Tradition and propriety weigh heavily on the working-class women of Payal Kapadia's lyrical All We Imagine as Light, winner of the Grand Prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, but sisterhood provides solace and support.
Kapadia's narrative debut, after 2021 documentary The Night of Knowing Nothing, opens in a riot of color and sound as a train rushes past workers unloading goods, setting up market stalls, and running to and fro. Several describe their days in the multilingual voice-over--Hindi, Malayalam, and Marathi. This is modern Mumbai, simultaneously welcoming and isolating.
The filmmaker gradually narrows her focus to two nurses from Kerala: head nurse Prabha (Kani Kusruti, Girls Will Be Girls), who rides the train daily to the bustling hospital where the women all wear sky blue saris, and her younger roommate, Anu (Divya Prabha). Prabha has a calm, reliable affect, while Anu proves more impetuous and less responsible.
Prabha's husband, through an arranged marriage, works in Germany and Anu, who hails from a Hindu family, spends every free moment texting with Shiaz (Hridhu Haroon), a young Muslim man she sees in secret (Kapadia depicts their poetic exchanges as on-screen text). Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam), a cook, completes the trio. The widow faces eviction, because she doesn't have the right papers--everything was in her husband's name--and developers have been circling like vultures.
Prabha doesn't want her friend to move, and though there's a shy doctor (Azees Nedumangad) who fancies her, she isn't available. All three women are stuck or stymied in some way, but they take the time to laugh, to dance, to visit the coast, to drink (not too much), to indulge in a little mischief (nothing too serious), and even to save a life when no doctor can be found.
Each actress brings something special and unique to her role, Kani Kusruti's sensitive, yet sturdy performance above all. Prabha is uncomfortable with expressions of affection, like the poems and sweets Dr. Manoj offers her, though it's clear she misses it. And the German-made rice cooker she receives in the mail with no card or even return address isn't much compensation, not least when her husband stopped calling a year ago…and appears to have taken up with another woman.
The film's lyricism and sensitivity extends to the cinematography of Ranabir Das, Kapadia's husband, who finds enchantment in the multi-colored lights of the rain-slicked city at night, the small black and white cat who keeps Prabha and Anu company, and the texture of hair and skin, frequently dappled with drops from the rain and perspiration from the summer heat.
Piano selections from Egyptian musician Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou add wistfulness to proceedings that would have seemed darker with a portentous score or heavy-handed filmmaker (Emahoy's music also appears in Time and Passing).
By the end, Prabha and Anu have unburdened themselves in necessary ways and Parvaty has settled into a more stable living situation. Kapadia concludes with an extended sequence in which everything comes together for the women, at least for one night. All We Imagine as Light avoids polemics, but strongly suggests through actions rather than words that patriarchal tradition and female agency will always be at cross-purposes--if not for all women, for too many.
Is this Indian drama a strong choice for film clubs or world cinema programming?
Yes. All We Imagine as Light is exceptionally well suited for film clubs, world cinema series, and discussion-based programming. The film’s focus on friendship, gender roles, class, religion, and modern urban life provides numerous avenues for conversation, while its lyrical storytelling invites viewers to engage with both its emotional and thematic layers. Rather than relying on dramatic plot twists, the film draws its power from observation, character development, and atmosphere, making it particularly rewarding for audiences who enjoy reflective, character-driven cinema.
The film could pair especially well with discussions on women's experiences across cultures, contemporary Indian society, migration, housing insecurity, or the tension between tradition and personal agency. Its critical acclaim and recognition at the Cannes Film Festival also make it a strong selection for libraries and organizations showcasing notable international films.
Which library audiences will appreciate this contemporary Indian drama?
All We Imagine as Light will appeal most strongly to patrons interested in international cinema, women-centered narratives, and art-house filmmaking. Viewers who appreciate visually rich films that prioritize character and emotion over action-driven storytelling are likely to find it especially rewarding. The film's exploration of friendship, loneliness, love, and social expectations gives it broad emotional resonance, even as it remains rooted in the specific realities of modern Mumbai.
Academic libraries may find particular value in the film for courses related to film studies, women's studies, South Asian studies, sociology, religious studies, and contemporary global culture. The film's portrayal of working-class women navigating questions of marriage, religion, economic insecurity, and personal freedom offers rich material for analysis. For public libraries, it is an excellent recommendation for patrons seeking acclaimed international dramas and thoughtful stories centered on resilience, companionship, and everyday life.
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