestrained, unreserved) about the strong film industry presence in most States, singling out the Malayalam film industry for its support to good cinema. India clearly made a splash at Cannes this year, with Kolkata’s Anasuya Sengupta winning the Best Actress in the Un Certain Regard section for her turn in Konstantin Bojanov’s The Shameless; British-Indian film-maker Karan Kandhari’s Sister Midnight in the parallel Director’s Fortnight selection; FTII student Chidananda S. Naik’s short Sunflowers Were The First Ones To Know winning the top prize in the official LaCinef section, Cannes’s competition for film school students; Cannes Classics releasing a remastered Manthan, Shyam Benegal’s 1976 film, and so forth (and so on; and other such things; et cetera, etc). For Kapadia, this was her third outing (trip, journey) in Cannes — she had won the best documentary prize in 2021. With the Grand Prix prize just three years later, Kapadia will inspire young independent film-makers to tell their stories, and, hopefully, get the backing (support, assistance, commendation, endorsement, blessing, approval) they deserve.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.etch (verb)

Hindi Meaning - अंकित करना, उकेरना
English Meaning - imprint, engrave, inscribe.

2.pull along (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - साथ खींचना, साथ ले जाना
English Meaning - to take/drag/force someone or something behind one.

3.protagonist (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मुख्य पात्र, नायक
English Meaning - leading actor or principal character.

4.trilingual (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - त्रिभाषी
English Meaning - using or knowing three languages.

5.shine a light (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - स्पष्ट करना, उजागर करना
English Meaning - to examine something more precisely in order to make it more clear.

6.migrant (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रवासी
English Meaning - a person who moves from one region to another - either within a country or across national borders in order to find work or better living conditions.

7.eschew (verb)

Hindi Meaning - त्यागना, परहेज करना
English Meaning - avoid, ignore, reject, rebuff, refuse.

8.lead to (verb)

Hindi Meaning - कारण बनना, उत्पन्न करना
English Meaning - cause, bring on, bring about, result in, produce, give rise to.

9.solidarity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - एकजुटता, एकता
English Meaning - unity, unanimity, harmony, cohesion, cooperation.

10.inclusivity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समावेशिता
English Meaning - the quality of being inclusive without excluding people on grounds of gender, race, class, disability & etc.

11.empathy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सहानुभूति, संवेदनशीलता
English Meaning - affection, fellow feeling, compassion, neighbourliness.

12.strive for (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रयास करना, लक्ष्य करना
English Meaning - work towards, aim for, wish for, aspire to, achieve.

13.takeaway (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मुख्य बिंदु, महत्वपूर्ण बात
English Meaning - a key point/idea/fact.

14.cast and crew (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कलाकार और दल
English Meaning - it means all the people involved in the production of a filming. The cast refers to the characters (actors) in and the crew to the people (producer, director, DOP, singer, musician, choreographer and etc.)

15.ecosystem (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र
English Meaning - a complex situation/environment.

16.indie (noun/adjective)

English Meaning - short form of ‘independent’; relating to a film or music company that is not owned by a larger/major (production) company.

17.make a splash (phrase)

English Meaning - make an impression, make an impact, cause a sensation, attract attention, get noticed.

18.Cannes Film Festival (noun)

English Meaning - The Cannes Film Festival was born out of defiance against the Axis powers during World War II. In 1938, at the Venice Film Festival, Hitler and Mussolini infamously rigged the results to favor propaganda films, outraging the international film community. Determined to establish an apolitical festival free from such interference, French diplomat Philippe Erlanger spearheaded the creation of a new festival in the idyllic coastal town of Cannes. It is finally more than a year after the end of the war in 1946, was born the first edition of the International Film Festival in Cannes.

19.Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival) (noun)

English Meaning - it is an award of the Cannes Film Festival bestowed by the jury of the festival on one of the competing feature films. It is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d’Or.

20.bag (verb)

English Meaning - get, obtain, win, secure, acquire.

21.feature (noun)

English Meaning - a full-length film (often abbreviated to feature).

22.Maximum City (noun)

English Meaning - nickname of Mumbai, India.

23.trope (noun)

English Meaning - figurative expression, metaphor, comparison, symbol.

24.larger-than-life (adjective)

English Meaning - exceedingly imposing, impressive, celebrated, famed, famous,

25.it takes a village (phrase)

English Meaning - it takes many people.

26.root for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - show support for.

27.Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) (noun)

English Meaning - The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was set up by the Government of India in 1960, in the premises of the erstwhile Prabhat Studios in Pune.

28.run-in (noun)

English Meaning - preparation (a period of time leading up to an important event).

29.effusive (adjective)

English Meaning - enthusiastic, demonstrative, wordy, extravagant, lavish, outpouring, passionate, emotional, unrestrained, unreserved.

30.single out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - select, choose, pick, elect, take, prefer, name, opt (for something) from a group of things;

31.and so forth (adverb)

English Meaning - and so on; and other such things; et cetera, etc.

32.outing (noun)

English Meaning - trip, journey.

33.backing (noun)

English Meaning - support, assistance, commendation, endorsement, blessing, approval.