Photo courtesy of A Sideshow Film and Janus Films.
If you’re looking for a bit of bottled soul this January, look no further. Payal Kapadia brings us a gentle meander through the lives of two women in Mumbai with her newest feature, “All We Imagine as Light.”
Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and Anu (Divya Prabha), roommates who work as nurses in Mumbai, are as opposite as can be, especially when it comes to love. Prabha, reserved and steadfastly observant of rules, is married to a man who has migrated to Germany and from whom she hears less and less as time passes. However, she refuses to let herself find happiness elsewhere, though the opportunity has arisen.
Anu, on the other hand, is much more outgoing, secretly seeing a Muslim man named Shiaz (Hridhu Haroon) despite the social implications of such a match. While Prabha dutifully rejects the romantic advances of Dr. Manoj (Azees Nedumangad) and mourns over the rice cooker her husband has sent to their home without so much as a note, Anu contemplates running away to be with her love.
Kapadia’s careful helming of the story reveals a general feeling of social malaise—and not just for Prabha and Anu. Opening with a series of shots from everyday life in the city and a narration about the feeling of impermanence and the fear of calling Mumbai home, the whole film seems to thematically hover around discontent at not having what these characters call their own. Even Parvaty, the cook at the hospital (Chhaya Kadam), finds her home at risk of being demolished for a high-rise construction project—because she doesn’t have the papers to prove it’s her home. Her many years of residence seem to be worth nothing.
The film does not boast a strong or steady plot. In fact, a good 80% of the film simply plods through the women’s journeys to and from work, interactions with friends and coworkers, all the little intricacies that make up their everyday lives. Towards the end, however, we begin to see movement as Parvaty decides to move back to her village and be done with Mumbai altogether, and Prabha and Anu agree to travel with her to help her with the move. A couple of events on their trip serve as the only glimpse of plot in the story, though perhaps this is an instance where a lack of plot only strengthens the tone of the film.
While the cinematography does give a gorgeous portrayal of Mumbai, Kusruti and Prabha’s performances are really what draw us into the film. Their quiet honesty with each other and, in some cases, their inability to accept how life is going for them, brings so much to their character. While you won’t be left dazzled by the end of the film, it will certainly leave an impact in its delicately crafted sincerity.
To kick off the new year with a healthy dose of humanity, “All We Imagine as Light” is a film you won’t want to miss. It starts at Midtown Cinema this January.
Midtown Cinema is located at 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.
January Events
At Midtown Cinema
Potential First Run Releases
Jan. 10
“The Last Showgirl,”
“Hard Truths”
Jan. 17
“The Room Next Door”
“Nickel Boys”
Jan. 24
“The Brutalist”
“Presence”
“All We Imagine as Light”
Late Night Frights
“The Cabin in the Woods” (2012)
Friday, Jan. 3, 9:30 p.m.
“Night of the Living Dead” (1968)
Friday, Jan. 24, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday Morning Cartoons
“FernGully: The Last Rainforest” (1992)
Saturday, Jan. 4, 11 a.m.
National Theatre Live
“Dear England”
Sunday, Jan. 5, 5 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 19, 5 p.m.
“Prima Facie”
Sunday, Jan. 12, 5 p.m.
“Nye”
Sunday, Jan. 26, 5 p.m.
Down in Front! Comedy Riffing
“Soultaker” (1990)
Friday, Jan. 10, 9:30 p.m.
Sunday Docs Series
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (2018)
Sunday, Jan. 12, 12 p.m.
3rd in the Burg Movie Night
“The Fifth Element” (1997)
Friday, Jan. 17, 9:30 p.m.
Cult Favorites
“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” (2010)
Sunday, Jan. 12, 7 p.m.
“The Room” (2003)
Sunday, Jan. 26, 7 p.m.
Trivia Night
Tuesday, Jan. 7
Tuesday, Jan. 21
Open Mic Night
Tuesday, Jan. 14
Tuesday, Jan. 28
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