In a historic moment for Indian cinema, actress Anasuya Sengupta has emerged victorious as the Best Actress at the prestigious Un Certain Regard segment of the Cannes Film Festival. Sengupta’s powerful portrayal in the film ‘Shameless,’ directed by Bulgarian filmmaker Constantin Bojanov, has earned her this coveted accolade.
The film, a gritty exploration of the journey of a sex worker who escapes from a brothel in Delhi after a shocking incident, has struck a chord with the international audience. In her acceptance speech, Sengupta dedicated the award “to the queer community and other marginalized communities around the world for bravely fighting a battle they shouldn’t have to fight.
” She further emphasized, “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.”
Celebrating Sengupta’s historic triumph, fellow actress Tillotama Shome took to Instagram, expressing her immense joy and pride. “Making history. Putting us on the map!!! Kisses to Anasuya for me, please,” Shome wrote, unable to contain her excitement.
Anasuya Sengupta’s journey to the global stage has been marked by her versatility and dedication to her craft. Primarily recognized for her work as a production designer in Mumbai, she contributed to the set design of the popular Netflix show Masaba Masaba.
Hailing from Kolkata, Sengupta pursued her education at Jadavpur University before making her acting debut in Bengali director Anjan Dutt’s rock musical Madly Bangalee in 2009.
The Cannes Un Certain Regard Prize was also awarded to ‘Black Dog,’ directed by Chinese filmmaker Hu Guan, while Boris Lojkine’s asylum-seeker narrative, ‘The Story Of Souleymane,’ received the Jury Prize. However, Anasuya Sengupta’s groundbreaking achievement has captured the attention of the global film industry, solidifying India’s place on the international stage.
