Petit Chaos, Chalk & Cheese Films, BALDR Film, Les Films Fauves, Another Birth, Pulpa Films and Arte France Cinéma’s All We Imagine As Light (Hindi-Malayalam; A) is the story of two Malayali nurses, Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and Anu (Divya Prabha), living together in Bombay. Prabha is upright and yearns for her husband who had migrated to Germany soon after their marriage. She even rejects the advances of Dr. Manoj (Azees Nedumangad), citing her marital status. Anu is more outgoing and is having a secret affair with a Muslim boy, Shiaz (Hridhu Haroon).
One day, Prabha receives a modern rice cooker from an unknown sender.
Prabha tries to help the hospital cook, Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam), fight against her builder who wants to demolish Parvaty’s chawl to build a high-rise. Since she doesn’t have the papers to claim ownership of her house, Parvaty decides to move back to her village in Ratnagiri after quitting the job. Prabha and Anu travel with her, to help her relocate. Shiaz follows Anu and the two secretly meet up and have sex, which Prabha discovers. Meanwhile, Prabha rescues a middle-aged man from drowning by resuscitating him with CPR. She slowly realises that he is her husband. He apologises to her. Anu and Shiaz also seem happy.
Payal Kapadia has written a story which is quite random for the audience. Her screenplay is slow-paced and so sporadic in nature that the common film-goer will find it difficult to understand what the drama is trying to convey. Payal Kapadia’s screenplay would appeal to the festival circuit audience and the gentry (because of the accolades and awards the film has won in the international festival circuit). Her dialogues are minimal. Many dialogues are in Malayalam, thereby restricting the film’s appeal.
Kani Kusruti does a fine job as Prabha. Divya Prabha lives the role of Anu. Chhaya Kadam shines as Parvaty. Hridhu Haroon is okay as Shiaz. Azees Nedumangad is average as Dr. Manoj. Anand Sami lends fair support as the drowning husband of Prabha. Tintumol Joseph is average as nurse Shanet.
Payal Kapadia’s direction, like her script, holds appeal for the elite audience only. Dhritiman Das, Topshe and Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou’s background music goes well with the mood of the film. Ranabir Das’ cinematography is good. Production designing (Piyush Chalke, Shamim Khan and Yashasvi Sabharwal) is proper. Clément Pinteaux’s editing is alright.
On the whole, All We Imagine As Light has very limited box-office potential as it will appeal to the gentry audience mainly. The media coverage which the film has got for the international acclaim it received will definitely add to its box-office potential.
Released on 22-11-’24 at Metro Inox (daily 1 show) and other cinemas of Bombay thru AA Films. Publicity: dull. Opening: good in Malayali-populated areas only. …….Also released all over. Opening was poor at places and fair at others.