Mumbai is commonly thought of the “metropolis of desires” as a result of it guarantees alternative and success. Each time one thing occurs, the media all the time talks concerning the “Spirit of Mumbai” and the way the town continues to operate regardless of going through quite a lot of challenges. In Payal Kapadia’s “ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT,” viewers are taken on a unprecedented journey about three migrant ladies navigating lives by a metropolis steeped in thriller. What viewers witness subsequent is a panoramic story of the skinny line between desires and actuality, weaving a narrative that’s as haunting as it’s lovely.
The film begins with an introduction to our major characters: Prabha ( performed by Kani Kusruti), and Anu (performed by Divya Prabha). Prabha works as a nurse in a suburban Mumbai hospital and is estranged from her husband who lives in Germany. She lives with Anu, a youthful co-worker, who’s courting a Muslim boy named Shiraz (performed by Hridhu Haroon). After spending most of their day within the hospital, the duo take a while off from their busy schedules to journey the town and spend some high quality time with one another. Moreover, we get launched to a lady named Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam), who works as a canteen employee on the similar hospital. At its coronary heart, “ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT” is a meditation on the inside struggles of its protagonists, revealing their vulnerabilities, wishes, and fears.
Divya Prabha and Hridhu Haroon in a nonetheless from ‘All We Imagined As Gentle’ (Picture Credit score: Spirit Media)
One of many most interesting and boldest points of the film is the way it dives into the complexities of the human psyche, presenting a storyline that’s each profound and self-examining. Though the non-linear narrative follows its protagonists navigating their private lives and collective traumas, Kapadia doesn’t draw back from making a world the place actuality blurs into fantasy. There are occasions after we have a tendency to consider issues that we are able to’t have and make situations in our head about how would we react if these wishes had been all of the sudden fulfilled. That is what the movie is generally about and deeply resonates with the individuals. In the meantime, the depth of the storyline is enhanced by its common themes of affection, loss, identification, and self-discovery. The director does a powerful job of crafting a compelling storyline for every of the movie’s major characters. It not solely permits viewers to get deeper into the lives of those characters, however it additionally supplies them the chance to attach with them on a extra private stage. Furthermore, the choice to make the movie shift between previous and current provides it a dream-like high quality that stays with audiences lengthy after it ends.
The screenplay is one other facet that takes the film to a complete new stage. There are solely a handful of Indian motion pictures that function a story that’s each poetic and reasonable. Payal Kapadia’s “ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT” is one in every of them and seamlessly blends parts of magical realism with human experiences which might be grounded. Regardless that the dialogue is minimal, the influence they’ve on the viewers is immense and sufficient to make them perceive its significance. The movie’s writing is an ideal instance of “actions communicate louder than phrases” and Kapadia ought to be lauded for this type of strategy. Her screenplay is loaded with metaphors and layers that reveal themselves ultimately, making it a gratifying expertise for viewers who like watching a movie that’s each mental and emotional.
Other than writing and route, the movie excels in the way it reveals Mumbai and its landscapes. The cinematography is breathtaking and every body looks like a portray. It helps in enhancing the film’s viewing expertise and in addition deepens its emotional resonance.
Kani Kusruti in a nonetheless from ‘ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT’ (Picture Credit score: Spirit Media)
Along with these parts, the performances by the solid of “ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT” are why this movie looks like such a deeply emotional expertise. Kani Kusruti as Prabha is mesmerizing on this film and delivers one of many most interesting performances of the yr. She doesn’t depart any stone unturned to point out viewers what Prabha looks like in a scenario and although when a scene calls for her to be stone-faced, viewers understand how she is feeling. Kusruti is a power to be reckoned with and deserves all of the reward she is receiving for her impeccable abilities.
In the meantime, Divya Prabha provides one other layer to the movie along with her stupendous efficiency. Her efficiency is nuanced and spontaneous. Her spontaneity is actually magnificent and makes her character look extra relatable. The chemistry between Kasunti and Prabha is a spotlight of the movie and amplifies the movie’s general influence. Alternatively, Chhaya Kadam continues her golden run with this movie. She took India by storm with an impeccable efficiency in “Laapata Women,” and delivered one other great efficiency on this movie.
All in all, “ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT” is a uncommon Indian movie that may be in contrast with titles that change into massive within the realm of world cinema. Payal Kapadia masterfully captures common feelings whereas sustaining a imaginative and prescient each distinctive and private. The movie is a testomony to the ability of cinema to discover the human situation in all its intricacies. The movie is a hauntingly lovely exploration of recollections and feelings. The narrative unfolds like a set of fragmented recollections, evoking a strong sense of longing. It’s a testomony to Kapadia’s imaginative and prescient and her skill to craft cinematic experiences that resonate on an emotional and philosophical stage.
All We Think about as Gentle premiered because the opening movie of the MAMI Mumbai Movie Competition 2024, which started on October 18, 2024.
