Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light is a moving and contemplative exploration of life in contemporary, working-class Mumbai. This unique and compelling story features brilliant performances by Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Chhaya Kadam. The outstanding film, with its distinct art-house feel, takes you inside an emotional Indian tale.
The tale begins in documentary form, with the first shots taking you to the streets, where you experience the bustling areas full of people and hear the sounds of Mumbai. Then, weaving through that, you hear stories of people who live there. It’s a marvelous way to set up where you are and prepare you for the incredible journey Kapadia will take you on.
The focus then sharpens to Kani Kusruti’s Prabha in a glorious shot; then, the frame finds Anu (Divya Prabha) and Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam). We enter their world, their darkness, and their light. It is such a captivating story that you become completely engaged in their lives.
I know that I haven’t revealed much of the plot of this film, but I don’t want to give away too much because you really should go on the journey with these characters on your own. I CAN tell you the film explores their friendship, their emotions, their experiences, and the expressions of their individual light. I can emphatically tell you that it is rich, beautiful, sad, and utterly brilliant.
First, I must shine a light on the outstanding performances of the three lead actresses.
Kani Kusruti, as Prabha, portrays her role with so much quiet desperation, longing, resignation, and deep sadness. She stays hidden inside herself because that is the only way she feels she can survive. Within the darkness of this world and often without words, Kani shows us exactly how Prahba feels. It is an impressive performance that grounds and anchors the film.
Divya Prabha shows us Anu’s light through magnetic energy that shines through. We discover that Anu just wants to live and especially love. In funny moments, when she giggles, and in more serious ones, Divya allows us to get a glimpse into Anu’s soul. I couldn’t imagine anyone else in this role.
After a brilliant turn in Laapataa Ladies, Chhaya Kadam is again worthy of a standing ovation. She always fully inhabits her characters. She is 100% Parvaty in every moment. Her eyes speak volumes; her smile, the little it comes, is beautiful, and well, she is just damn good!
Also, applause needs to be given to Hridhu Haroon and Azees Nedumangad for their earnest and full-of-feeling performances. The focus is not on them, but they still make an impact.
The film’s framing and design give us a glimpse into its heart and meaning: light. Light in all its forms—light as hope, light as illusion, and light as illumination—is the through line in this extraordinary work of cinema.
All We Imagine As Light is incredibly shot, with the city and the coast almost another character in the tale. Especially Mumbai. You are dropped into the world and Prabhu, Anu, and Party’s lives, and you feel as if you are there; you are not watching them. It is real on reel and a masterstroke of a way to present a movie. So many moments as I am typing this are flashing in my mind, like the scarf in the window with the star, the light on their faces, the lights in the apartment windows, and the neon signs in the city as they travel. Also, the transformation of the light as the movie progresses is startling but brilliant and breathtaking. Kapadia’s choices in how the light waxes and wanes throughout moments in the film are fascinating; it shows me that she was just as focused on the feelings she wanted to elicit as she was on how the light impacted the cinematography. I could list so many more shots; however, I won’t go on because I want you to experience this for yourself. I know this film is going to stay with me for a long time.
I MUST mention the sound design by Benjamin Silvestre, Romain Ozanne, and Olivier Voisin. It truly added to the immersive feeling of the piece, engaging the audience from the first moments. The sounds of the city, the snippets of the songs, the voices, the trains, and so much more all contributed to the feeling of being in Mumbai, not just watching it. It is an incredible soundtrack to many scenes, and it is extraordinary. The sounds of the waves, the wind, and the rain on the seaside also added another emotion to those scenes. Many times, sounds like this, street, voices, waves, etc, can be a distraction, but this way of doing sound was another character or characters, and I marveled at it. I firmly believe it should be put forward in the Best Sound category for the Academy Awards and win the statue; it is one of the best uses of sound in a film I have ever experienced.
All We Imagine As Light was showcased at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, celebrated by an eight-minute standing ovation, and awarded the Grand Prize. Not only did it deserve that award, but I truly believe and hope this superb piece of film will be submitted as the Indian selection for the Academy Awards.
All We Imagine As Light is ART. I cannot say enough good things about it. I could go on, but…all I will say is see this if you can! Brava Ms. Kapadia Brava!
