‘All We Imagine as Light’ Review: Payal Kapadia’s film finds light in dazzling Mumbai

Mumbai has always been romanticized in Bollywood films. For example, big buildings, open arms of the sea, dazzling life, rain that gives the feeling of love, but amidst all this glitter and glitter, there are many people who struggle every day for their share of light. Who is alone even in all the crowd here. These are those who get up every day, go to work and come back. Their life has come to a standstill even in this fast-paced city. Payal Kapadia’s film ‘All We Imagine as Light’, which created history by winning the prestigious ‘Grand Prix Award’ at the Cannes Film Festival, is a love song to this dark Mumbai beyond colourfulness.

The story of ‘All We Imagine as Light’

The film starts in documentary style. We are introduced to people from different states who have left their homes in search of employment and a better future in Mumbai. Among these people, who have started their day before dawn, some in Marathi, some in Bhojpuri, tell the purpose of coming here and according to most of them, Mumbai is good for work, but for living? There is a question mark on this. These people include the film’s heroines Prabha (Kani Kushruti), Anu (Divya Prabha) and Parvati (Chhaya Kadam). All three of them work in a hospital. Prabha and Anu, who came from Kerala, are nurses and also room partners. Whereas, Parvati is from a remote village in Maharashtra, who makes tea here.

Parvati is a widow, she has a house here, which has been taken over by the builder. Parvati does not even have any document with which she can prove ownership of the house. Prabha is married, but before she could know her husband properly, he/she moved to Germany for work. There is no trace of him/her for many years. No phone calls, no letters, just one day a German brand rice cooker arrives, which provides support to Prabha’s fading hopes.

Anu is newly in love. Due to being in love with a boy from another religion, she has to face criticism from her colleagues at the hospital to Prabha herself. Meanwhile, Mumbai does not allow her desire to be united with her lover in body and mind. Sometimes lack of secluded place in this crowded city and sometimes heavy rain comes in the way of their meeting. Light comes in their lives when they go with Parvati to her village away from the city.

Trailer of ‘All We Imagine as Light’

‘All We Imagine as Light’ Movie Review

The film’s writer and director Payal Kapadia shows how the big buildings and shining roads of this metropolis cannot fill the desolation of the lives of the people who come here in search of livelihood. From the empty eyes of Prabha hanging from the local train to the camera peeping inside the empty train testifies to this. The blue, black and gray color palette of the film is also a symbol of this.

Apart from this, Payal also says many other things silently. For example, this double vision of the society, which declares Anu’s love as illegitimate, while Prabha, whose husband has not even paid attention to her for many years, considers her marriage relationship sacred.

The film also emphasizes on women’s bonding and friendship. At the technical level, this is a master class for cinema students. Especially, Ranbir Das’s cinematography is amazing. Yes, since the story is about the stagnant and monotonous life of the characters, this monotony is often felt on screen as well.

The pace of the story is also very slow. In such a situation, if you are fond of masala films then you may find it boring, but if you are fond of good cinema, then this film should be watched.