We all imagine it as light: Payal Kapadia on characters, grainy cinematography and more
Director Payal Kapadia, in an interview with India Today Digital, talks about the film All We Imagine as Light and the intricacies of making it. He also shared the inspiration behind the characters in the film.
Filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light is set to release in India on November 22, 2024. The Grand Prix award-winning film stars Divya Prabha, Kani Kusruti, Chhaya Kadam and Hriday Haroon in lead roles. Ahead of its release, Kapadia shared information about his creative process and the inspiration behind his characters in an interview with India Today Digital.
From the symbolic use of the rice cooker to the deliberate graininess of the cinematography, Kapadia highlights his creative vision And also the emotional depth of his storytelling.
Excerpts from the interview:
Payal, was there any particular reason why you decided to start the film with voices from different languages instead of the usual Mumbai scenes?
I wanted the film to start with a kind of non-fictional approach, almost like an urban symphony. You hear the many voices that make up Mumbai, creating a collective hum of the spirit of the city. With this symphony, we focus on one voice, almost like a curtain opening, inviting the audience into the lives of these women – just one of the many stories unfolding in Mumbai.
How did you base the characters of Prabha and Parvati? Did you take any references from your personal life?
They were inspired by a mixture of people I have met and some of whom I know very closely. Prabha’s character is shaped by the absences in her life – her husband is in Germany, and she longs for the traditional family she doesn’t have. But with time, he realized that his friends were his family. Their journey is about accepting this unconventional but deeply meaningful relationship.
Parvati, on the other hand, is originally from Mumbai. She’s a no-nonsense, practical woman who doesn’t dwell on self-pity. There is no time for sadness in Mumbai, life demands quick decisions, even if they are imperfect. Her character is derived from the many Maharashtrian women who came to Mumbai, made it their home and became the backbone of their families. Parvati symbolizes that resilient spirit – the force that keeps the city alive.
Can we talk about the touching cooker scene where Prabha hugs him? What was your thinking behind this?
The rice cooker became a powerful symbol for me to explore Prabha’s layers of emotions and societal expectations. Women are often told that certain objects—tools, jewelry, or clothing—will change their lives, especially in the context of family. The cooker is marketed as something that will serve a large family, but Prabha doesn’t have that. Yet he’s still attracted to it, happy to have it, as if it might fill a void.
This view also relates to how advertisements romanticize such objects, giving them a golden glow and slow-motion appeal. This is ironic and poignant, because for Prabha, the cooker has become more than a kitchen appliance – it is a symbol of the family life she longs for but does not have. Cinema allows us to magnify the importance of these small, everyday objects, and that’s my goal.
Was the grainy cinematography in the film intentional?
Absolutely. I wanted to shoot most of the film in the evening and at night, because that’s when the city comes alive for its residents. During the day, people work indoors, but evenings and nights are their own time – a time of love, celebration or contemplation. The graininess adds warmth and texture, evoking the charm of old celluloid films.
To me, darkness needed depth and life, not just flat blackness. The grain created a sense of intimacy and nostalgia, which meshed perfectly with the themes of the city and the life we were exploring. It makes the night feel alive, full of stories and possibilities.
All We Imagine as Light has been praised For its evocative storytelling, blending dreamy visuals with profound themes that resonate with audiences around the world. Kapadia’s distinctive cinematic voice, which often explores the intersection of memory, identity and dreams, continues to receive wide acclaim.
