All We Imagine as Light

Story:

All We Imagine as Light is a 2024 drama film written and directed by Payal Kapadia, starring Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, and Hridhu Haroon. This international co-production involves companies from France, India, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy.

The film, shot in Malayalam, Hindi, and Marathi, had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2024. It was the first Indian film to compete in the main competition since 1994 and won the Grand Prix.

The movie had a limited release in Kerala on September 21, 2024, before opening widely on November 29, 2024, receiving positive reviews. It topped the Sight & Sound poll for the best film of 2024 and was named one of the top five international films of the year by the National Board of Review. At the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, it earned two nominations for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director for Kapadia.

Plot

The story follows Prabha and Anu, two Malayali nurses living in Mumbai. Prabha is conservative and longs for her husband, who migrated to Germany shortly after their marriage. Anu is more outgoing and secretly involved with a Muslim man named Shiaz. Despite a doctor’s romantic advances, Prabha remains devoted to her husband. One day, the two nurses receive a modern rice cooker from an anonymous sender.

Prabha helps the cook at their hospital, Parvaty, fight against a capitalist builder who plans to demolish Parvaty’s chawl for redevelopment. Parvaty, unable to secure legal tenancy, decides to leave Mumbai and return to her village in Ratnagiri. Prabha and Anu accompany her to assist in her relocation.

Unbeknownst to Prabha and Parvaty, Shiaz has followed Anu and the two meet secretly. During this time, Prabha saves a middle-aged man from drowning and cares for him while waiting for a doctor. As they converse, Prabha imagines him as her husband, who apologizes for abandoning her, and they share a kiss.

Later that night at a beach shack, a content Prabha invites Anu to ask Shiaz to join them. The three sit together, sharing a moment of happiness as the shack lights glow around them.