Sideshow and Janus Films have brought Payal Kapadia's acclaimed film, All We Imagine as Light, to theaters, spotlighting its significance following its Grand Prix win at the Cannes Film Festival. This movie, which offers viewers insights and reflections on life as experienced by working women within modern urban India, is set to expand from limited releases starting this weekend.
The film tells the intertwining stories of two nurses, Anu and Prabha, played by Divya Prabha and Kani Kusruti respectively, who navigate their aspirations and struggles against the backdrop of Mumbai’s relentless urban rush. Despite its juxtaposition of intimate moments against the city's chaos, All We Imagine as Light is not just another urban narrative; it's deeply rooted in the socio-political fabric of contemporary India.
Kapadia's narrative style has drawn comparisons to past indie successes, including Drive My Car, hinting at the potential for awards recognition. Despite earning raving reviews and maintaining a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film was controversially overlooked by India's selection committee for Oscars consideration, which chose Laapataa Ladies instead. The committee leaders emphasized the need to focus on what they define as authentically "Indian," sparking debates about inclusivity and representation within the country’s film industry.
"What is Indian? It’s such an expansive idea and there are so many Indias," said Kapadia, expressing her frustration over the subjective measures applied to determine eligibility for awards. The director, whose previous work includes the semi-autobiographical documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing, challenges systemic inequalities through her characters, who grapple with societal constraints surrounding class, caste, and gender.
Importantly, themes of love and connection are central to All We Imagine as Light. Anu, depicted as adventurous yet restrained, finds herself in the crosshairs of societal judgment when she falls for Shiaz, who belongs to the Muslim community. This subtle portrayal of their relationship highlights the undertones of communal tensions and the often-silenced anxieties surrounding interfaith dynamics. Meanwhile, Prabha, whose marriage was arranged, struggles with her choices amid leftovers of her long-distance marriage.
The film not only serves as Kapadia’s first narrative work but also encapsulates reflections from her life experiences, particularly your own tumultuous relationship with prevailing systems of power. "The personal is political," she asserts, indicative of the feminist lens through which she operates. This perspective resonates throughout the film as Kapadia portrays how systemic discrimination affects the lives of her characters.
Viewers experience this richly layered exploration through the lens of everyday occurrences—in scenes such as character interactions at the local market or fleeting encounters on busy trains, helping to build empathy for the characters’ challenges. The choice to film authentically within Mumbai itself rather than constructing elaborate sets adds to the film's realism and emotional weight. Kapadia explains, "Mumbai is almost another character within my film. I wanted to capture its essence and what it conveys to those who live here."
"Cinema has the power to register what it means to exist against these forces," she remarked during one of her candid reflections about the filmmaking process, connecting her characters’ stories to broader societal observations. Rather than creating contrived narratives, Kapadia intends for her admissions to feel organic—an invitation to the audience to process life alongside her characters.
Critical reception has painted All We Imagine as Light as not only visually stunning but thematically poignant. It also confronts often-ignored aspects of women’s lived experiences, where issues of emotional labor, societal expectations, and desires intersect. This nuanced examination places Kapadia at the forefront of contemporary Indian cinema, carving her own niche within the independent filmmaking sphere, far removed from Bollywood's commercial spotlight.
Kapadia’s work sheds light on the struggles of the underrepresented and seeks to amplify voices lost within mainstream discourses. This commitment has garnered her respect as not merely another filmmaker, but as one whose narratives challenge viewers to rethink gender roles, expectations, and the intersections of class and faith. "The inequities we face—whether they relate to caste or economic divides—prevent us from seeing the greater truth about our shared humanity," she elaborated.
Kapadia's odyssey of getting All We Imagine as Light from script to screen is also reflective of the hurdles independent filmmakers often encounter, from securing funding to overcoming institutional barriers. Reflecting on her educational background at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), she recalled the protests against the Modi government during her studies and how those early experiences birthed her motivation to tell stories on her own terms.
"The struggles I’ve faced along the way only reinforce the need for stories like ours to be told," she said, connecting her past experiences to her present work. Kapadia’s insights position her story as not just personal but representative of the larger narrative concerning women’s empowerment and the fight for agency within the oppressive structures of Indian society.
With its slow rollout strategy developed through focused campaigns similar to past indie giants, All We Imagine as Light aims to reach audiences gradually, fostering discussions and outreach via Q&Q sessions on both coasts. While its reception has been overwhelmingly positive and rated highly among critics, Kapadia believes the deepest joy lies within the viewer's emotional connection with the film. "I want audiences to feel something, to reflect on their lives and perhaps shed some tears alongside our characters," she said, emphasizing her desire to nurture empathy through storytelling.
Kapadia's vision extends beyond mere entertainment; she approaches filmmaking as a catalyst for social change and introspection. The film is poised to resonate not just with Indian audiences but with anyone who grapples with the universality of human emotional existence. It begs the question of whether narratives shaped from the peripheries can redefine what mainstream cinema considers "legitimate" and challenges the boundaries of cultural identity.
While some may perceive the film's commitment to local narratives as niche, Kapadia's work champions the idea of inclusivity—representing those often absent from screens. Hence, as All We Imagine as Light steps forward for its theatrical release, anticipation builds not only for the film's performance but for the waves it is likely to create within the industry, advocating for broader recognition of diverse voices rooted deeply within the realities of life.
Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light is more than just a film; it’s a movement underscored by the belief in seeing beauty and hope even when the odds appear stacked against those on the margins. The film opens theaters across New York and Los Angeles on Friday, with more cities expected to follow soon after.
