All We Imagine as Light (2024)

"Prabha" (Kani Kusruti) is a nurse in a busy Mumbai hospital who shares her tiny apartment with the usually skint "Anu" (Divya Prabha). We quickly learn that she is married but her husband left her some while ago to work in Germany and she hasn't heard from him in over a year. "Anu", on the other hand, has a different emotional problem. She has fallen in love with a young Muslim man "Shiaz" (Hridhu Haroon) but knows full well that neither her colleagues nor her family will ever permit such a relationship, let alone any marriage - so perhaps elopement is their only solution. Meantime, whilst these women deal with their own domestic issues, their friend "Parvaty" (Chhaya Kadam) is facing eviction from her home as the developers want to move in. Their threats have given way to more practical action as her electricity has been disconnected. In the face of this, she decides it's time to return to her ocean-side village where at least she has her own home. Sympathetic to her plight, the two friends agree to accompany her and it's whilst there that we discover through conversation and flash-backs a little of just how each woman found themselves where they are now, and we take a look at what opportunities might present themselves for their futures. It's a delicately presented story this, set amongst the hustle and bustle of a city that never stops. These women care about others all the time, but are gradually becoming aware that they also have to start caring more about themselves - and for "Prabha" who has attracted the interest of the kindly "Dr. Manoj" (Azees Nedumangad) she has to decide whether to remain faithful to her past or look to what might be next. There's some solid photography throughout capturing both the lively (and frequently rainy) urban busyness as well as the beauty of the water and the ancient peaceful symbolism carved in the caves, and the whole thrust of the narrative illustrates poignantly the choices (or lack of them) that these women can make in a society where conformity is the order of the day. It can be quite fun at times too, these women are not sackcloth and ashes characters, but there's still a potent message that creates an engaging and characterful study that's well worth a couple of hours.