All We Imagine As Light Malayalam movie review

Everything we imagine as light (Malayalam)

21-09-2024,
Romance, Drama,
1 hour 58 minutes
A

Theater

• Main cast: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam
• Director:Payal Kapadia
• Producer:Thomas Hakim and Julien Graff
• Music Director:Topshe
• Cinematography:Ranabir Das

When women make films about women, they definitely have a soul. A female filmmaker can communicate well with female actors and get the most out of them. Here, Payal Kapadia’s Everything we imagine as light explores the lives of three women in Mumbai, their encounters with different situations in the city and how they survive there.

Mumbai is not new to Indian cinema, having been filmed countless times. However, Payal Kapadia focuses her lens on the lives of ordinary people in the city, with a hospital in the background, and the nurses who work there.

The film is mainly about the lives of working class people, the backbone of every metropolis. The director is open about the problems they face there.

Related: ‘All We Imagine As Light’ to Release in Limited Theatres in Kerala

The summary

The film focuses on four characters: three are from Kerala and one is from a coastal village in Maharashtra.

Kani Kasturi in ‘All We Imagine as Light’. (X)

Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and Anu (Divya Prabha) are nurses working in a hospital in Mumbai. They both live together in a flat. Prabha is married, but her husband left for Germany soon after their marriage. Prabha, a senior nurse, yearns for her husband to come back. Anu is a junior nurse with a jovial nature.

She is in love with Shiaz (Hridhu Haroon), a Malayali youth from Mumbai.

Parvathy (Chhaya Kadam) is a hospital employee and plays an important role. Her house is threatened with demolition because she does not have the documents to prove that it is her house, even though she has been living there for 22 years.

Prabha tries to help Parvathy get her house back, but in vain. Here Payal shows how the real estate mafia — with the help of the government — makes the oppressed people homeless in the name of building residential and commercial buildings.

At the same time, Prabha receives a rice cooker which she assumes to be from her estranged husband. Azeez Nedumangad, a doctor working in Prabha’s hospital, proposes to her. She finds herself in a confusing situation; she is more reserved compared to Anu.

‘All We Imagine As Light’ won the Grand Prix of Cannes. (Delivered)

Prabha’s life in Mumbai is depicted through her commute via local trains in the city. She sees many people in the train to understand their lives, the film also gives the audience a perspective.

Anu who is in love with Shiaz is not as mature as Prabha. Anu and Shiaz are shown as teenage lovers in an intense relationship. Anu’s strong relationship with her boyfriend who is a Muslim breaks the idea of ​​love jihad, a strong message from the filmmaker.

After the interval, the entire focus shifts to Ratnagiri, a coastal village in Maharashtra. This change is a complete shift from the city of Mumbai, which is mainly shown in a dark tone. During the events in the coastal village, Prabha’s life takes a major turn. To reveal it here would be a spoiler.

The film focuses on Prabha, Anu and Parvathy and their encounters with various difficult situations in their lives — realistically shot. The question of how they would deal with these problems forms the crux of the film.

Realistic approach

Payal Kapadia’s second directorial venture has explored every aspect that she had written in her script. From the very first scenes where Mumbai is shown just like a film to the last scene in a small restaurant in Ratnagiri, the film is a masterpiece of Payal Kapadia.

The film that won the Grand Prix Awards at the Cannes Film Festival is certainly bold. The director has not hesitated to shoot bold scenes between Anu and her boyfriend. Everything that is required for the story has been shot and there is no compromise; that is clear while watching the film.

In the first half, most scenes are set in a dark tone by cameraman Ranabir Das. Whether it is the hospital or the busy streets of Mumbai, the images certainly have an impact. In the second half, the sea also becomes a part of the film. The images are bright in some places. The lighting in the restaurant is also well done.

The script of the film is another major highlight and offers a totally different experience. The inner feelings of Prabha and Anu, people with contrasting characters, are well developed. Prabha is more practical and protective of Anu, while the latter enjoys her life with her boyfriend.

The film ends on a note of hope, joy and happiness, which is all that is left in this world.

Related: All We Imagine As Light — Indian Cinema’s Beacon of Hope

Performances

Everything we imagine as light has some great performances by the lead actors. Kani Kusruti, known for her strong roles, proves once again that she is here to stay. The portrayal of Prabha with the pain of not having her husband by her side was safe in the hands of Kani. Her scenes with Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam turned out well.

Divya Prabha as Anu, the young jovial nurse, is definitely the actor’s career-best performance. It’s a big change for Divya Prabha, who has mostly done serious roles in Malayalam films. After Ariyippu (2021), this film will be marked as Divya’s most important film. Her willingness to do bold scenes makes us understand her dedication towards acting.

Chhaya Kadam is another key performer in the film as Parvathy. Her role as a migrant worker in Mumbai is a reflection of the working class in all major cities.

Hridhu Haroon as Shiaz had a key role along with the three leading women. Hridhu had a good performance as Anu’s young lover and their love story was genuine.

Malayalam comedy actor Azeez Nedumangad deserves a mention here for the way he portrayed the role of Doctor Manoj, which will definitely boost his career.

The last take

‘Everything we imagine as light‘ is a bold and heartfelt film by Payal Kapadia that tells the lives of three working women in Mumbai. The film is realistic to the core and is an absolute masterpiece.

(The views expressed here are personal. Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)