Raka Dutta against the background of the Croisette in Cannes. A Telegraph picture

Raka Dutta savoured her moment of triumph in Cannes as she stood in bright sunshine on the balcony of the Palais des Festivals with the palm tree-lined sweep of the Croisette behind her, far away from her home in Lake Gardens.

It was a dream come true for the 27-year-old post grad from the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), whose 28-minute feature “without any dialogue”, Chinese Whispers, is one of 16 entries in competition in a category called La Selection Cinefondation. “These are students — the film-makers of the future,” observed Sophie Merle, a spokeswoman for the Cinefondation.

From the balcony, Raka could see the milling crowds on the Croisette and the white yachts bobbing up and down on the azure waters of the Mediterranean. She was at pains to point out that it was not true to say there was no Indian film in competition at Cannes. In fact, this year, hers is the only one.

Where the Dravids and Tendulkars of the cinema world have failed, a junior has succeeded.

“I have just completed my post-graduation diploma in film direction and screenplay writing from SRFTI,” she said. “It is a three-year course but it takes a bit longer. Before that I did my graduation in geography from Lady Brabourne.”

Chinese Whispers is her graduating film. “It’s about urban life. It’s fictional. It’s 28 minutes on 35mm. And there are no dialogues in the film — though the sounds are ambient,” explained Raka. “There are four characters who come from different backgrounds but we mainly see a man and a woman who are not related. They pass each other every day but they remain strangers. They don’t talk to each other. It’s like you pass someone everyday on your way to work and one day you don’t find that person — there is some sort of connection.”

Raka had been striving for a Cannes entry since the start. “For the last four years I have been thinking that my diploma film will be selected here.”

Her institute has built up quite a record at Cannes. From previous SRFTI batches, Tridib Poddar also secured a Cannes nomination with Khoj in 2002 and Anirban Datta with Tetris last year.

It was not difficult for Raka to get her film financed. “Our institute is under the ministry of information and broadcasting so the government provides the funds. My airfare was sponsored by the French embassy in India, my daily allowance in Cannes is provided by my institute and the four-night, five-day accommodation provided by the festival.”

She met the other competitors who came from Finland, France, Brazil, Serbia, the US, Argentina, Russia, Israel and other countries.

“I am very excited about this place. I find this to be quite a happening place and for a film-maker this place can be really helpful,” said Raka.

So far, eight people have sought access to her film and one has sent a response to Raka’s mail box with the single word: “Beautiful.”

Raka’s ambition is to make a full-length feature, possibly without dialogue.

There was cinema in her blood, she conceded. “A long time back my grandfather, Tarit Ghosh, was a lyricist — he did music also for 42 and Bhuli Nai, very famous Bengali films on Indian Independence. I am a complete movie buff,” smiled Raka.