Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light is an attempt to find hope amid despair

A city under siege is a lot like the human mind– both experience different stages of suffering but still stand tall. Some scars are visible, while others are hidden away. Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light is set in Mumbai, which the film often refers to as an illusion. Through richly developed characters and a carefully crafted soundscape, Payal navigates this illusion while remaining rooted in reality.  

The two main characters—Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and Anu (Divya Prabha)—find themselves caught between time, much like the Hindi language, where the same word ‘kal’ serves for both yesterday and tomorrow. Prabha, estranged from her husband, is anchored in the past, while Anu is slowly consumed by the fear of a future with her lover. Both of them are bogged down by the fatigue caused by the city’s indifference. What brings these two different worlds together is their sisterhood with Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam), who is being forcefully evicted from the city. 

One limitation many Indian films have while exploring vulnerability is that specific traits often become defining characteristics. However, All We Imagine as Light finds a way to express emotional turmoil without leaving room for the audience to judge its characters. They seem intentionally mysterious, yet feel extremely familiar due to their complexities. We are not spoon-fed the reasons why the women (and men) feel the way they do. 

In a scene where Prabha trains nursing students, we see how a capitalist world prevents us from confronting our feelings. In another scene, we see Prabha slowly letting go of the baggage of her husband in the company of other women. However, the lovelessness haunts her like how Slyvia Plath wrote, “You felt no reality. Only a weariness, a longing for a shoulder to sleep on, a pair of arms to curl up in — and a lack of that now.” Household objects, such as a pressure cooker, signify this longing–reflecting how easy it is to time travel into unhealed trauma. 

Despite Divya Prabha getting a character similar to that in Ariyippu, she exudes a child-like innocence without losing the character’s fire. Kani also seems familiar because she has been painfully typecast in similar roles before. Despite that, her beautifully restrained performance carries the plot forward. The subtle exchanges between Divya and Kani are a delight to watch.

The style of filmmaking, at times, resembles that of Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman, both in terms of ideology and treatment. Like the autuer’s films, memory and identity play a crucial role in All We Imagine As Light. Payal Kapadia examines the comfort and constraints of daily chores, often invisibilised in real life. She takes inspiration from her previous works–Afternoon Clouds, And What is The Summer Saying, and A Night of Knowing Nothing. There's just enough humour, subtly sprinkled in the film, to keep us from drowning in all the feels. It is a lifesaver when things get too heavy.

For viewers who may be sceptical of Indian films that garner Western appreciation, All We Imagine as Light is not the template festival circuit film made to exoticise middle-class scarcity. Though the narrative addresses all the layers of survival in an intersectional landscape, the focus is on the three women and how they reconcile with their predicaments. There is a redeeming sense of honesty in the storytelling which leaves no room for pretence.

What also feels refreshing is how the fragility of men is explored in the movie. Dr Manoj (Azeez Nedumangad) plays no further role in the film once he faces rejection, but is not vilified. Meanwhile, Shiaz (Hridhu Haroon) is challenged when he unwittingly questions the agency of the woman he loves. Throughout its 118-minute runtime, the theme of forgiveness plays a significant role in the film.

One of the film’s recurring music pieces, borrowed from the Ethiopian music group Emahoy Tsege Mariam Music Brand, elevates tense moments without being too loud. The cinematography, helmed by Ranabir Das, is extremely delicate, using a fly-on-the-wall approach along with the traditional close-ups and long shots. The simplistic editing works the best during the silent moments.

The film successfully conveys that recognising our existence is, in itself, a form of labour, highlighting the effort it takes to understand and affirm our place in the world. But this is not all. All We Imagine as Light reminds us that transforming the world takes the collective strength of everyone. It asks us to understand that the light at the end of the tunnel shines within all of us. 

Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film’s producers or any other members of its cast and crew.