Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light isn’t just another festival darling that people clap for in France and forget about by the time they land in Mumbai. It's different. Honestly, the buzz around this film feels heavy, like the humidity in a Mumbai monsoon, because it actually broke a 30-year dry spell for Indian cinema at the Cannes Film Festival. When it won the Grand Prix in 2024, it wasn't just a win for Kapadia; it was a massive "we’re still here" to the global film community from an independent Indian scene that often gets overshadowed by the sheer volume of "Tollywood" or "Bollywood" blockbusters.
The movie follows Prabha and Anu. They’re nurses. They live in Mumbai.
That sounds simple, right? It isn't.
Mumbai in this film is a character that breathes down your neck. It’s loud, it’s cramped, and it’s constantly moving while these women feel somewhat stuck in the amber of their own lives. Prabha, played by the incredible Kani Kusruti, gets a random rice cooker in the mail from her estranged husband who is working in Germany. It’s a weird, inanimate reminder of a ghost-like marriage. Then there’s Anu, played by Divya Prabha, who is trying to find a tiny bit of privacy in a city that hates the idea of two young people being alone.
The Reality Behind the Grand Prix Win
You’ve probably heard people talking about "The 30-year wait." Let’s look at the facts. Before All We Imagine as Light, the last Indian film to compete in the main Competition section at Cannes was Shaji N. Karun’s Swaham back in 1994. Think about that. Three decades. In that time, India became a global tech hub, a space-faring nation, and a geopolitical heavyweight, but our "prestige" cinema was somehow missing from the world's biggest competitive stage.
Kapadia changed that.
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And she did it with a film that is stubbornly quiet. It doesn't use slow-motion dances or massive action set pieces. Instead, it relies on the flickering blue light of a train window and the sound of rain hitting a tin roof. The cinematography by Yoshiko Wakai captures a version of Mumbai that feels like a dream you’re trying to remember while you’re still awake. It’s blue, it’s hazy, and it’s deeply lonely.
Breaking Down the Plot Without the Fluff
The story moves from the claustrophobic streets of the city to a coastal town. This shift is vital. When the two nurses, along with an older colleague named Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam), travel to a beach village, the movie physically opens up. Parvaty is being forced out of her home in Mumbai by developers—a story anyone living in a gentrifying city knows too well—and the trip to the coast is a mix of a retreat and a heartbreaking exile.
There is this one scene where they are by the sea, and the "light" mentioned in the title starts to make sense. It’s not just physical light. It’s the light of realization or maybe just the small glow of a shared secret between women who have spent their lives serving others.
Kani Kusruti’s performance is a masterclass in restraint. She’s an actress who can do more with a slight tilt of her head than most can do with a five-minute monologue. You see her character, Prabha, struggling with the "virtuous woman" trope that Indian society loves to force on people. She’s a nurse. She’s helpful. She’s "good." But inside? She’s a void.
Why the Indian Government Had a Complicated Reaction
This is where things get a bit spicy and very "real world." Payal Kapadia isn't exactly a stranger to controversy. Years ago, she was a student at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and was involved in major protests against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the chairman. The government actually took legal action against her and other students at the time.
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Fast forward to 2024.
The moment All We Imagine as Light won at Cannes, the official social media accounts for Indian ministries started posting congratulations. It was a bit ironic, to say the least. You had a filmmaker who was once disciplined by the state being celebrated as a national hero. This tension is important because it highlights the struggle of independent filmmakers in India. They often have to find funding in Europe—this film was an Indo-French co-production—because the local industry is so focused on "safe" commercial hits.
The Nuance of Language and Space
The film uses Malayalam and Hindi. This is a big deal. In Mumbai, these languages mix constantly, but seeing that linguistic reality on a global screen feels authentic in a way that "pan-Indian" movies often miss. The film respects the fact that these women are migrants within their own country.
- The Rice Cooker: It’s a symbol of a domestic life that doesn't exist.
- The Forest: The later parts of the film feel almost mythological.
- The Rain: It’s not romanticized; it’s a nuisance that makes life harder.
Honestly, the pacing might frustrate some people. If you’re used to Marvel movies or even high-octane Bollywood thrillers, this is going to feel like it’s moving through molasses. But that’s the point. Kapadia wants you to feel the passage of time. She wants you to feel the exhaustion of a double shift at the hospital.
Practical Takeaways for Film Lovers
If you're looking to actually watch All We Imagine as Light, or if you're trying to understand why it’s a turning point, here’s what you need to keep in mind.
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First, check the distribution. In the U.S., Janus Films and Sideshow picked it up—the same people who handled Drive My Car. That tells you everything about the "vibe" they’re going for. It’s being positioned as a serious awards contender, not just a niche foreign film. In India, the distribution was handled by Spirit Media (Rana Daggubati’s company), which is a fascinating bridge between the "indie" and "mainstream" worlds.
Second, don't watch this on your phone. I know, I know, everyone watches everything on their phone now. But the sound design here—the ambient noise of Mumbai—is 50% of the experience. You need to hear the city to understand why the characters are so desperate for a moment of silence.
Third, look at the lineage. If you liked this, go back and watch Kapadia’s documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing. It’s more experimental, but it carries that same DNA of searching for truth in the shadows of a changing India.
What to Do Next
To truly appreciate the shift this film represents in Indian cinema, you should follow these steps:
- Compare the "New Wave": Watch All We Imagine as Light alongside other recent Indian indies like Pebbles (Koozhangal) or Court. You'll see a pattern of filmmakers moving away from heavy dialogue and toward visual storytelling.
- Research the FTII Protests: Understanding Payal Kapadia’s background as a student activist adds a massive layer of meaning to her success. It’s a story of persistence against the odds.
- Support Local Independent Theaters: This isn't the kind of movie that stays in a multiplex for six weeks. If it’s playing at a small theater or a festival near you, go. These ticket sales are the only way more movies like this get made.
- Look for the Soundtrack: The music is subtle but haunting. It’s worth a dedicated listen on a good pair of headphones to catch the field recordings mixed into the score.
The "light" in the title isn't a blinding sun. It's the kind of light that comes from a small candle in a very dark room. It doesn't show you everything, but it shows you enough to keep walking.