The landscape of Indian cinema witnessed a remarkable and heartening trend in 2024, where films outside the mainstream commercial sphere not only garnered international acclaim but also carved a space for themselves in domestic theatres. This year underscored a slow but definite shift, proving that discerning Indian audiences are increasingly embracing diverse narratives.
From Cannes Glory to Indian Screens
Payal Kapadia's 'All We Imagine as Light' made history by premiering in the main competition of the 77th Cannes Film Festival. The film was nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or and clinched the Grand Prix, one of the festival's top awards. Following its global triumph, the film saw a strategic release in India, starting with Kerala in September before a nationwide theatrical rollout in November. It was met with both critical praise and a substantial audience response, later transitioning to a well-publicised OTT release.
In a beautiful coincidence of past and present, the restored 4K version of Shyam Benegal's 1976 classic 'Manthan' was selected for the Cannes Classics section. This film, India's first crowd-funded feature and a fictionalised account of Dr. Verghese Kurien's pioneering milk cooperative movement (Operation Flood), received a standing ovation at Cannes. Nearly five decades after its original surprise hit release, the restoration was re-released across India in over 100 cinemas spanning 50 cities.
The Expanding Ecosystem for Niche Narratives
This momentum extended beyond festival darlings. Films like 'Humans in the Loop', an unusual Hindi-Kurukh language drama by Aranya Sahay exploring AI's impact on an Adivasi woman, secured a limited theatrical release in major cities in September before premiering on Netflix. While big-budget films continue to dominate screen counts, these examples signal a positive, albeit gradual, directional change for independent and niche content finding theatrical footing.
The shift is also fueled by an audience that has always sought substantive storytelling, a tradition visible even in the 70s and 80s with theatrical successes like 'Manthan', 'Ankur', 'Aakrosh', and 'Ardh Satya'. However, the path remains challenging. Neeraj Ghaywan's 'Homebound', which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and is India's Oscar entry for the 98th Academy Awards, struggled at the domestic box office, likely due to audiences waiting for its OTT debut. This highlights the need for innovative, well-considered publicity campaigns that project off-beat films on par with big commercial ventures.
Learning from Global Precedents and the Way Forward
Globally, the line between thoughtful and entertaining cinema has often blurred with spectacular success. Films like 'Rocky' (1977), made on a $1 million budget, and 'Moonlight' (2016), made with $1.5 million, went on to win Oscars for Best Picture. More recently, Paul Thomas Anderson's big-budget, star-studded 'One Battle After Another' proved provocative themes could achieve global box office success, grossing $191 million worldwide.
Today, digital streaming platforms and international film festivals are crucial in amplifying niche cinema, as exemplified by the global trajectory of Oscar-winning Korean film 'Parasite'. The lesson is clear: clutter-breaking films with unconventional narratives need funding, backing, and promotion that allows them to reach their potential while retaining creative integrity. As viewers and supporters of cinema, the most direct way to encourage this change is to actively participate—by buying tickets for such films and, if possible, investing in cinema that is independent in spirit and thought. The evolution is underway, and every ticket counts.
