All We Imagine as Light, is a 2024 drama film written and directed by Payal Kapadia. The film features a talented ensemble cast, including Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, and Hridhu Haroon. It incorporates dialogues in Malayalam, Hindi, and Marathi and is an international co-production involving France, India, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy.

 

The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 77th Cannes Film Festival on 23 May 2024, where it was nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or and won the Grand Prix. It became the first Indian film to compete in the main competition since Swaham in 1994. Following its festival debut, the film had a limited release in Kerala, India, on 21 September 2024, before expanding its reach with a wide release on 29 November 2024. The movie received overwhelmingly positive reviews and was named one of the top five international films of 2024 by the National Board of Review. At the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, it earned two nominations: Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director.

 

The story follows two Malayali nurses, Prabha and Anu, who share an apartment in Mumbai. Prabha, reserved and disciplined, longs for her husband, who moved to Germany shortly after their brief arranged marriage and has not contacted her in over a year. In contrast, Anu is more free-spirited and is secretly involved with a Muslim man named Shiaz. One day, Prabha and Anu receive an unexpected package: a modern rice cooker from Germany, leaving them puzzled about the sender. Meanwhile, a hospital doctor, Manoj, expresses romantic interest in Prabha, but she firmly rejects him, citing her marital status.

 

At their hospital, Prabha supports the cook, Parvaty, in her struggle against a corrupt builder who plans to demolish her chawl to construct a skyscraper. With no legal claim to her home, Parvaty makes the difficult decision to resign from her job and return to her village in Ratnagiri. Determined to support her, Prabha and Anu accompany her on the journey to help her resettle.

 

Unbeknownst to Prabha and Parvaty, Shiaz secretly follows them. He and Anu find a secluded moment together, which Prabha eventually discovers. Later that night, Anu and Shiaz share an intimate encounter. Meanwhile, Prabha unexpectedly saves a middle-aged man from drowning by administering CPR. As she waits for the local doctor, she tends to the man, cleaning and caring for him. In her mind, the man transforms into her estranged husband. In a heartfelt exchange, he apologizes for abandoning her and seeks her forgiveness. However, Prabha, reclaiming her independence, firmly tells him she no longer wishes to see him again.

 

In the film’s final moments, the three women find themselves at a beach shack. Prabha, in a surprising gesture, asks Anu to invite Shiaz to join them. As he takes a seat, the group shares a warm and joyous conversation. The soft glow of the shack’s lights illuminates their faces, symbolizing newfound acceptance, companionship, and the quiet resilience of the human spirit.