The light, the lives, and the textures of contemporary, working-class Mumbai are explored and celebrated with a vivid, humane richness by Payal Kapadia in her revelatory fiction feature debut.
Centering on two roommates who also work together in a city hospital—head nurse Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and recent hire Anu (Divya Prabha)—and a newly retired coworker Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam), Kapadia’s film alights on prosaic moments of connection and heartache, hope and disappointment. Prabha, her husband from an arranged marriage living in faraway Germany, is pursued by a courtly doctor; Anu carries on a romance with a Muslim man, which she must keep a secret from her Hindu family; Parvaty finds herself dealing with a sudden eviction from her apartment.
All We Imagine as Light is showing in the Dundee Microcinema.
Reviews
“STUNNING. A luminous slice of Mumbai life. Like a dream, this is a film that washes over you... A reminder of the transcendent power of cinema.” – Associated Press
“The heat, hustle, glory and grind of modern-day Mumbai give way to something all the more mysterious and ever so beguiling in Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light…an expansive and intimate feature.” – The Wrap
Accolades
Winner • Grand Prix at Cannes 2024
Winner • Best International Film at 2025 New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Winner • Best International Feature at 2024 Gotham Awards
Nominee • Best Foreign Language Film at 2025 Golden Globes
Nominee • Best Director at 2025 Golden Globes
Nominee • Best Foreign Language Film at 2025 Critics Choice Awards (Pending)
As part of our See Change initiative, we strive to showcase the work of women and non-binary individuals and their behind-the-scenes involvement in a production.
This film was written and directed by Payal Kapida and produced by Menaka Nagarajan, Nikita Parikh and Denise Ping Lee.
