‘All We Imagine As Light’ (MAMI Review) | A Breathtaking Meditation on Identity and Desire

Mumbai is commonly thought-about the “metropolis of desires” as a result of it guarantees alternative and success. Each time one thing occurs, the media at all times talks in regards to the “Spirit of Mumbai” and the way the town continues to perform regardless of dealing with plenty 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 way of 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 important 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 relationship 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 girl named Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam), who works as a canteen employee on the identical hospital.  At its coronary heart, “ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT” is a meditation on the internal struggles of its protagonists, revealing their vulnerabilities, wishes, and fears.

One of many best and boldest elements 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 shrink 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 out of the blue fulfilled. That is what the movie is generally about and deeply resonates with the folks. In the meantime, the depth of the storyline is enhanced by its common themes of affection, loss, id, and self-discovery. The director does an impressive job of crafting a compelling storyline for every of the movie’s important 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 side that takes the film to an entire new stage. There are solely a handful of Indian films that function a story that’s each poetic and lifelike. Payal Kapadia’s “ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT” is one in all them and seamlessly blends components of magical realism with human experiences which can be grounded. Although 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 needs to be lauded for this sort of method. Her screenplay is loaded with metaphors and layers that reveal themselves in the long run, making it a gratifying expertise for viewers who like watching a movie that’s each mental and emotional.

Aside from writing and course, the movie excels in the way it exhibits Mumbai and its landscapes. The cinematography is breathtaking and every body appears like a portray. It helps in enhancing the film’s viewing expertise and likewise deepens its emotional resonance.

Kani Kusruti in a nonetheless from ‘ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT’ (Picture Credit score: Spirit Media)

Along with these components, the performances by the forged of “ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT” are why this movie appears like such a deeply emotional expertise. Kani Kusruti as Prabha is mesmerizing on this film and delivers one of many best performances of the yr. She doesn’t go away any stone unturned to point out viewers what Prabha appears like in a scenario and although when a scene calls for her to be stone-faced, viewers notice how she is feeling. Kusruti is a pressure to be reckoned with and deserves all of the reward she is receiving for her impeccable expertise. In the meantime, Divya Prabha provides one other layer to the movie together 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. Then again, Chhaya Kadam continues her golden run with this movie. She took India by storm with an impeccable efficiency in “Laapata Girls,” 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 huge 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 facility of cinema to discover the human situation in all its intricacies. The movie is a hauntingly lovely exploration of reminiscences and feelings. The narrative unfolds like a set of fragmented reminiscences, 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 Mild premiered because the opening movie of the MAMI Mumbai Movie Pageant 2024, which started on October 18, 2024.