All We Imagine as Light

Light delves into the complex struggles women face in the harsh realities of city life. The film captures the fears and challenges of young, unmarried women dealing with family pressures, a middle-aged woman feeling stuck in her life, and an elderly woman facing homelessness. These portrayals of adulthood's difficulties-loneliness, poor relationships, and uncertain futures-can feel overwhelming and unsettling.

However, the film also offers a glimmer of hope, especially in its final scene, where a sense of possibility shines through, accompanied by uplifting music. It reminds us that despite life's hardships, there is always room for growth, change, and hope for a better future. Light is a poignant reminder that while the struggles of life are real, we have the strength to rise above them and create our own path forward.

This Indian film felt somewhat heavy to watch-partly because it strays far from commercial Bollywood, but also because it shows a different side of India, especially Mumbai: a chaotic, gritty, unforgiving city. Yet what kept me engaged was the script, which never stagnates or repeats itself. It's always moving forward. With its strong character development and layered storytelling, it pulled me in and carried me through.

Prabhay Ninachathellam (translated as The Light We Imagine) follows three women: Prabha (Kani Kusruti), a nurse; Anu (Divya Prabha), also a nurse; and Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam), a cook. All three work at the same hospital. Prabha and Anu are roommates, while Parvaty, their friend, grapples with housing struggles and eventually decides to return to her village.

Director Payal Kapadia crafts something deeply introspective with each of them. I felt Prabha represented the present, Anu the past, and Parvaty the future. In a patriarchal society where fathers dictate their daughters' fates, their stories resonated-not because I've lived their experiences, but because the film conveys them with raw authenticity.

That said, the deliberate pacing and dialogue-heavy focus might test some viewers' patience. It's the film's only real flaw. Still, there are subtle touches of humor (like their drinking sessions or stone-throwing scenes), moments that shatter your heart, and others that make you smile. The ending is simple yet powerful.

In short: A film that observes, with quiet precision, the struggles of women in a world that still seeks to control them. Emotive, reflective, and alive. It demands patience, but the reward is genuine.

I have a profound appreciation for directors who possess this inherent ability to extract moments of intrigue from the monotonous aspects of life.

These filmmakers can illuminate even the most repetitive daily activities in a fresh manner, all while weaving narratives that delve deeper into complexities of human psychology and interpersonal relationships.

Payal Kapadia is one amongst them.

Her exploration of a wife's tiring loneliness, a young woman's sexual desires, and an elderly woman's struggle to leave her beloved home presents three women in circumstances that test their morals, challenge their upbringing, and, most importantly, confront their flawed perspectives.

While I admire Kapadia's narrative prowess, it is evident that the themes she addresses lack sufficient depth for development. The notable absence of conflict restricts the potential for these stories to evolve into something more substantive.

Not suggesting they didn't bear any fruits, but looking at the subjects being discussed, I had hoped for better.

I really wanted to like this film after hearing so many positive reviews however it falls short of a masterpiece for me and is just another forgettable film that does nothing spectacular.

The film is about a Malayali nurse working in Bombay who lives away from her husband, she shares a room with another nurse who has a lover and they both find it hard to find a place. Third story is about an old woman being driven out of the house she lives in.

To my dismay the film gives in too much to the cliched tropes to the point of being downright predictable and boring. The protagonist is longing for a connection albeit she guards herself against it, at many points she is the super ego of the film shutting down the despairing cries of others with dictums yet by the end trying to imagine light in the darkness of her loneliness.

In that sense, her roommate is her antithesis, she has no inhibitions, she is in love with a Muslim boy and they are looking for a place to make love.

Recognize the beaten path of a storyline of a subdued woman, she is shown to be too righteous, almost like a nun, as a matter of fact the background score of the film is taken from a piece composed by an Ethiopian nun. In many ways it reminded me of Ishiguro's "Remains of the day". The story of the roommate and her lover really didn't add that much to the story other than working as a filler for sex, I'm personally not a big fan of misplaced nudity and sex in films, it's exploitative in nature and does little to carry the story.

The story about the old lady started off as a social commentary on class, and the hidden rules of society, at one point she questions whether she should confront the reality of her existence or get indulged in the illusion like everyone else. She ends up leaving the city for her hometown. This story goes nowhere and thus it felt underwhelming.

All in all, the film doesn't say anything new, it does not punch you in the gut like Salaam Bombay, it doesn't make you somber like The Lunchbox however one cannot help but admire Payal Kapadia's craft, I have seen numerous films on Bombay but nothing captures it like the film does but it felt like - specially in the second half of the film - that she was trying very hard to make each story reconcile and come to closure.

By no means I'm calling this a bad film, it's crafty and well made but fails to say anything that has not been said before through film.

The dreamy score that meanders throughout this freewheeling film, played on sombre images that evoke nostalgic despair, is a pleasure to watch. I was more fascinated by the makers' attention to detail in carving out a Bombay that goes against the popular image and instead shows you its cloying nature. Three women find it difficult to navigate their lonely lives in the city as the camera follows them in public places and into their privacy. I was able to relate to the characters, having lived in Bombay for decades, but the film does go a bit haywire towards the end, and you could blame it on me I lost track there. Overall, a good experience, thanks to the soundtrack and good use of textual design (especially the red font).

(Watched at its Bombay premiere at the 2024 MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.)