Anasuya Sengupta creates history, first Indian to win Best Actress Award at Cannes

Actor Anasuya Sengupta becomes the first Indian to win the Best Actress award at the Un Certain Regard segment of the Cannes Film Festival. 

She won the award for her role in the film ‘Shameless’, which was directed by Bulgarian filmmaker Constantin Bojanov. The film displays the journey of a sex worker who escapes from a brothel in Delhi after stabbing a policeman. 

Anasuya dedicated her award "to the queer community and other marginalised communities around the world for bravely fighting a battle they shouldn't have to fight."

Tillotama Shome took to her Instagram to celebrate her victory and wrote, "Just beautiful!!!!!!!!! Making history. Putting us on the map!!! Unfortunately, I don't have my glasses and can't seem to figure out how to share this! But I can't even begin to describe the JOY!!!! Kisses to Anasuya for me please (sic)."

Anasuya is known mainly for her work as a production designer in Mumbai and currently resides in Goa. She contributed to the set design of the Netflix show 'Masaba Masaba.' 

Meanwhile, the Cannes Un Certain Regard Prize was 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.

Also read: Assam's Sanjukta Dutta to make Cannes red carpet debut with unique regional designs