Neeraj Ghaywan drops picture with ‘biggest Indian star’ Payal Kapadia from Cannes 2025

Cannes 2025 is buzzing with Indian pride this year, and at the heart of it are two powerhouse filmmakers: Neeraj Ghaywan and Payal Kapadia.

The two caught up at the prestigious film festival, and Neeraj Ghaywan shared a candid moment on Instagram with a cheeky caption for Payal Kapadia that read, “Hanging out with the biggest Indian star at Cannes.”

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The “star” he was talking about? None other than Payal Kapadia, who’s serving on the jury this year.

 

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Anurag Kashyap couldn’t resist dropping a fun comment—“Do chamakte huye sitaare”—while Huma Qureshi and Zoya Akhtar showered love with heart emojis.

Ghaywan is in Cannes for the world premiere of his latest Hindi-language drama ‘Homebound’, which had its grand debut in the Un Certain Regard section on May 21. The film features a powerful cast including Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor.

Also Read: Janhvi Kapoor remembers Sridevi: “Cannes was our family’s special place”

It’s backed by big names too: Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, with Martin Scorsese and Pravin Khairnar as executive producers.

Marijke deSouza and Melita Toscan du Plantier also came on board as co-producers.

But the real talk of the festival? ‘Homebound’ received a 9-minute standing ovation after its screening. Yes, ‘nine’ whole minutes of applause; Cannes-style validation at its finest.

Meanwhile, Payal Kapadia continues her steady climb to international acclaim. The filmmaker has become a familiar and respected face at Cannes.

Back in 2017, she was the only Indian director with a film at the festival. She won the Golden Eye in 2021 for her documentary ‘A Night of Knowing Nothing’, and then bagged the Grand Prix in 2024 for her fiction debut ‘All We Imagine as Light’.

That film even earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director.

Now, as a jury member, she’s watching history unfold while also being a part of it.