From Kolkata to Cannes: How Anasuya Sengupta became the first Indian to win 'best actor' at the film festival

Exactly a month ago today, the 77th Cannes Film Festival came to a close and as our social media feeds got inundated with red carpet looks featuring the who’s who of the entertainment world, netizens sparked debates on how the spotlight on fashion was taking away from the festival’s primary purpose—celebrating cinema. But amid the buzz about “who wore what”, there were some exceptional projects that made history on the French Riviera.

From groundbreaking awards to fashion with a cause, Indian artistes, in particular, had quite a moment at the annual film festival, prompting the world to take note of cinema emerging from the Indian subcontinent as a potent platform for diverse social commentary wrapped in artistic brilliance. An integral part of this success story was Anasuya Sengupta, who clinched the Un Certain Regard Prize for Best Actress for her role in The Shameless. Hailing from Kolkata, India, the 37-year-old actress made history as the first Indian to receive this prestigious award.

With Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light also becoming the first Indian entry to win the coveted Grand Prix—the second-highest honour at Cannes—it was a significant moment in the history of Indian cinema, with women filmmakers, storytellers, and actresses leading the show. “It’s about time that women received their due recognition. As an artiste and a woman of colour, I feel privileged to stand on the shoulders of those who persevered with their beliefs, often without receiving their due recognition,” Anasuya tells Khaleej Times over a Zoom meeting, recalling the historic feat.

“Being there alongside Payal, her cast, and my co-star Omara [Shetty], among other women in our film, it truly felt like our moment had finally arrived,” she adds. “There are numerous actresses in India today whom I deeply admire for their contributions and the impact they bring to projects. There are more than enough capable women to lead and showcase projects on global platforms. Let this unfold.”

Directed and written by Bulgarian filmmaker Konstantin Bojanov, The Shameless revolves around Renuka, portrayed by Anasuya, who escapes from a Delhi brothel after killing a police officer. “With The Shameless, this may technically be my feature film debut as an actor, but I’ve practically grown up on film sets,” says Anasuya.

From acting to production designer

Anasuya’s first acting role actually came in Anjan Dutt’s music-themed production Madly Bangali, which premiered in 2009. Landing this role immediately after graduating from university, she soon moved on to her next project, working as an assistant director (AD) on the Australian production The Waiting City, which was being filmed in Kolkata.

With these two experiences under her belt, Anasuya felt it was the perfect time to move to Mumbai—home to the Hindi film industry. However, upon arriving in the city, she realised that there were more opportunities for her behind the camera than in front of it. As a result, the aspiring actor naturally gravitated towards production design on film sets, an experience she now looks back on as pivotal in shaping the person she is today.

“I’ve been on sets since I was 20 years old, gaining a unique perspective from the filmmaker’s side. Being in production design, we work with large teams and that experience absorbed me for many years. It’s no secret that our country has many different social brackets and I really enjoyed work that could transcend those barriers, allowing me to form beautiful relationships with people I might not have otherwise known,” says Anasuya, who graduated from Jadavpur University in Kolkata.

Her impressive credits as production designer include Netflix’s Selection Day and Ray, along with feature films like Chippa. Despite concentrating on production design, she continued to refine her acting skills through occasional appearances in commercials and short films. “As a young girl coming from [erstwhile] Calcutta [now Kolkata] to Mumbai, you quickly realise that what is easily accessible to you is often very limited.”

“However, I personally didn’t feel too discouraged because I saw that almost everyone faces similar challenges. For acting, the initial breakthrough is probably even harder than behind-the-scenes roles due to the higher demand.

“I tried to grasp the reality of all this and remained open-minded, keeping in mind that I had so many other areas of interest as well,” she adds.

New beginnings

After nearly 15 years of living in Mumbai, Anasuya made the decision to move to nearby Goa. And as luck would have it, that’s when her dream role fell into her lap. “It feels magical to me that it was around this phase of my life that the opportunity for this film came to me,” she recalls.

“I was trying to make some space. I had managed to create that space, and that’s when Konstantin contacted me. It took me seconds to realise that I wanted to do it. I read the script in one sitting. I completely fell in love with the character, Renuka, and I felt ready at that moment because I had also started enjoying seeing myself as a multidisciplinary artist in some ways. So, this was the perfect next chapter.”

Oftentimes, a change in environment can profoundly impact one’s state of mind. “There came a point, perhaps as I grew older, where I felt artistically compelled to make space for new expressions or explore different avenues,” says Anasuya. “My decision to leave Mumbai was a significant move considering I had spent my entire twenties and early thirties there. I consider myself as much a Bombay [Mumbai] girl as a Kolkata girl, but something drew me to Goa.”

“Immediately, my art flourished. I began illustrating more than ever before, discovering a new artistic version of myself,” says Anasuya.

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