Kolkata-born actress Anasuya Sengupta became the first Indian to win an acting award at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday for her performance in Bulgarian director Constantin Bojanov's The Shameless.

The film, directed and written by Bulgarian filmmaker Konstantin Bojanov, revolves around Renuka, played by Anasuya, who escapes from a Delhi brothel after killing a police officer.

The little-known actress who has worked mainly as a production designer in Mumbai and lives in Goa, took home the Best Actress award at the Un Certain Regard segment of the festival.

Receiving the award, a "shaking" Anasuya dedicated it to "the queer community and other marginalised communities for so bravely fighting a fight they really shouldn't have to".

Her voice shaking with emotion, and drawing repeated cheers and applause, she ended her short acceptance speech by saying, "We don't need to be colonised to know how very, very pathetic colonisers are."